Ankr’s new DePIN Partners Expanding Network: The New Foundation for a Decentralized Web3

Kevin Dwyer

Kevin Dwyer

March 14, 2024

6 min read

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Ankr is setting a new standard in the blockchain space by expanding its network of Ultra Sound Infrastructure partners, reinforcing its position as a pioneer in the development of Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN). Since its inception, Ankr has been at the forefront of leveraging idle cloud computing and physical hardware resources to support blockchain ecosystems, making it blockchain's first DePIN. This innovative approach has not only contributed to the democratization of the internet but has also paved the way for a more resilient and efficient Web3 infrastructure.

Enhanced Performance and Decentralization

Ankr's network brings with it a multitude of benefits, including increased availability of nodes to handle RPC traffic, access to high-performance nodes, and broader geographic coverage to fill in the gaps in node resources. This expansion ensures that Ankr's network offers unparalleled speed, reliability, and efficiency, meeting the diverse needs of its RPC service customers.

Providers Expanding Network Decentralization and Use Cases

With the addition of new providers, including, IoTex, Storj, Clover, Mind Heart Soul, and Ankr Labs, alongside Tencent Cloud, Ankr is significantly advancing the decentralization of its DePin Ultra Sound Network. Ankr’s partnership with IoTex enables the development of more decentralized, efficient, and IoT-focused blockchain solutions, catering to the growing demand for interoperable Web3 and DeFi services.

IoTex, CTO Qevan Quo provides perspective on the partnership: “At IoTeX, our mission is to build a modular ecosystem where projects can easily develop DePIN initiatives. This partnership with ANKR will open up a new set of tools for DePIN builders. By enabling both IoTeX and ANKR’s infrastructure to be readily available for any project we are positive that many new DePIN projects will come to surface given the easiness and efficiency that these partnership tools bring to the table.” Together, IoTeX and Ankr can drive innovation in the blockchain space, making it more accessible and impactful for a broader range of industries and use cases. This not only strengthens and expands the coverage of infrastructure, but also supports a wider array of IoT, on-chain AI and other innovative use cases, demonstrating Ankr's commitment to supporting the evolving needs of the blockchain community.

In addition, with their network of 25k node operators that deliver an enterprise grade decentralized cloud storage service, Storj will be a key partner in connecting node providers to the expanding Ultra Sound Infrastructure network. This extends the partnership between Ankr and Storj, which also includes chainsnap.io, a platform providing blockchain state snapshots that massively accelerates starting a new blockchain node.

As pioneers in the DePIN landscape, we're excited to expand the availability of high-performance decentralized nodes through our Ultra Sound Infrastructure network. Looking ahead, we will continue to develop a cohesive DePIN experience for all network participants." -Stanley Wu, Co-founder and CTO of Ankr.

Ankr: The DePin Token Incentivizing Collaboration

The expansion of Ultra Sound Partners solidifies the ANKR token as a critical component of the network. This development paves the way for introducing new utilities to the token, aimed at bolstering network security and facilitating meaningful interactions for network participants.

Fueling Growth: Today, the ANKR token serves as a payment and reward denomination for network users and node providers, respectively. This dynamic ensures that all participants in the Ankr network are simultaneously reliant on and motivated by each other, forming the cornerstone of the DePIN flywheel. This symbiotic relationship is instrumental in driving growth and enticing new participants, making it a fundamental element of our strategy to enhance the network's appeal and functionality.

Building on Bedrock: The growing number of node providers brings about the essential stability required for the integration of new ANKR token utilities. Ideally, as tokens circulate from users to providers, their distribution among an increasing number of participants also helps to evenly spread any systemic risks. This approach prioritizes the network's robustness, laying the groundwork for a sustainable and thriving ecosystem where innovation and collaboration can flourish.

Ankr's Role in Today's Web3 Infrastructure

In 2017, Ankr was founded with the idea of harnessing idle cloud computing resources from all over the world and repurposing them to power projects like bitcoin mining, machine learning, and IoT (from our original whitepaper). Seven years before the narrative known as Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks was born, Ankr had already created one of the first DePINs in existence.

Today, Ankr's DePIN is crucial for serving the vast and growing needs of the Web3 ecosystem. By facilitating connections between dApps, developers, and enterprises with various blockchains, Ankr ensures that Web3 applications can reliably perform transactions, query wallet balances, and execute smart contracts through RPC (Remote Procedure Call) requests. This is made possible by Ankr's robust network of nodes, which has been significantly bolstered by the addition of cloud provider partners such as Tencent Cloud. These partnerships are instrumental in enhancing Ankr's core RPC service, establishing a strong and extensive network for handling request traffic efficiently.

Ankr’s RPC Service Customers Receive Amplified Performance:

  • Reach more available nodes to serve RPC traffic
  • Take advantage of high-performance archive nodes
  • Node Partners will fill more geographic gaps in node resources
  • Get the best of speed, reliability, and efficiency

Learn more about DePIN

Supporting On-Chain AI and Other Use Cases

On-chain AI involves integrating AI models and algorithms directly onto the blockchain, enabling decentralized applications (dApps) to perform tasks such as predictive analytics, automated decision-making, and natural language processing without relying on centralized servers. Ankr's Ultra Sound Infrastructure supports these activities in several key ways:

  • High-Performance Computing: AI applications, particularly those employing machine learning models, require substantial computational resources to process and analyze large datasets. Ankr's global network of nodes provides the necessary computing power, ensuring that AI tasks can be executed efficiently and at scale.
  • Data Availability and Integrity: AI models thrive on data, and blockchain technology offers a unique proposition in terms of data availability, transparency, and immutability. Ankr's infrastructure facilitates secure and reliable access to on-chain data, which can be used to train and refine AI models, ensuring that the data used is consistent and tamper-proof.
  • Decentralization and Privacy: By decentralizing the computational and data storage aspects of AI applications, Ankr's network enhances privacy and security, mitigating the risks associated with centralized data silos. This decentralization is particularly important for sensitive applications, ensuring that data processing complies with privacy regulations and is resistant to censorship or tampering.

Other Use Cases

Beyond AI, Ankr's global node infrastructure supports a wide range of use cases, demonstrating the versatility and potential of decentralized networks:

  • Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Ankr's nodes enable seamless and efficient interaction with DeFi platforms, supporting functionalities such as token swaps, yield farming, and automated market making (AMM), all with enhanced security and reduced risk of downtime.
  • Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs): By providing robust and scalable infrastructure, Ankr supports the minting, trading, and management of NFTs, catering to the booming market for digital collectibles and art.
  • Gaming and Metaverse: The infrastructure supports the development of decentralized gaming experiences and metaverse applications, where players can enjoy transparent, fair, and uninterrupted gameplay, along with true ownership of in-game assets.
  • Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): Ankr's network facilitates the operation of DAOs, enabling decentralized governance and decision-making processes through secure and transparent voting mechanisms.

Distributing Infrastructure Worldwide

Ankr's strategic partnerships mark the next phase of its global infrastructure expansion. By distributing its infrastructure worldwide, Ankr aims to further decentralize the web, ensuring that high-quality, distributed network resources are accessible to all. This initiative not only broadens Ankr's reach but also invites stakeholders across the web3 space to join in the collective effort to build a decentralized, secure, and efficient digital future.

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