AI+DePIN: Opportunities and Challenges in an Emerging Track

In today's technology sector, AI and cryptocurrency technology are undoubtedly the two most关注的 fields. Both industries are full of imagination and development potential; achieving success in one field is already a pinnacle of life, let alone making contributions in both fields at the same time.

Interestingly, some projects are now emerging that attempt to combine AI and cryptocurrency technology to create a new track - AI+DePIN. This emerging field aims to provide decentralized infrastructure support for AI in a Web3 manner.

Overview of AI+DePIN Track

The core concept of AI+DePIN is to integrate distributed computing resources to provide the necessary infrastructure for AI, such as computing power, storage, and bandwidth. Unlike traditional centralized cloud services, this model aims to lower the barriers to AI infrastructure, allowing ordinary users to participate.

The three key elements of DePIN ( Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks ) are:

1. Decentralization: Does not rely on a single large company to provide services, but is provided by a distributed network.
2. Physical Infrastructure: Involves various hardware devices such as servers, IoT devices, etc.
3. Token Economy: Incentivizing community participation in construction through tokens.

Types of AI Demand for Computing Power

The computing power requirements of AI can be roughly divided into three categories:

1. Large model training: Highest requirements, needs top-tier GPUs.
2. Model Inference: Requires secondary importance, used for the deployment and interaction of trained models.
3. Edge Computing: Requires minimum, suitable for small vertical domain models.

The second and third types of demand can be participated in by ordinary users' devices.

Overview of Leading AI + DePIN Projects

IO.NET

IO.NET is a decentralized AI computing power platform based on Solana, valued at 1 billion dollars. It aggregates various underutilized GPU resources, primarily providing services to AI startups and developers.

Aethir

Aethir is a cloud computing platform that allows users to share GPU resources. It has collaborated with large gaming studios and has completed large-scale financing in a short period of time.

Grass

Grass focuses on network resource sharing, allowing users to earn rewards by providing idle bandwidth. This project has received support from well-known investment institutions.

EMC (EdgeMatrix Computing)

EMC is an edge computing protocol that allows users to participate in the network and earn rewards using ordinary computers. It has been listed on some exchanges, with a market capitalization of around 1 billion dollars.

Conclusion

The combination of AI and encryption technology brings new opportunities to both industries. Although they are currently in the investment phase, the integration through DePIN may find new development directions for both sectors. In the future, ordinary users' devices may become important providers of computational resources, contributing to the development of AI.