How to view the subsequent market impact of the io.net decentralized cloud computing power network?

Author: Haotian

io integrates the three major narrative directions of AI + DePIN + Solana, which concerns whether the Crypto industry can find a main wave to ignite a bull market through AI. To some extent, calling it the "NVIDIA of the crypto world" is not an exaggeration? Next, let me briefly share my views:

1) From its inception, io has been highly anticipated. Whether it is VCs, miners, or retail investors, there is a pressing need for io to set a good precedent in connecting Crypto with AI, with high expectations for leading projects in the AI direction. The decentralized cloud computing solution provided by io addresses a primary contradiction in the training of large AI models: the massive "demand" for computing power for training and fine-tuning small to medium-sized models versus the increasingly rising "cost" of centralized computing power.

The emergence of the io distributed cloud computing platform aims to resolve this contradiction. By mobilizing idle computing power from IDC data centers, cryptocurrency mining farms, and ordinary users, it aggregates a large amount of idle and low-cost computing power. Based on a Crypto Tokenomics incentive framework, along with a series of new contract standards and hardware device standardizations, it integrates computing power that would otherwise be nearly impossible to "collaborate," thereby generating application efficiency.

Therefore, the emergence of distributed computing platforms like io represents the first essential scenario where the Crypto governance framework meets the AI training demand scenario, marking the first foothold for Crypto to invade the AI field.

2) The LLM (Large Language Model) led by OpenAI is gradually becoming "monopolized" in the context of the internet market. Observing the evolution from ChatGPT 3.5-4.0 to Sora and then to 4o, we find that these large models are becoming increasingly intelligent and multimodal.

These large models can integrate images, text, and video, and even combine with robots and IoT devices to achieve real-time dynamic output. However, all of this is based on concentrated computing power and high energy consumption. If this continues, centralized AI services will gradually trend towards oligopoly, with a few tech companies controlling the development direction of AI technology, inevitably limiting diversified innovation.

The emergence of distributed computing platforms like io can provide a low-threshold, more flexible, and customizable platform that can leverage the incentive value of Tokenomics to meet these long-tail demands, helping them realize potential value in more vertical and segmented application scenarios (such as supply chain finance, precision medicine, personalized education, etc.).

Moreover, Tokenomics can bind the interests of computing power providers, developers, users, and other stakeholders, making it suitable for achieving remarkable effects in some traditional computing resource areas that may be overlooked. Concentrated computing power will primarily be applied to large language models, machine learning, and other fields with strong generality, broad applicability, and greater commercial monetization prospects.

This is the core reason I believe AI + DePIN can become the main wave of the bull market, as the popularity of this track is not limited to the internal competition of the existing Crypto industry but can attract new users and project parties to the Crypto space through tangible demand supply.

3) The basic business of io directly competes with cloud services like Amazon and Alibaba Cloud, building an IO Cloud cluster while integrating GPU resources from supply-side networks like Render Network and Filecoin, which gives its GPU resources strong scalability. Therefore, once a leading position is established, it will naturally aggregate resources from other idle computing power platforms, further reducing its cost-effectiveness.

Of course, if io can establish a foothold in the distributed cloud computing market, it will directly impact the original cloud storage in the Crypto industry ( @Filecoin ), distributed co-processors (Livepeer), distributed computing (Golem), cloud intellectual property rights confirmation ( @StoryProtocol ), as well as DePIN infrastructure, middleware, edge AI, RWA, and other derivative directions.

Some may criticize that the current narrative of io's landing scenarios is too strong, but in the current Crypto field driven by strong emotions, if io can activate the enthusiasm of a series of related projects in the AI + DePIN upstream and downstream, the value of its narrative layer itself will be sufficient to create industry barriers.

Moreover, while DePIN may superficially appear to be about hardware mining, the catalytic effect of the miner chain, node network architecture, and the integration of software and hardware will attract broader incremental market user participation. (Don't underestimate the magic of the Pan circle)

The above

Although it may still be too early to call it the "NVIDIA of the crypto world," it is indeed perceptible that io's upcoming performance will have a boosting effect on the entire AI + DePIN track. Regardless, it should be given corresponding market expectations; this round of a bumpy bull market desperately needs a main wave to kick off.