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STAMFORD, Conn. — Digital Currency Group (DCG) announced on November 20, 2024, the launch of Yuma, a subsidiary focused on accelerating the adoption and development of decentralized artificial intelligence (AI) through the Bittensor network. DCG Founder and CEO Barry Silbert will also serve as Yuma’s CEO, overseeing its initiatives to provide capital, infrastructure, and resources for startups and enterprises building on the Bittensor platform.

The launch marks a significant step in DCG’s broader investment strategy in the intersection of crypto and AI. Silbert compared Yuma’s mission to the early days of Bitcoin, describing it as a move from digital asset ownership to decentralized intelligence. “Yuma offers startups and enterprises access to everything they need – including capital, technical resources, and operational support – to deploy their innovative ideas onto the Bittensor network,” said Silbert.

Expanding Access to Decentralized AI

Yuma aims to broaden access to AI technologies by leveraging Bittensor, described as a decentralized “World Wide Web” of intelligence. Projects on the network, called subnets, provide marketplaces for AI and machine learning (ML) services like text generation and data storage. Contributors to the network, including miners and validators, earn rewards in Bittensor’s native token, $TAO.

“We created Bittensor to offer a competitive alternative to the top-down world that limits access to high-powered AI capabilities,” said Bittensor co-founder Jacob Steeves.

Jacob Steeves, co-founder of Bittensor, emphasized the network’s potential to democratize access to AI. “We’re championing open access to technology liberated from conventional gatekeepers so that we can ensure the AI revolution is accessible to the next generation of visionaries shaping our world,” Steeves said.

Yuma is already participating across the Bittensor network as a major validator and miner while developing new subnets and collaborating with early partners like Sturdy, Masa, and Infinite Games.

Supporting Builders in the Bittensor Ecosystem

Yuma offers a suite of support programs to enable projects within the Bittensor ecosystem:

  • Subnet Accelerator: Converts ideas into operational subnets.
  • Subnet Incubation: Provides bespoke technical and strategic support.
  • Yuma Validator: Ensures network stability by engaging in consensus.
  • Yuma Mining: Boosts subnet performance through specialized mining expertise.

Yuma has also partnered with Foundry to launch the S&P 500 Oracle (SN28) subnet, expanding use cases within the Bittensor network.

For more details, visit YumaAI.com or follow @YumaGroup.

About DCG

Founded in 2015, DCG is a global investor and incubator supporting decentralized blockchain ecosystems. Its portfolio includes over 250 companies across 40 countries, as well as subsidiaries like Grayscale, Foundry, and Luno.