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As data has become synonymous with “digital gold,” it’s no wonder the demand for access to real-time data is skyrocketing. On the same side, as Web 3 or decentralized technologies are emerging, the shortcomings of centralized services within the Web3 stack are being addressed. 

Streamr is among such decentralized projects that provide a real-time data infrastructure as it allows data to travel via a global peer-to-peer network that is scalable, robust, and permissionless. Streamr sets itself apart through the use of blockchain technology for data sharing. 

Streamr’s real-time data delivery system operates through the help of a P2P or a Peer-to-Peer network in a pub-sub fashion. Pub-sub or Publish-Subscribe is an asynchronous communication model that supports scalable and reliable communication. 

Similar to BitTorrent, Streamr is a network of nodes that can pipe messages to one another without intermediaries. However, the key difference between the two is that Streamr is for real-time data streams, whereas BitTorrent does not operate real-time data streams. 

Background of Streamr Launched in 2017, Streamr was launched by the founders of Streamr, who believed there needed to be a way to connect billions of devices with real-time data through the help of a decentralized network. 

The importance of real-time data must be addressed, particularly due to the growth of DePIN or Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks. This is because DePIN helps to move the work of large data centers to non-technical people around the globe, ultimately bringing in huge benefits, particularly of trust. 

DePIN is owned and operated by users, making it neither a public nor a private infrastructure. DePINs allow for building real-time data ecosystems, giving stakeholders the power to add value and additional services that help to support the ecosystem. 

At the same time, for the development of a decentralized future, real-time data is needed as this helps to power decentralized applications or dApps. DApps need external data to function, and if they remain dependent on the existing centralized data networks, dApps will eventually become liable to all the existing problems that are present in Web 2. 

These liabilities include user data being susceptible to cyber attacks, power remaining in the hands of a few, a complete lack of robustness, misuse of private data, monopolistic positions that cause inflated costs, and the risk of a single point of failure. 

These issues bring serious concerns to not only the development of decentralized applications but the entire decentralized internet or Web 3, where the promise is to give users more power over their data through decentralization. 

Development of StreamrWhile an ecosystem of decentralized P2P networks already exists, Streamr development takes a completely different approach, focusing on real-time data. Through the help of this real-time data, anyone can publish events on data streams, and anyone can subscribe to streams. 

First and foremost, Streamr is a P2P network that utilizes a Pub-sub messaging pattern, including one-to-many, many-to-many, or many-to-one streaming. This allows DePIN builders to build in a UP, ACROSS, or BROADCAST fashion, depending upon the different use cases.

For example, DIMO, which is an open and user-owned IoT network that uses Streamr, is built in a UP fashion from Miner to Network. With the help of DIMO, developers can easily access barometric pressure, temperatures, and other weather-related data in real-time. This gives developers who require weather data to power their applications an ideal solution.

In the future, DIMO plans to build in an ACROSS fashion, giving miners more flexibility to connect. This will help to ensure that DIMO’s data stream is completely decentralized and not owned or controlled by any centralized authority. 

Streamr 1.0, which is the final milestone in Streamr’s original 2017 roadmap, means when it is implemented, it will lead to the implementation of the network tokenomics, meaning the network is fully decentralized. Anyone can now set up an operator node, and delegators can now delegate their tokens to the operator node. 

The Network Tokenomics of $DATAWithin the Streamr Network, both data publishers and subscribers are Nodes in a P2P network. 

Nodes that are involved in a stream of data connect one another in a certain way, ultimately helping to form the stream’s topology through which the main function of Streamr Network can be performed. 

Therefore, every node that joins a stream does two things: it consumes the data and relays it onwards to other nodes interested in the stream. 

To incentivize good nodes who ensure data flows robustly and stably, the honest and stable nodes are paid, forming the basis of Streamr Network Tokenomics. Streamr tokenomics works similarly to the gas price of Ethereum. In Ethereum, users are constantly in a battle to incentivize miners to execute their transactions faster. 

On Streamr, users have to pay less or nothing at times if they are happy with the best-effort performance. They can also pay to incentivize nodes to make the stream more robust and secure. 

However, it is important to note that Streamr Network tokenomics is not based on buying more access to data on The Hub. On the Network, users pay for infrastructure costs for data delivery. On the application layer, users pay for access to data content. 

Users can use the Network for data delivery without using The Hub, similar to a person who can send and receive packages without ordering products or services from online stores. 

Streamr Stack The Streamr infrastructure consists of a tech stack that helps to connect and incentivize computers within a global peer-to-peer network. The entire stack is built on top of a decentralized transport layer, which helps to ensure resilience, fault tolerance, robustness, transparency, openness that comes with decentralization, and community building. 

To facilitate their goal, the Streamr stack offers the following multilayered technology stack:

Streamr HubThe Hub or Streamr Hub serves as an entry point for developers, helping them to create and connect with live streaming data. The Hub is a portal that leads directly into the Streamr Network and is a step forward towards a more consciously open data approach, all while ensuring it does not undermine any Web3 ethos. 

Other than DIMO, there are several other projects on the Hub. The first includes Polygon, in which Polygon Validators are sharing their validator node’s live metrics. The second includes EthWatch, which broadcasts the live stream of Ethereum and Polygon contract events. 

Other projects that are built using Streamr include Swash, Redstone, and Unbanks. In the DePIN space, they include MapMetrics, IoTeX, and Peaq Network apart from DIMO. 

As the demand for AI is growing, Streamr hub has 90% of the features of an AI marketplace. The smart contracts can be extended to allow users to publish prompts that can get access to the output of a pay-to-access remotely run model.  

In the end, the goal of the Streamr hub is to facilitate the discovery and the delivery of what type of data exists out there, give users a comprehensive toolkit for its creation along with its management, and make it simpler for the users to subscribe to a data stream of their choice. 

Streamr Network Streamr Network acts as the “transport layer” of the entire Streamr stack. The network handles all messaging in a decentralized data pipeline. This layer consists of primitives known as events & streams and broker nodes.

The Streamr Nodes operate on primitives, and the collection of broker nodes consists of a P2P network that handles the decentralized messaging. The infrastructure layer, on the other hand, uses the Ethereum stack for its operations as node coordination requires robust consensus, which the smart contract implements. 

Streamr network has multiple different parts, all of which play an important role in transporting data. These include: 

EventsAn event is a timestamped piece of information that contains headers and content. Headers provide the metadata of the vent, which includes its timestamp, content type, and origin. The content gives information on what format the content is in. Both are encoded in a binary format. 

StreamsAll of the events that occur are a part of the stream. They are grouped in a logically relatable manner and stored in an ascending order. The entire metadata is stored on Ethereum’s smart contract. Streams carry five different pieces of information, namely user ID, name, description, owner, and permissions. 

Publish-SubscribeThe data delivery in the Streamr network follows the publish-subscribe paradigm. Events that occur are promptly delivered to all those who are authorized and subscribed to the stream. This can be limited depending on what kind of access the user has. 

Partitioning (Sharding)To achieve scalability, not all the Streamr nodes handle all the traffic. This is because the event traffic within the whole network is divided into several independent parts called partitions. Each broker node handles traffic that belongs to a different set of partitions. 

Node CoordinationStreamr uses node coordination, which acts as a key coordinator for the assignment of network partitions to broker nodes in the network. Node coordination also helps to maintain changes when nodes appear and disappear. Streamr network uses its underlying Ethereum network to establish consensus for node coordination in the P2P network. 

IncentivizationStreamr incentivizes Operators (who act as the miners on Streamr) to do two things: report the checksums for their assigned partitions to the network and deliver the data to any smart contract subscribers. To incentivize, Streamr sends them $DATA. 

Event PersistenceFor Streamr to turn its entire network into a decentralized time series database, the events in data streams persist in the P2P network. The achieved decentralization allows the Streamr network to achieve greater robustness, fault tolerance, anonymity, and lower costs. 

Data ProvenanceTo ensure hackers do not manipulate data for their monetary advantage, the Streamr Network cryptographically signs a private key. This helps to attest to the data provenance and ensures that the events on the network always carry a signature that can be verified. 

Data ConfidentialityAs anyone can participate in the Streamr network by running a node, all of the event payloads of non-public streams in the Streamr network are encrypted. This encryption is done with the help of asymmetric key cryptography. Such an approach, combined with the help of encryption, brings safety. 

Streamr Smart ContractsWhile several Ethereum-based smart contracts support the Streamr Network and The Hub, the Streamr Network also uses its smart contracts. These smart contracts help to improve coordination, permissions, incentivization, and integrity checking. 

StreamThe Stream smart contract is the main smart contract that holds static information and carries the permissions for the stream. 

Stream RegistryThe stream registry contract holds important information about the known streams in the network. 

Network CoordinatorThe network coordinator contract assigns partitions to broker nodes. These Streamr Nodes register themselves with the coordinator and receive updates on the network state by looking at the smart contract. 

$DATALastly, in the Streamr stack is the $DATA token, which is a means of compensation between the data producers and consumers. It’s an ERC 20 token that ensures that the payments are handled securely. It also provides interoperability with different wallets and other tokens. $DATA has the following main jobs: 

Implement a monetization mechanism for data producers, which helps them act as a data vendor to step in wherever necessary and help the community grow to everyone’s benefit. 

$DATA is also an incentive for maintaining and operating a P2P network, as it takes resources, time, computing power, and communication bandwidth. Without such an incentive, Streamr Nodes will not participate, and the entire P2P network in which the real-time data runs will collapse. 

The primary application of $DATA includes when developers and subscribers pay for the data they want to get access to using $DATA. Additionally, data producers and the network participants are reimbursed for their participation with $DATA securely and automatically. Tokens can also be earned by running a particular node and then staking $DATA tokens on that node. 

Streamr reimburses staking awards through the help of a supply inflation process, which was decided through the help of the project’s governance. In Streamr 1.0, delegated staking was introduced, which allowed token holders to not only run a node but also stake their $DATA in return for a reward. 

Stream sponsorships are the final milestone of the Streamr project, as they bring the long-awaited incentive layer that fully activates the $DATA token economy. As streams operate an overlay of the network, stream Sponsorships attract new nodes to join the network. With the help of this, the Streamr network will become more robust from external attacks.

It will also help to prevent the data loss which is caused by node churn. When churn nodes consistently join and leave the stream, it adds instability to the topology, thereby leading to disruption in the message flow. 

In other words, through the help of Sponsorships, Streamr nodes will become bulletproof. 

Sponsorships work through the help of a smart contract that will release funds over time to operators who have joined them. Sponsors will fund sponsorships, as they will be the ones to create them by defining the terms of engagement. 

The smart contract will help to ensure the agreed terms are fulfilled, and then DATA tokens will be transferred. They must deliver on their promise to avoid losing their tokens. 

Operators and DelegatorsOperators are Streamr node runners. Operators can join or leave a sponsorship at any given time as long as they agree to the penalties while signing up. Delegators, on the other hand, are the passive liquidity providers for Operators. In return, they will earn revenue from well-performing operators. 

The lifecycle of the Stream sponsorship will comprise 5 different steps and is as follows: 

Firstly, a sponsorship smart contract will be created, which will describe all policies and parameters. Secondly, sponsors will pay DATA tokens on the agreed terms. Thirdly, operators will join sponsorship by staking on it. Fourth, Operators will join the sponsored stream network and relay data in the stream. 

In the last step, if or when the sponsorship runs low on tokens, they can either be “topped up” or the reward will be given based on the configured emission rate. This process will ensure sponsorship contracts act as a decentralized mechanism that helps to manage a stream of earnings distributed within different operators. 

Advantages over competitorsThe unique selling point of Streamr is that it provides a real-time data infrastructure of the decentralized web or Web 3, which already sets it apart from its competitors. There are several other advantages that Streamr brings, but other decentralized data storage projects are unable to do so. Some of these include: 

Ease of miningUnlike Filecoin, which is one of Streamr’s primary competitors, users have an ease of mining and become a part of the network. In the case of Filecoin, users have to purchase expensive hardware. In addition, users also need to have some experience in systems deployment and administration, which makes it extremely difficult for non-technical people to enter.

In the case of Streamr, the barrier to entry is kept as minimum as possible as the project believes that’s the only way for the blockchain ecosystem to grow. 

Fair token distributionThere’s an ever-existing fear of FIL, which is the native token of the Filecoin network to be dumped by its advisors. This is because, at the time of the launch, almost half of FIL supply was given to the advisors at half its existing price. In fact, Filecoin community members alleged 2020 token dumping when an unknown account received 1.5 million FIL tokens. 

Meanwhile, Streamr has ensured the supply of its $DATA is done reasonably. 

Non-DiscriminativeAnother key area that helps Streamr set itself apart from other projects is that it maintains a neutral stance on data and content. 

On the other hand, Arweave has a Democratic Content Policy, which creates a potential conflict as network nodes have the power to issue a blacklist against certain data types, thus hindering the idea of an “open economy.” 

Emphasis on adequate user interfaces & appropriate informationStreamr has a major focus on developer user interfaces that are much easier to use and are targeted toward people who have a relatively less technical background. Siacoin, which is one of its main competitors, has yet to offer adequate user interfaces. 

A similar issue is also present with Arweave, where the project developers are unable to provide in-depth information that can help developers when they are building on their stack. What Streamr offers is unique as it provides in-depth, dense knowledge in a relatively easy-to-navigate manner to ensure developers do not face any issues. 

Analysis of StreamrThe importance of data, especially one that runs in a combination of a real-time data market and the data pipeline, all while remaining decentralized, is transformative for the entire Web3, particularly because this gives a decentralized ecosystem exposure to data that has never existed before all while remaining true to decentralization. 

Streamr maintains its tech stack layered and modular to allow non-tech individuals to participate in the network in one capacity or another. 

It also hosts a publish-subscribe mechanism, which is a framework for exchanging messages between publishers and is widely used in Web2 due to its reliability. Streamr uses the same framework while making it decentralized, spread across different nodes rather than concentrated in one area, similar to centralized technologies. 

To ensure transactions are scalable, with minimum latency, Streamr divides its throughput scales linearly. This allows the network not just to scale but also to process millions of events per second. 

Streamr also allows users to sell their data directly, which gives them the power to monetize their data, all while knowing which companies and industries are using their data. Through the help of this transparency, users will be empowered, unlike in a centralized system where power is monopolized. 

Anyone who owns a personal computer or a laptop can become part of the Streamr network by becoming a node operator and earning yield on staked tokens. 

Emerging use cases of StreamrProving its versatility and adaptability, Streamr has the potential to revolutionize different industries and applications. Some of the emerging use cases of Streamr include:

[1] Video StreamingTraditional streaming services often need help with bandwidth limitations and central server outrages. Streamr’s P2P network can help distribute video content more efficiently by reducing latency as stream viewers become P2P distribution nodes as they consume the stream. This will help to improve the user experience. 

[2] Decentralized AIStreamr helps to provide a strong infrastructure for real-time data collection and distribution. This is critical for training AI models, ultimately ensuring that AI systems can function without the hurdles present within centralized data servers. This helps to enable more efficient and scalable AI solutions. 

The Streamr developer community has already developed the next generation of AI technologies. Some of these AI technologies include the Streamr node AI plugin, AI video distribution, LLM routing, AI chat, Verifiable AI, AI Audits, and AI data crowdsourcing. 

As the need for decentralized data exchanges has become more apparent, Streamr can provide help to the entire Metaverse ecosystem. This can be done by providing a foundation for real-time data transmission that will enhance the interactivity and responsiveness of the virtual metaverse worlds. 

[4] Web 3 GamingAs the importance of real-time data exchange and decentralized infrastructures is maintained in the fast-growing world of Web 3 gaming, Streamr provides a strong solution. It offers a platform where game developers can build decentralized gaming experiences with real-time player interactions and data exchanges. 

[5] dApp MessagingDecentralized applications (dApps) at times rely on centralized servers for messaging, which leads towards a contradiction of Web 3 ethos. Streamr brings a solution as it can provide a decentralized messaging platform that enables dApps to embrace decentralization. 

Final Thoughts Decentralization is a much-awaited answer that users are looking for due to their declining trust in large corporations. With data becoming an integral part of our day-to-day lives, it is only necessary to ensure it does not become monopolized in the same manner as that of several other industries. 

Projects like Streamr bring an important answer to the problem, giving users the utmost possession and freedom over their data. Streamr allows users to access data in real-time, which empowers the existing infrastructure by allowing it to become more decentralized. 

Streamr is bringing this power transfer to individuals, all while improving user privacy, resilience, fault tolerance, and efficiency. This will help the future of the internet to become more connected and decentralized, with the users having more freedom over their data and power over important decisions.

Links:

Website | Twitter | Discord | LinkedIn | YouTube | Telegram | GitHub | LinkedIn

Updated Jul 16, 2024, 9:00 p.m. Published Jul 16, 2024, 7:14 p.m.

5 min read

The automotive industry is at a crossroads. We’re racing towards a future of electric vehicles and autonomous driving, yet something meaningful seems to be slipping away: the joy of car ownership. The passion and personality that once defined car culture is fading, replaced by a less exciting world where vehicles are mere transportation devices.

This op-ed is part of CoinDesk's new DePIN Vertical, covering the emerging industry of decentralized physical infrastructure.

But what if the unlikely combination of blockchain technology and the automotive world could reignite that spark?

That's where decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN) come in. While much of crypto has been overly focused on speculative trading and other exclusively digital products, DePIN networks connect blockchain to the physical world. From Helium's decentralized wireless networks to Render's distributed GPU platform, innovators are finding ways to build better infrastructure while making the ownership of physical assets more rewarding, more engaging, and frankly, more fun.

So, how does this relate to cars? Enter DIMO, a DePIN network built to improve the car ownership experience with cutting-edge vehicle integration technology. It works by giving vehicles an on-chain identity and putting owners in control of the car and its data to unlock entirely new services, experiences and economic opportunities.

For most people, their car is the second-largest purchase they'll ever make after their home. Each year, it’ll cost them about $12,000, require painful pilgrimages to the DMV, and maybe even sabotage a trip with a surprise check engine light or flat tire.

We have the opportunity to not just revolutionize industries, but to fundamentally change how people interact with and derive value from the world around themIt’s 2024. Modern technology should have made ownership cheaper, easier and more rewarding by now. Not only should you be saving way more money on expenses and automating all the hassle, you should be earning money by monetizing your vehicle data, something experts say could be worth $800 billion by 2030, and you should have access to a rich ecosystem of apps and services built for you and your vehicle. The siloed approach that automakers have thus far pursued in implementing smart vehicle technology has held this future back. It has been a disaster for security, privacy and openness.

Imagine earning crypto tokens for simply owning a car, while the data you opt-in to sharing contributes to improved traffic management, better urban planning, cheaper insurance and a better eventual trade-in value for your car. Suddenly, your depreciating asset becomes a source of passive income.

But DePIN's potential goes beyond just financial incentives. It's about revolutionizing the entire ownership experience. Remember when customizing your car was a point of pride? Your Dad might have spent his weekends tinkering under the hood of his 1987 Firebird. There’s probably a few Polaroids of him posing in front of it hidden inside a shoebox in your basement.

DePIN could bring back that sense of personalization and community, but in a distinctly modern way. Imagine a world where your car has an on-chain digital twin, allowing you to customize its appearance, participate in virtual car shows or even race digital versions of your real-world vehicle. Your car becomes a key to a whole new ecosystem. This gamification of car ownership could extend to the real world, too. Blockchain-based systems could reward safe driving, optimal route-taking or real-world carbon offsets. Suddenly, your daily commute becomes a game, with valuable rewards at stake.

But perhaps one of the most exciting potential use cases for DePIN in the automotive world is the transformation of commerce and registration. In our blockchain-enabled future, receiving the title, financing your car, insuring it, and registering could be done in seconds, whether you’re buying new from a dealer or from a random guy named Bert on Craigslist.

Your car will have its own wallet, able to pay for fuel, tolls or Starbucks. No waiting an hour at the DMV just to be told, “you have the wrong kind of paperwork, come back tomorrow.” No more pulling out quarters or downloading a bad government app just to pay for street parking. It would be impossible to build a system that is open and trusted enough that can coordinate all of these complex transactions, without blockchain and DIMO.

Read more: Scott Foo - Welcome to DePIN Summer

Of course, for DePIN to truly succeed in the automotive space and beyond, it needs to overcome the issue of accessibility. For too long, the crypto world has been a tech club, with high barriers to entry in terms of technical knowledge and financial risk. DePIN projects need to focus on creating user-friendly interfaces that hide the complexity of blockchain technology. The average car owner shouldn't need to understand smart contracts or private keys to benefit from these systems.

This isn't a pipe dream. The groundwork is being laid at DIMO today, where nearly 100,000 cars are connected and the infrastructure that will make scenarios like this a reality is coming together.

For those of us passionate about both technology and the physical world, it's an exciting road ahead. We have the opportunity to not just revolutionize industries, but to fundamentally change how people interact with and derive value from the world around them.

The principles that DePIN is applying to vehicles can be extended to virtually any physical asset. Your home could earn tokens by contributing to a decentralized energy grid. Your smartphone could be rewarded for participating in a distributed computing network. The key is to create systems that offer immediate, tangible benefits to users while building towards a more decentralized, user-centric future. It's about using blockchain technology not as an end in itself, but as a tool to enhance our interaction with the physical world.

So, the next time you get behind the wheel, imagine a future where your car isn’t just about getting from A to B, but a seamless extension of your daily life and your personality in the real world and online. That's the future we're building. And who knows? It might just make owning a car cool again.

Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc. or its owners and affiliates.

Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc. or its owners and affiliates.

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The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI technologies has been meteoric in the past two years. For some tech-savvy people, every morning begins with the help of AI, from the smart alarm that tracks their sleep cycle to the news app that curates articles based on their interests.

But behind these seamless conveniences lies a hidden reality – these technologies are part of a growing energy crisis. As AI technologies like generative AI advance, they are not just transforming our lives; they’re demanding a huge share of the world’s electricity.

Impact of AI on Energy InfrastructuresThe challenge is stark. As one of the most energy-intensive modern IT endeavors, AI systems require considerable carbon emissions and electricity. Indeed, the world might not be ready for their demands.

In 2023, the world became acquainted with the implications of generative AI, and by 2024, its utilization in various sectors magnified. Hence, data centers that power these AI models are becoming massive consumers of electricity.

Indeed, Forbes noted that GPT-4 required over 50 gigawatt-hours to train—equivalent to 0.02% of California’s annual electricity production. Moreover, it requires 50 times more energy than its predecessor, GPT-3.

The statistics are staggering. Globally, data centers and their transmission networks now contribute to 3% of global energy consumption, emitting as much carbon dioxide as Brazil.

Moreover, the escalating energy requirements show no signs of abating. According to an International Energy Agency (IEA) projection, global electricity demand will surge from 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2022 to 1000 TWh by 2026.

Read more: How To Build Your Personal AI Chatbot Using the ChatGPT API

Global Electricity Demand Projections. Source: IEAIn the United States alone, the power demand from data centers is expected to increase from 200 TWh in 2022 to 260 TWh by 2026, marking a 6% share of the country’s total power usage. Projections suggest this demand will double by 2030.

Amid this backdrop, Ayush Ranjan, CEO of Huddle01, highlighted in an interview with BeInCrypto the urgent need for solutions like DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network).

“AI data centers require a substantial amount of electricity for computation and cooling. If AI applications continue to grow at the current rate, we will see a significant strain on both local and global energy grids that will prove unsustainable. This burden will continue to increase as AI systems get more and more complex with time. This will again lead to higher emissions and grid instability,” Ranjan explained.

The geographic clustering of data centers compounds the challenges. For instance, Northern Virginia hosts the largest hub of data centers globally, consuming electricity equivalent to that of 800,000 homes. This concentration creates dangerous fluctuations in power demand, posing severe risks to energy infrastructures.

How DePIN Solves the ChallengesIn response, DePIN offers a promising solution by leveraging underutilized hardware resources to distribute computational tasks more efficiently. By decentralizing energy consumption and incentivizing the use of edge computing, DePIN networks could significantly alleviate the energy burden imposed by AI, offering a pathway to more sustainable and democratized access to AI resources.

Ranjan further elucidated that DePINs distribute energy consumption and workload, easing the burden on any single point. Instead of relying on huge centralized data centers, DePIN deploys multiple nodes—often utilizing underused infrastructure to offload computations closer to end-users.

“This reduces the workload on servers and spreads energy consumption more evenly across regions, easing the burden on energy grids,” Ranjan told BeInCrypto.

Currently, 84% of the data centers are concentrated around the United States, Europe, and China, making data transfers less energy efficient. However, edge computing, integral to DePIN, minimizes long-distance, energy-intensive data transfers typical of centralized data centers.

“Splitting the energy consumption across multiple devices and regions, reducing the load on data centers and energy grids by leveraging existing devices or resources to build the network will prove critical in solving this issue,” Ranjan affirmed.

Read more: What Is DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks)?

Data Centers Distribution. Source: Synergy Research GroupDePin Projects Addressing AI’s DemandsAccording to Ranjan, several DePIN projects, like Filecoin Green, Akash Network, Render, and Grass, focus on addressing AI’s energy demands.

Notably, the Daylight Energy project, backed by prominent venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), aims to transform energy grid operations through distributed energy resources (DERs). This initiative enhances grid responsiveness and facilitates sustainable energy practices by leveraging real-time data from DERs such as solar panels and smart batteries.

Moreover, on September 10, Daylight Energy announced a partnership with DIMO Network to enable electric vehicles (EVs) to support power grids. This collaboration utilizes DIMO’s EV application programming interfaces (APIs) to integrate EVs into the energy management ecosystem, thereby facilitating clean energy usage and real-time energy management for all EV owners. 

DePIN networks also solve other challenges of centralized infrastructure, such as frequent outages. For instance, a recent IT outage involving Microsoft and CrowdStrike disrupted major services worldwide. However, DePIN networks are less susceptible to such outages because they do not have a single point of failure.

Currently, the total market capitalization of DePIN projects stands above $20.5 billion. Additionally, the total number of DePIN devices has crossed 18 million. However, DePIN still faces scalability challenges as the mainstream adoption of these networks requires high computational power.

“Many DePINs rely on a mix of devices, from low-powered edge devices to small-scale data centers. Scaling the network and coordinating the deployed resources to match the computational power of a centralized data center remains a formidable industry challenge,” Ranjan noted.

Read more: Top 10 Web3 Projects That Are Revolutionizing the Industry

DePIN Market Cap, Volume, and Total Devices. Source: DePINscanHowever, while the idea of DePIN rescuing the world from a global energy crisis remains nascent, further innovation and adoption are essential. Ranjan believes that token incentives can help bring more adoption.

“Because of hardware limitations of edge devices to handle AI workload, wide adoption is crucial for any DePIN to scale and see a mainstream use case. Token incentives help drive intent to use and participate,” Ranjan concluded.

Indeed, as AI’s energy demands soar, DePIN offers a vital solution by decentralizing the computational load. It could substantially reduce the strain on global power infrastructures.

DePIN networks promise a more sustainable approach to managing the rising energy requirements of advanced AI systems by harnessing underused hardware and edge computing. This strategy could potentially avert an energy crisis and foster more equitable access to technology.

In brief DIMO has established a joint venture with Hakuhodo KEY3 to expand into the Japanese market. The platform's community will vote to approve funding for a 33% equity stake. Japan's connected vehicle market is projected to hit $1 trillion by 2030. Japanese automakers have spent billions developing connected car features, yet most vehicle data remains locked in corporate silos. Now, a U.S.-based blockchain startup wants to change that dynamic in one of the world's most advanced automotive markets.

Decentralized vehicle data platform DIMO announced today that it is expanding into the Japanese market through a joint venture with Web3 company Hakuhodo KEY3, targeting automakers who struggle with costly infrastructure development and tightening privacy regulations.

"Japan remains an integral part of the global market, with key automakers, Tier 1 suppliers, and mobility innovators all concentrated in the country," DIMO Japan CEO Ryo Hayashi said in a statement shared with Decrypt. "Our immediate focus is to expand the DIMO platform and allow local companies to integrate with it."

The move would help remove "infrastructure hurdles" for automakers, service partners, and third-party developers who are looking to "build and innovate" through their platform, Hayashi said.

Decentralizing software for vehiclesDIMO's decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) operates like a marketplace for vehicle data.

Drivers maintain ownership of their information while automakers access aggregated insights to develop features ranging from real-time diagnostics to usage-based insurance.

Drivers connect their vehicles through DIMO's mobile app and earn token rewards for sharing anonymized data, creating a two-sided marketplace that incentivizes participation. DIMO claims it currently connects over 180,000 vehicles globally.

The timing appears strategic. Japan produces approximately 10% of the world's vehicles, including brands such as Toyota, Suzuki, and Honda, according to data released by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association in 2024. 

Meanwhile, the connected and software-defined vehicle market is projected to expand from $200 billion in 2024 to over $1 trillion by 2030, according to industry estimates.

For DIMO, this means automakers urgently need data infrastructure to capture revenue from software, making its entry strategic for entering one of Asia's fastest-growing automotive markets.

For Japanese automakers, the partnership addresses a critical pain point around "privacy concerns and high development costs," DIMO explained.

DIMO will work within local privacy regulations and adhere to the specialized needs of local OEMs.

The venture follows DIMO's decentralized governance model, requiring token holders to vote on major treasury decisions. 

The community will decide on June 16 whether to allocate $500,000 USDT and 4 million DIMO tokens for a 33% equity stake in the Japanese entity, ensuring that stakeholders directly approve strategic expansion rather than leaving decisions to executives alone.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

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Should governance approve the proposal, Cudos would merge its token with ASI and bring thousands of GPUs to the project.

The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI) collective is looking to expand its membership.

On Sept. 11, ASI announced plans to integrate Cudos, a decentralized AI cloud computing provider, as its fourth member, pending confirmation through a community vote.

The governance vote will open on Sept. 19 and conclude on Sept. 24. If passed, the CUDOS token will merge with the Superintelligence Alliance token (FET). CUDOS will merge at a ratio of roughly 118.3 CUDOS per FET after a 5% merge fee, increasing FET’s supply by 3.27% million to 2.72 billion tokens. CUDOS holders would be subject to a 3-month vesting period, while Cudos’ treasury assets will vest over 10 months

“We have an unprecedented opportunity to build the largest decentralized AI technology stack,” said Matt Hawkins, founder of CUDOS. “This partnership isn’t just about combining resources. It’s about creating an ecosystem where AI and blockchain technology can thrive, setting the stage for breakthroughs in decentralized AGI.

ASI collectiveASI was created through a merger between SingularityNET, FetchAI, and Ocean Protocol in July. The project seeks to establish a unified ecosystem accelerating the development of decentralized Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) to disrupt the prevailing dominance of centralized tech giants currently driving innovation in the artificial intelligence space.

Should the proposal go through, ASI would gain significant computational resources from the thousands of Nvidia Blackwell GPUs and NVIDIA H100 GPUs. Cudos claims to operate the hardware at half the cost compared to centralized services like Amazon AWS. FetchAI and SingularityNET already invested $153 million in GPU hardware for ASI in August.

“This integration enhances scalable computing across the Alliance, decentralizing the infrastructure to increase efficiency and reduce bottlenecks, security vulnerabilities, and other risks,” ASI said.

ASI Token PerformanceOn July 1, FetchAI, Ocean Protocol, and SingularityNET began their merger under the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI) banner.

At the time, Fetch.ai’s FET token was trading for $1.38 and boasted a market cap of $3.44 billion, while the capitalization of SingularityNET’s AGIX token was $761.1 million, and Ocean Protocol’s OCEAN token commanded $379 million.

The price of FET has since slumped 3.6% at $1.33, while the combined ASI market cap is down 27.7% from $4.58 billion to $3.31 billion.

Despite a 16.8% rise over the past week, the token remains 61.2% below its March all-time high of $3.45.

The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI) revealed in a press release on Wednesday that it plans to include Cudos as a fourth member in its ecosystem.

ASI reveals plans to include Cudos as fourth member of group The ASI alliance comprising Fetch.ai, Singularity.Net and Ocean Protocol has moved to include decentralized AI computing software venture Cudos as a fourth pact member.

To integrate Cudos into the alliance, both communities — the Cudos community and the ASI community — will vote to approve the merger. The voting will commence on September 19 and end on September 24.

If approved, Cudos's integration into ASI will commence. This will also include merging Cudos's native token, CUDOS, with the ASI token FET, at a conversion rate of 112.427 CUDOS to 1 FET. In addition, the tokens will be locked for a 3-month public vesting and a 10-month treasury vesting period. 

Fetch.ai, Singularity.Net and Ocean Protocol formed the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance earlier this year. The alliance aimed to accelerate innovation in artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.

The integration of Cudos aims to boost computing power across the alliance by increasing efficiency and enhancing security.

"This partnership is not just about combining our resources; it's about creating a seamless ecosystem where AI and blockchain technology can thrive together, pushing the boundaries of what decentralized AI can achieve," said Matt Hawkins, founder of Cudos.

"By joining forces, we are taking a crucial step towards the Alliance's mission of achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Superintelligence (ASI), offering a viable alternative to centralized solutions and bringing us closer to realizing the full potential of a truly autonomous and profitable global ecosystem," said Humayun Sheikh, CEO of Fetch.ai and chairman of the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance.

With the addition of Cudos, ASI may be looking to combine forces with more AI projects within the crypto market to compete against top players in the Artificial Intelligence industry.

Since announcing the partnership, Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) and CUDOS have been up over 2% and 4%, respectively.

The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance token rose for the third consecutive day, reaching its highest point since June 27. 

Artificial Superintelligence Alliance coin (FET) jumped to a high of $1.5768 on Sept. 19, 127% above its lowest point this month. This rally mirrored the performance of most cryptocurrencies, which surged after the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates.

FET also spiked as data from Nansen showed it had over $7.8 million in centralized exchange inflows in the last 24 hours, representing a 127x jump from the previous average. A big increase in exchange inflows often signals that some holders are starting to sell.

Meanwhile, the number of FET tokens held by smart money wallets continued to rise, reaching a year-to-date high of 5.9 million. These smart money wallets increased to 25, up from last month’s low of 21.

Data also revealed that the volume of FET traded across exchanges surged to over $623 million, its highest point since March this year. According to CoinGlass, FET’s futures open interest rose to over $92 million, its highest level since June 9.

The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance token also gained momentum following several significant AI-related news developments. In China, Alibaba unveiled a series of AI tools, including over 100 open-source AI models.

Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly raising funds at a $150 billion valuation, solidifying its position as the biggest player in the AI industry. The company also partnered with T-Mobile, a move that the company believes will boost its earnings by over $39 billion in the long term.

The coin also rose ahead of an important vote in which alliance members will determine whether Cudos will become the next part of the alliance. The current three members of the alliance are Fetch, Ocean Protocol, and SingularityNET. 

Cudos, the potential new member, bridges the gap between blockchain and cloud computing by providing decentralized storage solutions. Its token was up by 13%, giving it a market cap of over $68 million.

ASI Alliance: Your Vote Matters

Today at 6 PM UTC, the voting portal OPENS for the important governance proposal on @CUDOS_ joining and merging their native token with the Alliance.
This decision will strengthen the ASI ecosystem and drive innovation, contributing to the… pic.twitter.com/TlSOQTcikP

— Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (@ASI_Alliance) September 19, 2024 FET, the biggest AI cryptocurrency, does well when there are good news about the industry. Other AI tokens like Bittensor (TAO) and Akash Network (AKT) have also jumped by double digits in the past few days.

This week’s crypto calendar is packed with major events, including significant token unlocks across multiple ecosystems and the launch of Aptos’ staking exchange-traded product (ETP). Additionally, FTX victims are closely watching for anticipated settlements.

These developments are likely to increase volatility, particularly for ecosystem-specific tokens, urging traders and investors to adjust their strategies accordingly.

Avalanche, Oasis Network, Cardano UnlocksBeInCrypto reported that several ecosystems have token unlock events lined up for the week. Key mentions include the Avalanche, Oasis, and Cardano, expected to unleash 1.67 million AVAX, 176 million ROSE, and 18.53 million ADA tokens, respectively.

Taken together, these three events make up unlocks worth approximately $90 million between Monday and Thursday. Of note is that all these events will constitute cliff unlocks, which increase the chances of significant price impacts. Meanwhile, investors typically view token unlocks as bearish catalysts since they increase token supply, potentially outpacing demand.

Token Unlocks This Week. Source: TokenomistBitwise’s Aptos Staking ETP LaunchBitwise Asset Management is set to launch the Aptos Staking ETP (APTB) on the Swiss exchange SIX on Nov. 19, marking a major step in the crypto asset investment landscape. As the first Aptos Staking ETP, it demonstrates Bitwise’s commitment to expanding investment opportunities. APTB targets both institutional and retail investors, providing daily liquidity on the exchange with potential returns of approximately 4.7% after fees through staking.

Bitwise Aptos Staking ETP, APTB. Source: BitwiseFTX Settlements HearingsBankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX has secured significant settlements pending court approval, with a hearing set for Wednesday, November 20. The potential milestones, with Evolve Bank and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF), could enable FTX to recover up to $21 million in assets, positioning it among the top crypto news this week.

These pending developments represent FTX’s efforts to maximize creditor recovery. The settlements highlight the firm’s strategy of negotiating asset returns and sidestep lengthy and costly litigation.

In its agreement with Evolve Bank, FTX will recover approximately $12.77 million from three accounts tied to West Realm Shires Services Inc., an FTX affiliate. Meanwhile, the bank will retain $462,698.65 for indemnification. As part of the deal, Evolve Bank has waived all potential claims against FTX, including indemnity and legal expenses under their prior agreement.

Similarly, FTX has reached a settlement with SVCF to recover $8.57 million and 34,208.70 FTT tokens. Former FTX executives Nishad Singh and Caroline Ellison originally donated these assets, with the foundation selling a portion before FTX’s collapse.

By agreeing to return the remaining funds and tokens, SVCF avoids litigation while FTX secures another step toward its recovery goals. Both settlements reflect FTX’s methodical approach to reclaiming funds amid its bankruptcy proceedings.

Kava 17 Mainnet UpgradeAnother top crypto news story this week is the voting period for the Kava 17 mainnet upgrade ending on November 20, which is expected to pass with a 99.47% approval so far.

It entails the deployment to Kava Mainnet at height 12766500 around 15:00 UTC on November 21. In this upgrade, the low-level data structure is updated to IAVL V1, an upgraded data format for the low-level storage of application data in the Kava blockchain.

Kava Upgrade Proposal Vote. Source: MintscanThe change in format results in much more chain performance synchronization and greatly reduces the storage footprint required for Kava nodes.

Lisk Airdrop CampaignLisk airdrop also makes it to the list of top crypto news this week. As BeInCrypto reported, Lisk launched its mainnet and airdrop campaigns with 15 million LSK tokens on November 12. The campaign, expected to start on November 21, will set the pace for an App Bounty Quest campaign that will launch towards the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the first season of the airdrop will run for four months. It incentivizes new users and builders to engage with Lisk’s blockchain ecosystem. In alignment with this effort, Lisk is implementing a comprehensive plan reflecting its past year’s progress through strategic partnerships and various programs. This launch represents a new phase for Lisk, and the results will be closely monitored.

Airdrop participants can earn points by completing a range of activities on the Lisk Portal. The number of tasks completed is directly proportional to points earned. It will determine the total LSK tokens received at the end of the campaign period.

Zero1 Labs v2 Token UnveilZero1 Labs, an innovative AI project making significant strides in artificial intelligence (AI), will unveil its V2 token on November 20.

“A bold step forward for the only community-run and launched AI ecosystem. DEAI will be the primary asset driving decentralized AI, supporting both Cypher Chain and Cypher Nodes. The first PoS chain with fully homomorphic encryption, purpose-built for AI,” the team shared on X (formerly Twitter).

Further, the Zero1 Labs team said it would not partner with the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI). It is taking a different path from peers like Cudos (CUDOS) and Injective (INJ). Notably, the debut will coincide with Nvidia’s third quarter (Q3) earnings, positioning its native token, DEAI, for volatility.

The name Artificial Superintelligence Alliance sounds admittedly like a group of comic-book polymaths attempting to solve world problems. While this isn’t quite the case, ASI is nonetheless altruistic in its goals. Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) is a group of crypto projects that have joined forces to advance and democratize AI. Here is what you need to know in 2026.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
➤ The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI) is a collaborative effort formed by merging three major blockchain and AI-based projects.
➤ ASI aims to democratize AI technology, offering an alternative to AI development dominated by large tech companies.
➤ The alliance has expanded to include CUDOS for decentralized cloud computing.
➤ ASI has introduced a new unified token, merging existing tokens from member projects to simplify governance with the alliance.

In This Guide:

What is the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI)?ASI origins and formationHow does Artificial Superintelligence Alliance crypto work?Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) tokenASI embodies a collaborative philosophyFrequently asked questionsWhat is the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI)?The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI) is a collaboration formed by the merging of three blockchain and AI-based projects: Fetch.ai, SingularityNET, and Ocean Protocol. This union, which took place in 2024, is an effort to advance decentralized AI development.

Challenging the Titans: ASI's Potential to Agitate Centralized Tech Giants

The ASI merge is more than a technological feat; it's a statement. It embodies the potential of decentralized networks to compete with and surpass the capabilities of established tech giants, offering a… pic.twitter.com/KKY6QJ89KU

— Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (@ASI_Alliance) July 15, 2024 ASI origins and formationThe ASI alliance came to fruition from a desire to push the boundaries of AI and blockchain technology. The aim is to create a platform that can accelerate the development of superintelligent systems.

By combining their platforms in autonomous agents, AI marketplaces, and secure data sharing, the alliance hopes to lead in the development and deployment of the next-generation AI solutions. With the addition of CUDOS in October 2024, the alliance has expanded to a decentralized cloud computing platform focused on scalable cloud services.

CUDOS Joins the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance@CUDOS_ joins the Alliance, marking a significant step in developing decentralized AI infrastructure

As the Alliance grows stronger, paving the way for advancements toward AGI/ASI — Who would you like to see join next..? pic.twitter.com/aOKWe2ckvC

— Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (@ASI_Alliance) September 25, 2024 Did you know? In November 2024, there was a proposal for Paal.AI to join the ASI Alliance. The integration plan aimed to merge 90% of the Paal token supply into the ASI ecosystem. However, on Nov. 13, 2024, Paal AI withdrew its merger proposal with the ASI Alliance following community feedback.

Key objectivesThe ASI will attempt to address a number of key problems and objectives. These include:

Decentralization of AI: The ASI Alliance aims to create a decentralized AI ecosystem — an alternative to AI development dominated by big tech companies. This objective attemps to distribute power and control over AI technologies.
Advancing AGI and ASI: The alliance focuses on accelerating the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) and artificial superintelligence (ASI).
Ethical and responsible AI: The ASI Alliance aims to create AI systems that are powerful but also ethical and responsible.
Open-source development: Unlike most AI models, barring DeepSeek, the ASI Alliance will promote transparency and collaboration in AI advancement. Structure and governanceThe ASI Alliance operates with a unique governance structure resembling a joint venture:

The alliance will operate as its own distinct entity, incorporated in Singapore with its own website, marketing team, and key objectives.
Each member organization (Fetch.ai, SingularityNET, and Ocean Protocol) maintains its independence, with unchanged leadership, teams, and token treasuries (except for the tokens exchanged for ASI).
The alliance is guided by a governing council, initially proposed to consist of Humayun Sheikh (Fetch.ai founder) as chairman, Dr. Ben Goertzel (SingularityNET founder) as CEO, and Trent McConaghy and Bruce Pon (Ocean Protocol co-founders) as members.
A new token, ASI, was created to merge the utility tokens of the member projects. A joint venture in business is a partnership between two or more companies where they combine their resources, expertise, and efforts to achieve a specific business goal, usually for a limited time, by sharing the risks and rewards of a project.

How does Artificial Superintelligence Alliance crypto work?The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance functions as a group, although each project has its own autonomy and ecosystem. Here is how each project works and how it adds to the initiative to progress decentralized AI.

Fetch.ai (FET)Fetch.AI is a project that combines blockchain, machine learning, and multi-agent systems to create a decentralized digital economy. It allows users to deploy autonomous AI agents that can perform economic tasks on behalf of individuals, businesses, and organizations.

Founded in 2017, the Cambridge-based artificial intelligence lab Fetch.ai made its debut on Binance through IEO in March 2019. In January 2020, the Fetch.AI mainnet went online.

How does it work?Fetch.AI uses a consensus mechanism based on directed acyclic graph (DAG) technology and a version of proof-of-stake (PoS) based on Cosmos’ Tendermint. The Fetch.ai network develops tools and infrastructure for smart AI using three primary components: Autonomous Economic Agents, the Open Economic Framework, and the Fetch Smart Ledger.

ComponentPurposeAutonomous Economic AgentsSoftware programs that can act independently and make decisions on behalf of individuals, businesses, or even devices with limited input. Agents can come together to establish multi-agent workflows.Open Economic FrameworkA dynamic environment within the Fetch.ai network that enables agents to interact and conduct economic transactions. It is built on the Fetch Smart Ledger.Fetch Smart LedgerThe Fetch Smart Ledger is a distributed ledger that serves as the foundation of the Fetch.ai platform.FET The total supply of FET before the merge is 1,152,997,575 FET. The distribution is:

Foundation: 20% Founders: 20% Token sale: 17.6% Future releases: 17.4% Mining: 15% Advisors: 10% Ocean Protocol (OCEAN)Ocean Protocol is an open-source platform designed to monetize the exchange of data and data-related services — essentially a data marketplace. Ocean Protocol uses blockchain technology to ensure transparent data sharing, especially for AI applications.

How does it work?Ocean Protocol marketplace: oceanprotocol.comOcean Protocol uses “data tokens” to regulate access to datasets, which allows data owners to monetize their information while maintaining control. These data tokens are ERC-20 standard tokens that gatekeep the right to access data or data services.

Providers publish, deploy, and mint data tokens and create data services. Consumers, on the other hand, acquire and spend data tokens to access those services. The consumer sends data tokens to a data provider to access a dataset — which remains off-chain.

Providers deploy data tokens on the Ocean Market, where they can specify a fixed price or use the AMM for automated price discovery. Balancer supports the AMM pools, which include both the data token and OCEAN as a trading pair.

OCEAN holders can stake their OCEAN tokens in a liquidity pool and earn fees. Because they are ERC-20 tokens, data users can store them in crypto wallets, trade them on crypto exchanges, transfer them to a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), and perform other DeFi operations.

OCEAN The total supply of the OCEAN token before the merge with ASI is 1,410,000,000 OCEAN. The distribution is:

Foundation: 20% Founders: 20% Token Sale: 17.6% Future releases: 17.4% Mining rewards: 15% Advisors: 10% SingularityNet (AGIX)SingularityNET is a decentralized marketplace that democratizes access to AI. It allows developers to publish and monetize their AI services, which can be used by anyone on the network. Dr. Ben Goertzel, a prominent AI industry figure, leads the project.

SingularityNET supports various AI domains, including image processing, speech recognition, and natural language processing (NLP).

How does it work?SingularityNET creates a platform for developers to create, publish, and manage AI services that may be incorporated into a variety of applications. Developers can sell their AI models using the AI Publisher.

The linchpin of SingularityNET’s AI marketplace is AGIX, the platform’s native utility token. It serves several purposes:

Payment for AI Services Governance Staking and liquidity Token bridge AI Publisher The AGIX token is used to pay for marketplace-based transactions, providing access to AI services and future autonomous AI interactions. The SingularityNET Bridge allows users to transfer AGIX tokens to supported blockchains.

To guarantee community participation in the platform’s evolution, AGIX holders take part in governance decision-making within the SingularityNET organization. Users can also contribute to the stability and security of the network by staking AGIX tokens to earn incentives and supply liquidity to the platform.

AGIXThe total supply of AGIX tokens before the merge with ASI is 2,000,000,000 AGIX tokens. The distribution is:

Token sale: 50% Incentivizes for early users, developers, and partners: 20% Core team members and early contributors: 18% SingularityNET Foundation: 8% Bounty programs: 4% Cudos (CUDOS)Cudos is a blockchain network that bridges cloud and blockchain technology to provide decentralized cloud computing resources. It is a layer-1 blockchain that uses a delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) mechanism. The project aims to make computing more sustainable and cost-effective by utilizing spare computational resources.

How does it work?Cudos network: cudos.orgCudos brings its global network of distributed computing to the alliance, providing access to its network of GPUs. This significantly enhances the Alliance’s capacity to scale AI innovations. Cudos’ cloud infrastructure enables access to premium AI hardware at allegedly 50% of the cost of centralized providers like Amazon AWS.

The integration of Cudos into ASI is expected to accelerate progress towards decentralized AGI and ASI while ensuring these technologies are governed by a global community rather than centralized entities.

CUDOSThe total supply of CUDOS before the merge with ASI is 10,000,000,000 CUDOS. The distribution is:

Ecosystem and community development: 34% Reserve: 33.78% Team (2-year vesting): 20% Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) tokenArtificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) price: coingecko.comThe FET, AGIX, and OCEAN tokens will merge to form the ASI token; however, FET will serve as the foundation of ASI. There will be a total of 2.63 billion ASI tokens. 1.48 billion tokens will be generated to achieve this supply, with 867 million handed to AGIX holders and 611 million to OCEAN token holders.

The exchange rate between FET and ASI is 1 to 1. Therefore, if the user has 500 FET, they can convert them into 500 ASI (i.e. FET) tokens. The CUDOS token will be merged into the Alliance’s unified token (FET) at a conversion rate of 112.427 CUDOS to 1 FET.

Ocean Protocol (OCEAN) token holders will receive 0.433226 ASI tokens for each OCEAN token, while SingularityNET (AGIX) token holders will receive 0.433350 ASI tokens each AGIX token.

If your coins are listed on a centralized exchange, you do not have to do anything. ASI will arrange conversions with each exchange, and your holdings will automatically convert into ASI tokens.

The ticker will be withdrawn once an exchange has converted all of its previous tokens.

If someone inadvertently sends the old tokens to an exchange following the conversion event, there is no assurance that they will be available or converted to ASI.

A token migration option is available if your tokens are offline or in a hardware wallet. The token bridge can be used to convert tokens.

If you’re interested in investing in the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance, check our step-by-step guide detailing how to buy FET in 2026.

ASI embodies a collaborative philosophyThe Artificial Superintelligence Alliance represents a unique venture within crypto and AI. Unlike typical projects in these fields, which often view each other as competition, ASI embodies a different philosophy.

There is a saying, “When two bulls fight, the grass suffers,” ASI stands in stark contrast, advocating for collaboration over competition. This approach hopes to pave the way toward a better decentralized future, leveraging the open-source nature of crypto and the transformative potential of AI collaboration.

Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Always do your own research (DYOR). Investing in any token, including AI-powered assets, carries risk, and profits are never guaranteed.

Frequently asked questions The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance is a group of primarily three blockchain-based AI projects, Fetch.AI, SingularityNet, and Ocean Protocol. Cudos was included later as a decentralized physical infrastructure network for compute. The alliance is an attempt to progress and democratize artificial generalized intelligence and artificial super intelligence.

The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) crypto token merges the SingularityNet (AGIX), Fetch.AI (FET), Ocean Protocol (OCEAN), and Cudos (CUDOS) tokens. Holders of the member tokens can convert their crypto into the new Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) token. Eventually, the FET ticker will be replaced by ASI after all conversions are final.

The ASI alliance has several goals. It aims to democratize AI, create artificial super (ASI) and generalized (AGI) intelligence, and to create ethical and responsible AI. All of the goals of the alliance are an attempt to create the next-generation of AI.

Umami DAO has rebranded as Bonsai DAO.The rebrand is part of a larger transformation that includes the eventual launch of "subDAOs."Bonsai is trying to repair its reputation, which took a hit in February 2023.An Arbitrum-based protocol is embarking on a MakerDAO-style transformation more than a year after it weathered a crisis from which it never fully recovered.

The digital cooperative formerly known as Umami DAO has rebranded as Bonsai, a “meta DAO” that will house several, smaller cooperatives, or “subDAOs,” each of which will manage a separate blockchain-based financial product.

The move echoes a recent push from MakerDAO, whose own yearlong transformation, known as “Endgame”, includes the creation of subDAOs.

Each subDAO will eventually launch its own token, according to Bonsai.

Among other things, the strategy will test whether the promise of successive airdrops can boost a long-running protocol long after a flurry of negative headlines.

Umami’s governance token has jumped 11% since the April 24 rebrand.

“It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Umami,” developers behind the project said in an April 2 blog post announcing the changes.

“It is our firm belief that Umami’s token is severely undervalued, and that significant change is required to shift the narrative and regrow the passion and excitement around our amazing community.”

Near collapseIn February 2023, Umami, a protocol-and-LLC combo attempting to link institutional investors and the world of decentralised finance, almost came apart.

The company, Umami Labs, paused the protocol’s staking rewards, angering users. Employees resigned en masse, pledging to continue contributing to the project as Umami DAO contractors.

The UMAMI token crashed: At the end of January 2023, it was trading above $35, but by mid-February, it was worth less than $10.

The DAO, run by people who held the UMAMI token, voted to hire Umami Labs’ former employees as contractors who answer to the DAO. They included all former employees except for the Umami Labs CEO, former Reuters journalist Alex O’Donnell.

In a statement after the vote, Umami Labs’ former employees said O’Donnell “was moving the company in a direction that the entire team unanimously agreed was not in keeping with the expectations or best interests of the UMAMI token holder community.”

Umami Labs took “legal action” against “several of these individuals” for defamation and civil conspiracy, O’Donnell told DL News, adding that he was not speaking on behalf of Umami Labs, but in his personal capacity.

“These claims and other similar ones from this group of individuals are dishonest and directly contrary to the facts,” O’Donnell said.

Pausing staking rewards last year was a “compliance-minded” decision that would “serve the long term interests of the protocol,” according to O’Donnell. Additionally, the former Umami Labs employees were among those who held UMAMI tokens, and they “essentially voted to hire themselves,” he said.

Separately, the former CEO said personally sued two of his former colleagues and “prevailed on a primary matter in a November court ruling.” He expects a final ruling next week.

“With respect to ‘Bonsai DAO’, I find it curious and concerning that this group of individuals is evidently seeking to further obfuscate Umami’s legal-entity structure with a highly-relevant court ruling only a week away,” he said.

Bonsai DAO contributors did not immediately return DL News’ request for comment.

The Umami DAO has soldered along since, restarting staking rewards and releasing new “set-and-forget” vaults that have generated some of the best returns on Ether this calendar year.

But the UMAMI token has steadily fallen since July, and was trading at $3.70 before the announcement of the rebrand. While growing in dollar terms because of the appreciation of Ether, deposits in the protocol have been flat since March 2023, according to data from DefiLlama.

Hello! This chart will be available in a few moments

Since March 2023, deposits in Umami have grown due to Ether appreciation, frustrating its developers. Trying to boost adoptionOn Discord, Umami developers say they have taken some cues from other protocols that feature subDAOs, including Maker, Aladdin, and Magpie.

The rebrand was prompted by frustration that a product generating a relatively high yield for users hadn’t attracted more deposits.

“We launched a great vault product, it has hit $10m TVL and still the token hasn’t moved from $4,” the project’s pseudonymous head of community management said on Discord, using the acronym for total value locked.

“So we might as well try something new, the 10% APR a year at this price should be nothing in comparison to like 3-4 or more airdrops of new products on new chains.”

In a bid to boost adoption of its new governance token, BONSAI, the DAO is letting users convert their UMAMI tokens to BONSAI at a 1:10 ratio.

Under its new structure, so-called “leaves” are DeFi applications that will eventually be run by their own subDAOs.

“Once independent, they have a [token generation event] and reward $Bonsai holders and initial users by airdropping a significant portion of their tokens,” Bonsai said on X.

Umami will be an exception, and is not expected to evolve into a subDAO, developers said.

Update, May 1: This story was updated to include comments from Alex O’Donnell and DL News’ attempt to contact Bonsai DAO contributors.

Aleks Gilbert is a DeFi correspondent based in New York. Have a tip? You can reach him at [email protected].

The legal counsel for former President Donald Trump’s new cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a new decentralized finance (DeFi) platform has been accused of trying to seize control of another digital asset company.

What Happened: Alex Golubitsky, the general counsel for World Liberty Financial, was previously fired from a different cryptocurrency company, Umami, in January 2023.

Following his dismissal, Golubitsky allegedly attempted to take over Umami, according to the company’s CEO, Alex O’Donnell, reported Business Insider, citing court documents.

Trump announced his association with World Liberty Financial on Monday, although his official role remains unclear.

He is listed as the “chief crypto advocate” in a company white paper. Three of Trump’s children, including his youngest son Barron Trump, are also linked to the venture.

See Also: Bitcoin Worth $63,000 Pulled In $33 Pack Of Trading Cards At GameStop: ‘Mind-Boggling’ Story Goes Viral, Highlights Crypto Redemption Card

After his dismissal from Umami, Golubitsky and another former employee reportedly appointed themselves to Umami’s board and tried to take the company’s intellectual property.

A Delaware vice chancellor ruled in O’Donnell’s favor last year and awarded O’Donnell over $375,000 in legal fees and costs, the report noted.

Other key employees of World Liberty Financial, including Chase Herro and Zachary Folkman, have also faced scrutiny for their professional pasts.

Their previous crypto venture, Dough Finance, was hacked this summer, resulting in the theft of over $2 million from users.

Why It Matters: Trump’s foray into the crypto space with World Liberty Financial was officially announced during a live X, formerly Twitter, Spaces event, marking his formal embrace of blockchain technology.

His interest in cryptocurrencies was largely influenced by the success of his NFT collection and the influence of his children, according to the former President.

The venture has already sparked concerns, with Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson expressing reservations about the platform becoming a political issue.

The 2024 election outcome could also significantly impact Bitcoin’s price, with a Trump victory potentially propelling Bitcoin to new heights, according to a Bernstein report.

Read Next:

Mark Cuban Slams Trump’s Crypto Plans While Jon Stewart Calls Him ‘The Left’s Favorite Billionaire’ – What Investors Need To Know Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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12 more charged in $263M crypto theft ring that blew it on booze and cars

PANews reported on May 7th that, according to The Block, a California man has been sentenced for his involvement in a nationwide social engineering fraud ring that stole over $250 million in crypto assets. 20-year-old Marlon Ferro (also known as "GothFerrari") was sentenced to 78 months in prison, plus three years of supervised release and $2.5 million in restitution. Prosecutors stated that Ferro was the criminal organization's "last resort tool," used to break into homes and steal hardware wallets when his accomplices were unable to gain access to victims' accounts through fraud or hacking.

Federal investigations revealed that the group's activities included database hacking, target identification, fraudulent phone calls, money laundering, and burglaries, primarily targeting victims holding large amounts of cryptocurrency assets. In February 2024, Ferro broke into a home in Texas and stole a hardware wallet containing approximately 100 bitcoins (worth over $5 million at the time) and helped launder the money through exchanges. He was caught on surveillance footage committing another crime in New Mexico in July 2024, and was arrested in May 2025 while carrying two firearms and a fake ID. Ferro pleaded guilty in October 2025.

Crypto Burglar Known as ‘GothFerrari’ Draws 78-Month Prison Term

Federal prosecutors said Ferro burglarized homes to steal hardware wallets when online crypto scams failed to access victims' funds.

The US Department of Justice announced that 20-year-old Marlon Ferro of Santa Ana has been sentenced to 78 months in prison for his role in a large-scale cryptocurrency theft and social engineering conspiracy that stole more than $250 million from victims across the country.

Ferro, who also used the alias “GothFerrari,” pleaded guilty in October 2025 to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise.

Crypto Burglary Operation In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered him to serve three years of supervised release and pay $2.5 million in restitution. According to court filings, federal investigators uncovered a multi-year operation active between late 2023 and early 2025 that involved members across several US states and abroad.

The group allegedly carried out database hacks, fraudulent phone calls, money laundering, and residential burglaries that targeted people believed to hold large amounts of cryptocurrency. Prosecutors said Ferro was brought in when victims stored their assets in hardware wallets that could not be accessed remotely.

In one incident in February 2024, Ferro allegedly traveled to Winnsboro and broke into a victim’s home, stealing a hardware wallet that contained about 100 BTC worth more than $5 million at the time. Authorities said he later laundered the funds through crypto exchanges. In another case in July 2024, Ferro allegedly flew to New Mexico and monitored a target residence for several days before smashing a window with a brick and entering the home in search of a hardware wallet.

Investigators said the burglary was captured on the victim’s surveillance cameras. Court documents also stated that Ferro helped launder stolen crypto by using fraudulent identification documents to open accounts on geo-blocked payment platforms, which allowed members of the group to spend stolen funds at retail stores and nightclubs. Authorities alleged he purchased more than $255,000 worth of designer clothing for co-conspirators and assisted an arrested conspiracy leader by converting crypto into cash to pay legal fees.

Prosecutors also said Ferro arranged the purchase and shipment of Hermès Birkin bags for the associate’s girlfriend. When Ferro was arrested in May 2025, law enforcement recovered two firearms and a fake identification document.

You may also like: Mining Profits Dry Up Across Bitcoin, DOGE, LTC, and BCH Saylor Should Stop Buying Bitcoin, Says CryptoQuant Strengthening Dollar and OG Selling Pressure Keep Bitcoin Bears in Control  Growing Real-World Threats The case comes as the industry faces growing concerns over so-called “wrench attacks,” where victims are threatened into handing over access to their digital assets. Earlier this year, blockchain security firm CertiK reported a 75% increase in crypto thefts involving physical threats in 2025.

Amid those concerns, Binance this week introduced a feature allowing users to lock withdrawals for up to seven days, which is designed to help reduce risks tied to physical coercion.

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January 26, 2024 – Paris, France

Twentysix Cloud is an all-in-one decentralized cloud marketplace, powered by Aleph.im’s DePIN (decentralized physical infrastructure network). This launch marks a significant step in bridging decentralized cloud solutions with the growing demand for computing resources.

Aleph.im announces the launch of its innovative hub.

Twentysix Cloud is a decentralized cloud marketplace offering a full range of blockchain-based storage, compute engine, indexing and AI solutions for businesses and applications.

By leveraging the Aleph.im network, Twentysix Cloud ensures a secure, resilient and transparent user experience.

It sets a new standard for modern cloud infrastructures, utilizing tens of independent nodes worldwide.

The decentralized design of Twentysix Cloud meets the evolving needs of businesses and developers.

It provides a versatile environment for a wide range of applications, empowering users through a robust architecture that seamlessly connects on-chain and off-chain data, eliminating centralized points of failure.

Twentysix Cloud now operates on a PAYG (pay-as-you-go) model, offering users the flexibility to pay only for the resources they use.

This approach leads to lower costs due to the distributed nature of resources.

Payments can be made in ALEPH – the native token of the network – or in stablecoins.

This system, which charges by the millisecond, leverages Avalanche C-chain and Superfluid for optimal payment solutions.

Twentysix Cloud is enhancing its integration with EVM blockchains like Avalanche to facilitate global streaming payments.

This enhancement enables a seamless PAYG payment system that operates effortlessly across node operators, who contribute to maintaining and securing the network independently.

Jonathan Schemoul, co-founder and CEO of Aleph.im, said,

“Twentysix Cloud offers a wide range of products for companies who wish to use an alternative solution to traditional cloud services. Until today, our users needed to hold or stake tokens to use our solutions.

“With the introduction of our pay-as-you-go model, we’re excited to onboard more businesses and developers, providing easy access to a full Web 3.0 cloud platform.

“Our product will incorporate DeFi components to facilitate stablecoin transactions and include fiat gateways to enhance ease of use.

“Our mission is to contribute to the open-cloud industry as a whole and drive innovation across the space, providing new ways to build, deploy and scale more effective models for AI.

“By opening this technology, we are offering decentralized AI’s virtual agents and conversational AI products to all who wish to use it – in a confidential way.”

In addition to its advanced capabilities, Twentysix Cloud and Aleph.im are GDPR compliant.

This ensures that stakers’ personal data remains secure, and they retain ownership of their uploaded documents and metadata.

These are stored on Twentysix Cloud’s decentralized storage across more than 80 core channel nodes and over 250 compute resource nodes.

About Twentysix Cloud Twentysix Cloud is a cross-chain cloud solution powered by the Aleph.im decentralized network, which offers developers access to databases, computing power and file storage.

It ensures operational resilience for applications, particularly in AI, DeFi and gaming industries.

Since 2020, its marketplace Instances and Micro-Virtual Machines have provided scalable, high-performance resources across various blockchains.

About Aleph.im Aleph.im is a decentralized physical infrastructure network that enables developers and businesses to build applications with robust features thanks to a system of connected nodes responsible for the security and functionality of the peer-to-peer network.

CCN (core channel nodes) play a pivotal role in network control and governance, while CRN (compute resource nodes) are designed to provide distributed secure computing power and storage, ensuring better privacy, security and control over their data and applications.

For more information, visit the links below.

Twentysix Cloud X | Aleph.im X | Telegram | LinkedIn

Contact Clément Fermaud, head of marketing at Aleph.im and Twentysix Cloud

 

Top 3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Coins of the Second Week of September 2024

Industry Leaders Forecast Top Crypto Narratives for 2025

Aleph.im, a leader in decentralized infrastructure, has rebranded as Aleph Cloud and is launching a new startup accelerator program.

Aleph.im’s rebrand as Aleph Cloud signifies its transformation into a full-stack decentralized cloud provider, as confirmed in an exclusive interview with crypto.news. Announced on April 23, the rebrand reflects the company’s expanded product suite, including decentralized compute, storage, virtual machines, and GPU resources, all designed to power next-generation Web3 and AI applications.

Alongside the rebrand, Aleph Cloud is introducing a $1 million startup accelerator program to help Web3 builders and startups transition away from centralized cloud providers like AWS and Google Cloud, which dominate much of today’s blockchain infrastructure.

The program offers compute credits, storage, and technical support across ecosystems such as Ethereum, Base, Solana, BSC, and Avalanche.

“Most blockchain apps still rely on centralized cloud services, which puts decentralization at risk,” Jonathan Schemoul, CEO of Aleph Cloud, said in a press release. “Our rebrand and accelerator program are designed to help teams move off AWS and toward infrastructure that’s censorship-resistant, performant, and easy to use.”

A shift from tools to full cloud platform Originally known for providing Solana indexers, Aleph.im has evolved into a full cloud platform, prompting the rebrand to Aleph Cloud. According to Schemoul, the new name clarifies the project’s mission: delivering a comprehensive, developer-friendly decentralized cloud experience.

“It felt clearer for us but most importantly to our customers and users to adopt a universal name as Aleph Cloud,” Schemoul said in a Q&A with crypto.news.

Aleph Cloud now runs on over 700 globally distributed nodes across 12 countries and offers an intuitive SaaS interface, allowing developers to deploy decentralized apps without needing DevOps expertise.

Backing builders with a decentralized safety net Aleph Cloud’s newly launched Accelerator Program is intended to give early-stage Web3 and AI developers access to infrastructure credits, confidential virtual machines, web hosting, and more, without upfront cost.

Schemoul told crypto.news that small startups and independent developers “need strong resources in order to develop their projects.” To support a thriving ecosystem, Aleph Cloud will consider companies with a real product or even a proof of concept to gain access to its cloud services for free up to a certain threshold.

Instead of using treasury funds directly, the program distributes access via non-transferable Soulbound tokens, which unlock free use of Aleph Cloud’s infrastructure for selected participants.

Proving its edge over centralized and decentralized rivals The move comes amid increasing concerns about centralization risks in blockchain. Over 50% of Ethereum nodes, for example, are hosted on centralized services like AWS, making entire networks vulnerable to outages. Aleph Cloud offers an alternative by enabling decentralized node hosting for Ethereum, Bitcoin, and more.

In the first four months of 2025 alone, Aleph Cloud has issued over 200,000 Soulbound tokens and supported 26 blockchain networks. Projects like Ubisoft’s Web3 games, HyperSwap, and Anima’s Sybil-resistance tooling already use the platform to maintain censorship-resistance and ensure uptime during centralized cloud outages.

“Whether it’s DeFi applications like HyperSwap, Sybil-resistance tools like Anima, or use cases in the gaming industry with partners such as Ubisoft, we are ready to support them,” Schemoul also said in the interview.

Competing on flexibility and scale Aleph Cloud’s strategy is consistent with a broader trend toward decentralized physical infrastructure. It competes against industry titans like Filecoin and Akash and needs to differentiate itself in a fast growing market.

According to Schemoul, Aleph’s edge lies in its all-in-one design, offering compute, storage, hosting, and confidential virtual machines through a unified interface. The CEO stated:

“Whether you need to store data, host a website or portfolio, display a Frame, or run AI agents, Aleph Cloud is designed to support it all. You can even do everything simultaneously, something that many larger competitors do not offer.”

Developer interest is notably strong on Solana, with nearly 90% of recent accelerator applications focused on that ecosystem. The platform has also expanded support to emerging chains like Sonic and Eclipse.

Designed for compliance Aleph Cloud emphasizes that it is GDPR compliant and operates a chain-agnostic deployment. Neither Aleph nor its node operators can view stored data, reducing the likelihood of ad targeting, resale, or any other activity that goes against the end user’s interest.

Schemoul explained that it had to recently remove a streaming platform from a node it operated after receiving a copyright notice from the content’s owner. Due to the decentralized architecture, the content was simply migrated to another node.

This is a notable example of how censorship-resistance can be maintained without violating any laws.

The full Q&A with Jonathan Schemoul is below:

crypto.news: Your company recently rebranded from Aleph.im to Aleph Cloud. What drove this decision? Can you share the rationale and vision behind the new brand, and how it better reflects the direction the company is headed in 2025 and beyond?

Jonathan Schemoul: We have been exploring different options before finally settling on Aleph Cloud. Our main objective remains the same, providing an affordable, fast and resilient decentralized cloud for web3 native companies. Our infrastructure and service model has greatly improved allowing us to cater also to larger traditional enterprises. 

Aleph.im used to provide indexers on Solana before growing our product suite to a complete cloud platform. In this sense it felt clearer for us but most importantly to our customers and users to adopt a universal name as Aleph Cloud.

CN: What was the strategic thinking behind launching the accelerator program? What types of startups or innovations are you hoping to support, and how will the program help them (e.g. providing cloud credits, mentorship, or other resources)?

JS: First it’s a matter of common good. I think that our industry has to unite in order to grow more successful companies and protocols and their fate shouldn’t be left in the hands of big tech corporates. Small startups and independent devs need strong resources in order to develop their projects even before thinking of raising money. With our grant program anyone can apply with a real product or even a POC (proof of concept) and nearly instantly get access to all our cloud services for free up to a certain threshold. Be it confidential virtual machines, VPS, database storage or web hosting, we give these companies an opportunity to run their full stack onchain from day one.

CN: Is the funding coming entirely from Aleph Cloud’s treasury, or are there external partners involved?

JS: These services aren’t paid directly in ALEPH tokens, instead we have developed a non-transferrable Soulbound token that opens access to  the cloud to selected individuals; It’s a net positive operation for everyone, this way we don’t have to use our treasury and developers have access to the same resource as any other customer.

CN: What chains are you seeing the most developer interest from? You mention Ethereum, Base, Solana, BSC, and Avalanche in the press release but are there specific ecosystems where demand for decentralized infrastructure is outpacing the rest

Looking at the applicants to our grant program, nearly 90% show a strong dominance of Solana, particularly for consumer-facing applications. With support for 24 blockchains (and counting), developers can now build their apps on a truly decentralized cloud, finally putting the ‘D’ back in DApp. Recently, we deployed Aleph Cloud on Sonic and Eclipse, as we’re seeing growing momentum around these emerging blockchains.

CN: Centralization remains a big issue in blockchain ecosystems for instance, up to 90% of Layer-1 nodes run on centralized clouds like AWS or Azure​. How does Aleph Cloud’s decentralized infrastructure offer an advantage over traditional providers like AWS or Google Cloud? In what areas do you see competitive advantages and how do you convince developers or enterprises to switch from the convenience of centralized cloud services?

JS: That’s entirely true, and it is quite concerning to see AWS and GCP ranking among the most-used cloud providers in the blockchain ecosystem.

According to Ethernode, 51% of Ethereum nodes are hosted on cloud providers, with 38% hosted on AWS alone. While we are not yet scaled to host an entire blockchain network on Aleph Cloud, we do enable decentralized node hosting. For example, several users are already running Bitcoin and Ethereum nodes on our infrastructure in a fully decentralized manner.

Our suite of products is designed to support enterprise and developer needs alike. Whether it’s DeFi applications like HyperSwap, Sybil-resistance tools like Anima, or use cases in the gaming industry with partners such as Ubisoft, we are ready to support them.

The path toward a decentralized industry takes time. We are still early, working to convince one project at a time, but we are seeing significant and growing interest in our solution.

CN: Industry-wide, we’re seeing a 2025 trend toward decentralized physical infrastructure for cloud services. How do you view Aleph Cloud’s role in this broader movement? What sets Aleph apart from other decentralized compute or storage protocols emerging in this space (for example, competitors like Filecoin for storage or Akash for compute)? In your opinion, where does Aleph Cloud have a unique edge in the push to challenge the dominance of traditional cloud providers?

We can be proud to be one of the first projects that emerged in 2020 and is still actively building five years later. This demonstrates two key things. First, we have built a strong base of customers and developers who continue to support us regardless of market fluctuations. Second, we consistently innovate and release essential features, such as confidential virtual machines and GPU instances.

As you pointed out, we offer a universal cloud platform. Whether you need to store data, host a website or portfolio, display a Frame, or run AI agents, Aleph Cloud is designed to support it all. You can even do everything simultaneously, something that many larger competitors do not offer. Our biggest advantage is delivering a comprehensive and flexible cloud solution that adapts to every need.

CN: How is Aleph Cloud navigating the regulatory landscape? For example, you’ve described the platform as a GDPR-compliant “chain-agnostic supercloud”​ but how do you ensure data privacy, security, and compliance in a network of globally distributed nodes? Do you foresee any regulatory hurdles (or advantages) for decentralized infrastructure providers, and how are you preparing to address issues like data jurisdiction or service liability that traditional cloud companies typically deal with?

JS: Aleph Cloud is fully GDPR compliant, as neither we nor the node operators have access to the data stored in the cloud. This means we cannot extract or exploit data for commercial purposes, unlike centralized providers such as Meta, Google, or Amazon.Regarding chain agnosticism, we support both EVM and SVM-based blockchains. This allows us to quickly integrate new ecosystems into Aleph Cloud and provide developers and builders with a more flexible, seamless experience. 

For example, a few months ago, we received a copyright infringement notice because someone was using Aleph Cloud to host a streaming platform. Since the content was hosted on a node operated by our own company, we were legally obligated to remove it. However, our infrastructure is designed to provide an alternative, if content is removed from one node, it can be migrated to another. The responsibility for hosted content lies with the node operator where the content resides. We provide decentralized technology, but each operator is accountable for what is hosted on their node.

Presearch—a decentralized and privacy-oriented search engine—has just launched PreGPT 2.0, marking the company's latest attempt to challenge Big Tech's dominance in the AI chatbot space.

The new release brought improved language models and a broader selection of open-source AI options, all running on a network of distributed computers rather than centralized data centers.

“Why am I so excited? Because PreGPT 2.0 is so powerful and unrestrained, that it has the potential to fundamentally disrupt the echo chamber effect that has long been manipulating conventional wisdom, amplifying the herd instinct into blind conformity,” Brenden Tacon, innovation and operations lead for Presearch, told Decrypt.

The upgraded chatbot comes with two subscription tiers: a $2 monthly basic plan running Mistral AI's 7B model and a $5 pro version powered by Venice.ai's more sophisticated LLMs. Both options promise to keep user data private and conversations unmonitored, with chats permanently erased upon deletion.

PreGPT 2.0's model lineup features five of the most well-known names in the open-source AI space, including Meta's Llama-3.2-3b (a very small model built for efficiency) and Llama-3.3-70b (its latest LLM), and Alibaba's Qwen 32b.

It even leverages the old Dolphin 2.9 model, previously known in AI circles for being fully uncensored and powerful—and good at roleplay. The company also seems to have fine-tuned the Mistral 7B model to offer a custom version.

“This model gracefully handles a context of 8,000 Tokens, which equates to about 5,000 words, and you will be throttled to 1000 messages per month,” according to the company's website.

This means the model will have a memory of 5,000 words and won’t be able to properly handle conversations that exceed such limit—or won’t process prompts that are that long.

What is Presearch?Presearch, which launched in beta back in 2017 and went live in 2018, is basically a project that wants to reimagine search engine architecture with decentralized technology.

The platform processed over 12 million monthly searches through a web of independent nodes. Each node operator staked PRE tokens and lent computing power to the network, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem that scaled naturally with demand.

The idea is that a decentralized network makes the profiling of users—Google’s business model—harder and could help generate a business model that is more transparent and organic.

The platform's advertising model is also different from what you see in Google or Bing, for example.

Instead of bidding wars for keywords, advertisers staked PRE tokens to gain visibility. The more tokens they stake, the better their placement will be—a system that reduces token circulation while creating predictable revenue.

PreGPT 2.0 leveraged this distributed infrastructure by collaborating with Venice.ai, a privacy-conscious AI service provider, and Salad.com, a community that shares decentralized GPU power.

The professional tier operates on Venice.ai's high-performance network, while the basic plan is supported by Salad.com’s distributed GPU network.

Both pathways encrypt user interactions and refrain from storing chat logs, upholding Presearch's commitment to privacy.

PRE's tokenomics keeps the system running smoothly. Users earn up to 8 tokens daily for search queries, while node operators receive rewards based on their stake size and search volume.

This, at least in theory, seems like a win-win situation in which both users and advertisers are properly rewarded while helping the ecosystem grow.

PreGPT 2.0 is a separate AI feature added to Presearch's toolkit; the company remains focused on its core mission of decentralized, private search.

The chatbot integration is intended to complement the search experience without overshadowing it.

The goal is to make the entire platform ideal for privacy-conscious users who want a replacement for traditional web searches and are curious about using AI tools in their everyday lives.

Hands-On with PreGPT 2.0: Promise and LimitationsTesting PreGPT 2.0 revealed a capable chatbot that prioritizes function over flash. The interface felt cleaner than competitors like Venice.ai or Hugging Chat, though it lacked image generation capabilities that have become standard elsewhere.

The integration of a system prompt feature lets users fine-tune the AI's behavior through custom instructions, which is helpful for getting more precise responses—a sound system prompt can dramatically increase a model’s performance.

The overall experience will feel familiar to those used to tinkering with different chatbots.

This wasn't a revolutionary leap in AI capability but rather a privacy-focused implementation of existing open-source models that are often less powerful than mainstream alternatives like GPT-4o or Deepseek.

The platform only manages plain text. It can craft a bedtime story or summarize trends, but it lacks support for Excel documents and cannot properly format CSV files, PDFs, or third-party docs.

Instead, users must actually copy the contents of a sheet and paste it, which is far from ideal. Those who confuse decentralization with slow speeds have nothing to worry about.

The replies were fast, and the chatbot never hung. But the models offered the quality you’d expect from open-source LLMs that are not really topping the charts in the LLM Arena—LLama 3.1 405b is currently in the 27th position and is the most powerful model in Presearch's roster.

It's not bad, but it's also not impressive by today’s standards.

There are currently some open source implementations that are a lot more powerful at arguably similar sizes.

For example, Llama-3.1-Nemotron-70B-Instruct could easily substitute any version of the original Llama with better results and DeepSeek R1, being the best open source model to date, could also be a nice addition.

Overall, the experience was pleasant; the models performed as expected, and the interface was easier to use than Venice AI, its main competitor.

If you are looking for a privacy solution or want to try every AI tool available today, this feature is definitely worth a look. Just take into consideration that the search engine won’t replace Google, and the AI chatbot won’t replace ChatGPT—at least not yet.

Edited by Josh Quittner and Sebastian Sinclair

Editor's note: This story was updated after publication to remove a reference to burning tokens; there was a one-time burn in the past, but no ongoing burns.

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As Microsoft tightens access to its Bing Search APIs, privacy-focused search engine Presearch has launched a decentralized search API aimed at providing developers with a censorship-resistant and transparent alternative.

Backed by more than 40,000 active nodes, Presearch's new API is designed to serve as an open access tool for developers seeking privacy-first search solutions amid increasing restrictions from major providers.

The Presearch Search API operates on a decentralized infrastructure, offering fast, low-latency search results without user profiling or centralized control.

The API supports pay-as-you-go pricing in Bitcoin, Circle‘s USDC, Presearch's native PRE token, or fiat, and is accessible via Presearch's gateway system, which strips all personally identifiable information from user queries.

The launch arrives as developers face shrinking options for integrating search data.

Microsoft's API shutdowns and pricing hikes have reportedly forced thousands of developers to find new solutions, with over 50,000 apps estimated to have lost reliable search access since early 2024, according to a press release shared with Benzinga.

Also Read: Anthony Pompliano’s ProCap Buys Over 3,700 Bitcoin—What’s Driving The Aggressive Bet?

Presearch's decentralized system uses a blend of Proof-of-Work and Proof-of-Stake models.

Node operators contribute compute power, stake PRE tokens, and earn rewards based on search demand.

According to the company, the infrastructure remained operational during a significant Big Tech outage in 2023, underscoring the resilience of its decentralized model.

The platform has attracted a growing user base, with over 390,000 active monthly users and more than 400,000 daily searches. Presearch also powers search-driven applications like Scout.click, which adopted the Presearch API after losing access to traditional providers.

Presearch CEO Tim Enneking said the platform's mission aligns with the core principles of decentralization and freedom of information.

"We believe freedom of information is just as important as freedom of money," he said.

The company's roadmap includes enabling Bitcoin payments, expanding developer integrations, and continuing to grow its decentralized node network to meet demand from developers building AI, productivity, and content applications.

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SAN DIEGO, CA, Dec. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Presearch (https://presearch.com/), the privacy-centric, non-profiling engine, today announced its first Node NFT Auction is now live, giving community operators and new participants a straightforward way to help power the network and earn rewards in return. 

The auction introduces a community-driven model connecting digital art, network participation rights, and decentralized infrastructure. It features 142 unique NFTs from the Wasteland Web collection by digital artist Smokenmirrors, illustrating a vision of the internet free from algorithmic control. Each NFT stands alone as art, while also granting holders the ability to activate a node and earn network rewards once Presearch’s orchestration system goes live in a matter of weeks.

Unlike traditional digital art drops, each NFT doubles as a license key for operating a node under Presearch’s new Node Orchestration layer, the backbone of the upcoming Presearch 3.0 architecture. The orchestration system, detailed in Presearch’s latest technical blog and Nodenomics webinar, will expand the network’s global crawling and indexing capabilities of its innovative, decentralized, independent index named Indee, making it easier for users to operate nodes and contribute to the network.

“We’re scaling Indee, opening up the free web, and rewarding the people who run the compute that fuels the network’s growth.” said Tim Enneking, CEO of Presearch.

How to Participate: 
Participants can join

(here) by creating a Presearch account, depositing PRE tokens, and bidding on the NFT(s) of their choice. The highest bidders at auction close will receive their Node NFTs, which include the corresponding node keys required to operate on the orchestration layer when it launches. 

NFT Nodes Power Presearch 3.0
The Node NFT Auction marks the first phase of a broader rollout for Presearch 3.0, the project’s next major architecture update. The release includes a decentralized system for real-time crawling, indexing, and retrieval intended to support what the team refers to as the “Frontier Intelligence,” or high-value, underrepresented content often overlooked by mainstream search engines. By tying node licenses to NFTs, Presearch is testing a new model for permissionless participation, one that blends network operations, art culture, and economic incentives.

Auction Details

Start Date: [December 9, 9:00 AM Pacific]
End Date: [December 10, 9:00 PM Pacific]Supply: 142 unique 1:1 NFTs (each representing 1 Node License)Accepted Currency: PRELocation: https://account.presearch.com/nft/auctionsTo learn more, read the blog post here that includes a walkthrough video: https://news.presearch.io/presearch-node-nft-auction-278770826418

About Smokenmirrors:
Smokenmirrors, known for world-building in the digital art underground, created The Wasteland Web as a narrative backdrop depicting an imagined “post-algorithmic internet.” Each piece functions as a story fragment within that universe, reflecting themes of open networks and online resilience.

About Presearch
Presearch.com offers a privacy-focused, non-profiling search experience with results comparable to leading search engines. Its search-to-earn model rewards users with PRE tokens for every search, creating a unique value proposition. Powered by a decentralized node infrastructure, Presearch promotes fairness and mitigates biases in search outcomes unlike conventional platforms that may prioritize self-serving content and suppress others. With a loyal community, the platform serves nearly 10 million searches per month.

MEDIA CONTACT: 
presearch(at)transformgroup.com

Markets Insider and Business Insider Editorial Teams were not involved in the creation of this post.