Preserving Generative Art On-Chain

Throughout history, art has been vulnerable to loss—whether through physical destruction, technological obsolescence, or the disappearance of hosting platforms. By storing artwork completely on-chain, we're ensuring these digital works can never be lost. Unlike traditional digital art that might rely on centralized servers or specific platforms, on-chain artwork exists as long as the Ethereum blockchain exists. This approach transforms generative art from something that could be lost to time into a permanent part of our cultural heritage.

Every element needed to generate your artwork - including the core script, all dependencies (like p5.js or three.js), and token data - is stored directly on the Ethereum blockchain. This means your art can be generated forever without relying on any external servers or services, including Art Blocks.

Most NFTs only store metadata on-chain and rely on external servers to host images or generation scripts. Art Blocks projects store everything needed to create your artwork on the blockchain itself. Think of it like having a complete recipe with all ingredients versus just a picture of the finished dish.

We've deployed the most common creative coding libraries including p5.js@1.0.0, three.js@0.124.0, and several others. Currently, 90% of Art Blocks projects can be rendered using only on-chain resources. The remaining projects use specialized libraries that we're working to preserve.

Yes! You can run our open-source generator locally via GitHub, pin our UI through IPFS, or build your own interface. As long as you can connect to Ethereum, you can generate any Art Blocks artwork independently of our platform.

Previously, while project scripts were on-chain, we relied on external sources for core dependencies like p5.js. Now, these dependencies are also stored on-chain, and our new on-chain generator automatically assembles all these components—script, dependencies, and token data—to render artwork directly from the blockchain. This makes the entire generation process self-contained and truly decentralized.

Visit https://www.artblocks.io/onchain/generator and enter your token contract address and token ID (both can be found on the artwork's detail page on artblocks.io). The generator will render your artwork directly from the blockchain if possible. You will see an Ethereum symbol signifying that all components are accessible on-chain.

At minimum, you need: A web browser with Javascript support, Access to an Ethereum node, Our open-source generator (or your own implementation) That's it! No special software or Art Blocks access required.

In that unlikely event, your art remains completely safe and accessible. Since everything needed to generate your artwork is stored on the Ethereum blockchain, you can always render it using our open-source tools or create your own interface. The blockchain ensures your art lives forever, independent of any single platform or company.

While 90% of projects use libraries we've deployed on-chain (like p5.js and three.js), the remaining projects use specialized libraries that are currently served through widely-distributed CDNs. The on-chain generator fully supports these projects, automatically managing these dependencies. We're actively working toward complete on-chain coverage for all libraries.

Currently, our on-chain generator supports only Art Blocks projects on Ethereum mainnet. While we have projects on other chains, the on-chain preservation effort is focused on mainnet first. We'll evaluate expansion to other chains based on community needs.

Art Blocks Flex enables projects to incorporate assets stored on decentralized storage networks, such as IPFS. These storage networks operate off-chain by design. However, the on-chain generator in Art Blocks Flex is designed to automatically assemble links to any pinned assets, ensuring that the tokens render properly. It's important to note that Flex tokens rely on the availability of the decentralized storage network to function correctly..