Swan DevGrant<Apus Network：We’re building DePIN edge computing for AI.>

[freecodewu]

Open Grant Proposal: Apus Network

Project Name: Apus Network

Proposal Category: Developer and data tooling

Individual or Entity Name: Apus Network

Proposer: freecodewu

(Optional) Swan ecosystem affiliations: Please disclose any existing work relationships with organizations in the Swan or Lagrange, and any others.

(Optional) Technical Sponsor: If you have previously discussed this project with a member of the Swan or Lagrange project teams and they have agreed to be a technical sponsor, include their name and/or github handle here

Do you agree to open source all work you do on behalf of this RFP under the MIT/Apache-2 dual-license?: Yes

Project Summary

We’re building DePIN edge computing for AI. We enable miners to monetize idle GPU resources through non-intrusive mining and AI inference tasks. This also helps AI projects access cheaper and faster computing power.

Our network will enable developers to deploy AI models closer to end-users, reducing latency and improving performance for AI-driven applications on the blockchain.

Impact

Pain points addressed: The project addresses the inefficiency in utilizing GPU resources, where a significant amount of computational power remains idle, especially in non-peak hours..

Benefits and risks: The benefits include more efficient use of computational resources, reduced costs for AI projects, and faster processing times for AI-driven applications. The risks of not implementing this effectively include continued inefficiency in resource utilization, high operational costs for AI projects, and potential centralization in AI computation.

Market impact: The project will have a significant impact on the blockchain and AI ecosystems, particularly for applications requiring real-time processing and analysis. Success looks like a widely adopted network that seamlessly integrates with existing blockchain and AI infrastructures, leading to noticeable improvements in computational efficiency and cost reduction.

Outcomes

The final outcomes will include a decentralized network that allows for the monetization of idle GPU resources and the deployment of AI models closer to end-users. This network will provide a platform for developers to access cheaper and faster computing power, and for miners to earn from their unused resources.

Success will be measured by the amount of computational power integrated into the network, the number of active developers deploying AI models, the reduction in latency and cost for AI-driven applications, and the overall adoption and growth of the network.

Adoption, Reach, and Growth Strategies

The target audience includes cryptocurrency miners with idle GPU resources and developers of AI-driven applications seeking affordable and efficient computing power. The audience size is potentially large, encompassing the global community of miners and AI developers.

Strategies for onboarding new users include partnerships with mining pools and communities, collaborations with AI and blockchain development platforms, and offering incentives for early adopters. The project could initially focus on engaging with a small number of miners and developers to refine the model before scaling to a larger audience.

Development Roadmap

Product Development ($5,000):

1. Development of Core Network Infrastructure:
   • Allocate $3,000 for the development of the core network infrastructure . This includes architecture design, protocol implementation, and testing to attract developers to build on Swan.
2. Smart Contracts Registration and Management:
   • Allocate $1,000 for creating Swan smart contracts responsible for node registration, authentication, and management within the DePIN network. These smart contracts will showcase Swan‘s capabilities to developers.
3. Initial AI Model Deployment Tools:
   • Allocate $1,000 for the creation of tools and utilities to facilitate the deployment of initial AI models onto the DePIN network. This includes development, testing, and documentation efforts.

Total Budget Requested

Milestone #	Description	Deliverables	Completion Date	Funding
1	Development of Core Network Infrastructure	Architecture design, protocol implementation, testing	[Date]	$3,000
2	Smart Contracts Registration and Management	Creation of Swan smart contracts for node management	[Date]	$1,000
3	Initial AI Model Deployment Tools	Tools and utilities for AI model deployment	[Date]	$1,000

Maintenance and Upgrade Plans

long-term maintenance will involve regular updates to the network software, monitoring system performance, and implementing security patches. Upgrade plans should include scaling the network, integrating new features based on user feedback, and staying current with technological advancements in both blockchain and AI fields.

Team

Team Members

Team Member LinkedIn Profiles

Team Website：Apus Network

Relevant Experience：

Industry Recognition and Success:

• The core team and our advisor, originally from PPTV—a P2P streaming company that reached 450 million global users. In 2018, we founded PPIO that becomes one of the top-tier edge computing companies, established a network of over 5,000 nodes worldwide.

Innovative Products and Solutions:

• Leveraging our extensive experience, we developed Novita.ai, a revolutionary product facilitating edge AI inferences.
• Novita.ai processes hundreds of thousands of images daily, showcasing our ability to translate cutting-edge technologies into scalable solutions.

Competitive Advantage:

• Our comprehensive skill set, industry connections, and proven ability to deliver successful projects position us as frontrunners in building this product.
• In the past year, our team participated in and won awards at Ethereum and Filecoin ecosystem hackathons, gaining expertise in decentralized product development. We've identified Solana as the best platform for building the DePIN network due to its high performance and innovative features. Our experience uniquely qualifies us to leverage Solana's strengths and deliver outstanding results in decentralized computing.

Team code repositories：Apus Labs

Additional Information

[JL289]

Hello there @freecodewu,

We'd like to know more about the project, could you please provide more information pertaining to:

• The distribution plan seems good, would like to get more specific information about the strategies mentioned like which miners?where? Which pools? and how will you reach out to them?
• Note that grant allocations will be in token, so please let us know how much SWAN you would want for this project.

Sorry for the wait, let us know if you have any questions!

Cheers,