Edge

Theta Labs has recently expanded its AI research partnerships by welcoming Kangwon National University into its Theta EdgeCloud decentralized GPU network. This collaboration marks a significant milestone, as Kangwon National University becomes the 23rd academic customer of Theta EdgeCloud. The partnership aims to enhance AI research capabilities, achieving an impressive GPU utilization rate exceeding 85% across Theta's global network, alongside more than 230 million TFUEL locked by Elite Booster node operators. The EdgeCloud platform is already supporting various enterprises and academic institutions, including NHL teams and renowned universities, thus solidifying its role in advancing AI research and real-world applications. Professor Kyeongpil Kang, who leads the Data Analytics & Machine Intelligence (DAMI) Lab at Kangwon National University, specializes in natural language processing, machine learning, and data mining. The DAMI Lab focuses on large-scale AI research, exploring areas such as fine-tuning large language models (LLMs), machine learning solutions for specific domains, and AI-driven insights in fields like social sciences and medical AI. The collaboration with Theta EdgeCloud will provide the lab with access to a hybrid cloud-edge GPU computing platform, enabling researchers to conduct innovative experiments and develop advanced AI applications. As the partnership progresses, both Professor Kang and Mitch Liu, co-founder and CEO of Theta Labs, express excitement about the potential of this collaboration. Liu emphasizes the importance of expanding GPU infrastructure to meet the growing demand while maintaining cost-effectiveness. The goal for 2025 includes a tenfold increase in the customer base, achieving over 95% GPU utilization, and locking in more than 2 billion TFUEL through elite edge node operators. This partnership not only enhances the capabilities of DAMI Lab but also strengthens Theta Labs' position in the decentralized cloud infrastructure space for AI and machine learning.

HashPower recently announced a significant milestone by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that secures up to $50 million in investment for its token $HPX. This announcement was made during the AI & DePIN Powerhouse event held in Hong Kong, which attracted over 2,000 attendees, including industry leaders, investors, and innovators. The event featured engaging panels and discussions on the future of decentralized AI and infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in driving technological advancements within the blockchain ecosystem. The strategic partnership established through this MOU involves several key players in the industry, including Aethir, Network3, and IoTeX, among others. The collaboration aims to foster growth in the decentralized infrastructure space by focusing on resource sharing, joint research initiatives, and targeted investments. This initiative is expected to propel the development of AI-powered decentralized infrastructure, enhancing the capabilities and efficiency of various applications within the blockchain domain. In addition to the investment announcement, the AI & DePIN Powerhouse event showcased innovative projects like Network3, which is building a decentralized Edge AI infrastructure, and Autonomys, a decentralized AI stack designed for high-throughput applications. The event highlighted the evolving landscape of crypto mining, AI, and decentralized hardware infrastructure, setting the stage for future advancements in these interconnected fields. HashPower continues to lead the charge in revolutionizing the mining industry, making it more accessible and transparent for participants worldwide.

In a groundbreaking collaboration, Mawari has joined forces with Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd., Meta Osaka Co., Ltd., and e-stadium Co., Ltd. to launch the "Digital Entertainment City Namba" in Osaka, Japan. This innovative project aims to create the world’s first smart city that integrates artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR), and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN) on a city-wide scale. By leveraging the unique strengths of each partner, the initiative seeks to blend advanced technology with everyday urban life, fostering a vibrant digital culture and addressing social challenges through community engagement. Mawari's pivotal role involves deploying edge computing and rendering devices across Nankai’s properties to establish a decentralized streaming infrastructure. This setup enhances user experience by minimizing latency and enabling real-time interactions with lifelike AI avatars. These avatars are designed to assist in various tasks, such as guiding tourists and facilitating communication across language barriers. The project is a significant milestone for Mawari, as it aims to democratize AI-driven immersive experiences, with CEO Luis Oscar Ramirez emphasizing its potential for mass adoption and tangible social impact. The projected impact of the Digital Entertainment City Namba extends beyond entertainment, targeting sectors such as tourism and labor. By providing multilingual 3D guides and immersive cultural experiences, the project aims to attract more foreign visitors to Japan, thereby boosting local businesses. Additionally, it addresses Japan's labor shortage by creating flexible, remote work opportunities through AI-driven avatars, promoting inclusivity for diverse groups. This initiative not only enhances accessibility but also aligns with Japan’s pressing need for innovative workforce solutions, marking a transformative step towards a digitally integrated urban future.

In a significant development for the Stratos network, the team has successfully completed the Metanode Migration on the Mesos Testnet and launched the new Metanode Network on the mainnet. This upgrade has resulted in a remarkable enhancement in network performance, allowing for faster data retrieval and improved data transfer capabilities. Notably, the Metanode Network is now able to handle the same volume of traffic as before the migration while utilizing only about 10% of the previous hardware resources. This advancement not only strengthens Stratos’ decentralized infrastructure but also enhances its efficiency and scalability, paving the way for continued network growth. Following the deployment of the Metanode update, the Stratos network faced attempts from some users to exploit strategies that were effective prior to the upgrade. These attempts involved uploading and downloading large volumes of files to skew rewards in favor of their storage provider (SP) node. However, the enhanced Stratos network managed to handle the increased traffic seamlessly, demonstrating its resilience and readiness for high-traffic usage. This stress test has confirmed that Stratos is well-prepared for its upcoming release of Stratos Drive and the Stratos Interplanetary File System (SPFS), which is expected to host the largest IPFS cluster upon its launch. In addition to these technical advancements, Stratos has formed strategic partnerships with VeWare.io and EdgeX to bolster its ecosystem. The collaboration with VeWare.io aims to transform crypto insights and data integrity, while the partnership with EdgeX will integrate Stratos’ decentralized storage into its intelligent edge network, enhancing services for Web 3.0 projects and decentralized applications (dApps). Furthermore, Stratos has joined forces with SOLO to revolutionize token distribution through mining-based models, ensuring scalable, private, and fair dApps and AI agents. With the final round of testing for Stratos Drive underway, the community is eagerly anticipating the launch of this game-changing decentralized storage solution, which promises to empower users to take control of their data in the evolving digital landscape.

Wingbits Raises $5.6M to Revolutionize Rewards-Based Plane Tracking with DePIN Technology Wingbits, the Web 3.0 startup based in Stockholm, Sweden, has secured $5.6 million in funding led by Borderless Capital and Bullish Capital, with support from Spartan Group, Tribe Capital, Antler, SNZ, and Heartcore. This funding round brings Wingbits' total funding to $9.2 million as they introduce the first decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) for aviation. The company aims to become the largest airplane tracking network globally by implementing well-designed incentives and execution strategies, as stated by Álvaro Gracia, Partner at Borderless Capital. This recent funding follows a $3.5 million seed round just six months ago, supported by investors like Borderless Capital, Tribe Capital, and Antler. Co-founded by Robin Wingardh and Alex Lungu, Wingbits has experienced rapid growth, expanding its network at a rate six times faster than any previous flight tracking system. Alasdair Foster, CEO of Bullish Capital, expressed excitement about partnering with Wingbits, highlighting their disruptive approach to the flight tracking industry by utilizing blockchain to incentivize high-quality data supply.

Bybit has announced the upcoming listing of Network3 (N3) on its Spot trading platform, with a timeline set for deposits, trading, and withdrawals. N3 deposits will open on January 21, 2025, at 10 AM UTC, followed by the listing on January 22, 2025, at 8 AM UTC. Withdrawals will commence on January 23, 2025, at 10 AM UTC. Users will be able to trade N3 via Spot Grid Bots, and deposits and withdrawals will be facilitated through the Solana network, enhancing the trading experience for users. To celebrate the listing, Bybit is hosting two special events aimed at rewarding users. The first event, titled "Token Splash - New User Exclusive," runs from January 21 to February 5, 2025. New users who register and complete identity verification can earn from a prize pool of 2,800,000 N3 by depositing at least 2,000 N3 or trading 100 USDT worth of N3. The first 4,666 new users to meet these criteria will each receive 600 N3. The second event, also called "Token Splash," invites users to trade at least 200 USDT worth of N3 during the same period to share in a 1,200,000 N3 prize pool, with rewards capped at 16,000 N3 per user. Network3 is a pioneering technology focused on creating a decentralized edge AI infrastructure. It utilizes advanced technologies such as AI model optimization, federated learning, and edge computing to support global AI developers in enhancing their model inference and training processes. With over 570,000 active nodes across 188 countries and a download volume exceeding 50 million, Network3 is positioned as a leader in building a fair and efficient AI ecosystem. The upcoming listing on Bybit marks a significant milestone for both the platform and the N3 project, promising exciting opportunities for traders and investors alike.