Play by Day, Earn by Night: How DePin is Empowering Gamers

Bionic
5 min readFeb 5, 2024

--

We’re so short on GPU’s, the less people that use ChatGPT, the better.
Sam Altman, Co-Founder and CEO of OpenAI

The exponential growth in data generation and the need for complex computations in fields like artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and cloud computing are stretching existing computational resources thin.

The world cannot keep up with the demand for high speed compute, there simply isn’t the infrastructure, fabrication capacity or available silicon to meet the ever growing need for processing power. This situation has led to a bottleneck in various sectors, and a worldwide GPU shortage, leaving gamers with a serious case of FOMO, missing out on the latest ray-traced high fidelity 8k dynamically lighted… you get the gist.

Whilst I’m sure NVIDIA are wiping their tears with their fat stack of cash, enjoying a near monopoly on high speed compute for AI with their A100 and H100 chips, the current landscape has put them in a position where they can selectively choose their customers.

This is reminiscent of luxury car manufacturers like Ferrari or Lamborghini, who often have more demand than supply and thus can be selective about who gets to purchase their high-end models. In the case of high performance motoring, this is fine, we still all have engines to put in our cheap hatchbacks, but in the case of high-performance compute, this selectivity can have significant consequences for innovation and progress.

The fact of the matter is, only the largest players in AI, those with substantial financial resources can afford to power their projects. There’s a significant barrier for smaller AI startups and researchers who might not have the same level of funding but are equally capable of driving innovation.

Enter DePin

A game-changing player in the world of distributed computing, poised to disrupt the monopoly in high-speed compute for AI. DePin leverages the transformative potential of Web3 technologies, creating a decentralized network that democratizes access to computational resources.

DePin’s model is akin to the revolution Airbnb brought to the hospitality industry, turning ordinary homes into potential hotel rooms. Similarly, DePin transforms everyday computing devices into nodes of a vast, distributed supercomputer. This approach not only makes high-speed computing more accessible but also maximizes the utility of existing hardware, reducing waste and promoting a more sustainable model of computational resource usage.

The integration with web3 ensures a transparent, fair, and secure ecosystem for sharing computational power. Transactions and contributions within the DePin network are managed through the blockchain, fostering trust and collaboration among participants. This not only levels the playing field for smaller players but also potentially leads to a more diverse and innovative AI development landscape.

Leveraging Gamers and PC enthusiasts

Every gamer has a supercomputer in their PC.
Jensen Huang — Nvidia CEO

Gamers represent an untapped market for DePin’s distributed computing network, especially considering there are expected to be 3.32 billion gamers worldwide by 2024. This demographic is significant not only in terms of sheer numbers but also due to the high performance GPUs they already own. PC Gamers are tinkerers, they know their way around their hardware, likely overclocking and using expensive cooling systems to squeeze every bit of performance they can. The technical proficiency of this group, combined with their widespread distribution across various regions, makes them an ideal target for a decentralized computing network.

Sounds great right? Here’s how to get in on the action.

GAIMIN

GAIMIN has recognized this potential, and made it their entire MO. Their platform enables gamers to monetize their hardware when not in use, contributing to a decentralized network for processing tasks such as 3d rendering, AI and other proof of work applications. Utilizing their game NFT marketplace and their world famous esports team, they’ve captured a large user base happily earning GAIMIN’s $GMRX token by renting their GPUs.

Render Network

Render Network is another notable player in the ecosystem. Specializing in offering GPU power for 3D rendering services, connecting artists and studios with the necessary computing resources. Here, anyone with a GPU can become part of the global rendering grid, contributing their idle computing power to help bring creative projects to life. It’s a win-win: artists get their renderings done faster, and GPU owners get rewarded with $RNDR for their contributions.

Grass

Here’s one for those without a top of the line GPU:

Grass offers a way to leverage another underutilized resource: network bandwidth. AI needs an immense amount of data to be trained on and bandwidth to scrape all that data from the web, at an enterprise level, is extremely expensive. Most people don’t use anywhere near their bandwidth cap their ISP provides each month. Grass is a way to monetize that. Whilst currently in a public beta users can sign up and at the end of the beta they’ll be rewarded with network ownership, and cash/token payouts coming soon.

In conclusion, DePin is not just a game-changer in the world of distributed computing, it’s a catalyst for a much-needed revolution. By harnessing the collective power of gaming rigs across the globe, DePin is effectively turning a potential obstacle — the GPU shortage and high computing costs — into an opportunity for widespread collaboration and innovation.

It’s a win-win for everyone involved: gamers get to monetize their powerful hardware during downtimes, while AI startups and researchers gain access to the computational resources they desperately need at a fraction of the cost. DePin’s model, along with platforms like GAIMIN, Render Network, and Grass, is a testament to the transformative potential of collaborative technology.

So, whether you’re a gamer looking to earn some extra cash or a researcher in need of computational power, remember: in this new era of distributed computing, every click, every game, every idle moment of your GPU could be a small step towards the next big breakthrough.

This blog was originally posted on Bionicdao.com. For more insights into the world of DeSci, Extended Reality, Artificial intelligence or Web3 Infrastructure, visit our website & sign up to our newsletter!

--

--

Bionic
Bionic

Written by Bionic

Accelerating change and placing Web3 at the heart of emerging technologies. Web3 + XR 🥽, DeSci 🧬, AI 🧠, Infrastructure ⛓. https://bionicdao.com