> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://oap.gitbook.io/the-open-ads-protocol-litepaper/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://oap.gitbook.io/the-open-ads-protocol-litepaper/readme.md). # Introduction As the world’s data slowly decentralizes, many industries have been shown to have a more fair and transparent decentralized alternative. Finance, insurance, ticketing, social media, file storage and computing are all examples where a decentralized future looks bright. Yet, digital advertising continues to be an industry in which centralization is the predominant model without an open alternative. Centralized advertising is marked by the concentration of power in the hands of a few giants. These platforms have amassed vast amounts of user data, granting them significant control over the advertising ecosystem. This concentration leads to limited competition, reduced innovation, and challenges to advertisers, publishers and consumers. Lack of transparency, ad fraud, user experience challenges, and limited user control of their data highlight the shortcomings of this model. We’re proposing The Open Ads Protocol. An open, permissionless and decentralized advertising protocol to create transparent and fair advertising experiences. It will serve as a decentralized advertising layer that can be built upon to create a robust advertising ecosystem that facilitates a more fair, user-centric, attention economy. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://oap.gitbook.io/the-open-ads-protocol-litepaper/readme.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.