TOP AMA Recap with Crypto Connected UAE Community
AMA Part 1
Can you provide an overview of TOP Network?
Stella: TOP Network is a public blockchain that employs sharding technology and a three-layer network, supporting real business with high transaction throughput, high speed, and low fees.
TOP’s mainnet was launched at the end of 2020 and has been running stably for over three years, with over 500 nodes across the network. TOP is transforming into a decentralized AI infrastructure, with the addition of AI shards that will bring model and computing services to the TOP chain.
What recent progress has been made with the TOP chain?
Stella: Recently, we have been designing the features and technical framework of the new AI shard. As a platform that can provide external model services, it should implement functionalities such as model uploading, task scheduling, computing power allocation, model result validation and storage, and result return.
Meanwhile, the litepaper for the new shard is also being drafted, which will include updates related to Token economic.
We are also continuously enhancing the capabilities of the EVM shard, and preparations are underway for the launch of the cross-chain bridge and DEX. Of course, the most visible progress is our ongoing work on updating the TOP brand. We will soon be adding an AI identifier to the brand name. A new version of our official website has already been launched, and a series of further updates will follow.
Are there any new updates in your lightpaper compared to the current whitepaper?
Stella: As I mentioned in the previous response, the litepaper primarily focuses on the AI shard. The whitepaper mainly describes TOP’s own three-layer network architecture and sharding technology. Since the AI shard adopts TOP’s framework, which technically reduces the cost of blockchain development.
The litepaper will focus more on various deep learning frameworks, decentralized computing resource management, and model management functions. We will also provide a detailed description of the network participants (model providers, AI application developers, and computing nodes) and the economic distribution based on the business logic of AI services.
Will the changes in the token economics affect the current nodes and stakers?
Stella: Currently, TOP has five shards, including four regular shards and one EVM shard. With the addition of the AI shard, it will inevitably impact the current node mining rewards.
Since TOP is a chain that carries real business, we plan to allocate more mining rewards to the AI shard, reducing the reward proportion for nodes in the regular shards. We aim to encourage the existing nodes to evolve into computing nodes. Regarding staking, we will ensure the stakers’ rewards remain unchanged, and their reward distribution proportion will stay the same.
What advantages does TOP AI Shard offer for computing nodes?
Stella: In the AI shard, AI application developers pay model providers for model services, and model providers pay computing nodes for computing services. Additionally, since real business drives the network’s prosperity, the AI shard will also provide token mining rewards for computing nodes. There are two types of mining rewards:
- Online Duration Mining Rewards: This is a relatively stable income determined by the basic condition of the computing network. It represents the baseline economic benefit for computing nodes maintaining the computing network.
- Task Mining Rewards: These are positively correlated with the actual AI task volume and are additional rewards allocated by the computing network after AI tasks are completed. Since the volume of external real business may vary, task mining rewards represent the token economic expansion driven by real business on the network, and are shared between model providers and computing nodes.
Therefore, for computing nodes, the total revenue within the AI shard consists of three parts:
Online Mining Rewards + Task Mining Rewards + Computing Service Fees
Questions from X
1. The Security is the weakness of any project. Anytime hackers can attack and create huge losses for the users and owners. So what steps did your project to prevent this kind of attack. How do you control risk?
Stella: TOP is a public blockchain whose security largely relies on cryptographic support and the immutability brought by decentralized consensus. Moreover, after its launch, TOP underwent a public blockchain security audit, with the excellent audit report available on the homepage. During operation, we will continue to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and laws through data encryption and compliance audits.
2. What is the unique selling point or competitive advantage of your project compared to similar ones in the market?
Stella: We are a public blockchain and AI model marketplace project. In the blockchain domain, we have been live for over three years with mature technology, focusing on high-frequency, low-cost real business operations. In the AI domain, we have identified a significant unmet demand for models, particularly in the area of censorship resistance, which is a key feature of the AI models we offer. Additionally, we provide attractive economic incentives for computing nodes. Projects that excel in all three areas are particularly rare in the market.
3. Can token holders participate in voting in government? Does your project have a staking program?
Stella: Our token does not currently have governance functionality. Therefore, although there are voting processes within our ecosystem, they do not align with the DAO mechanisms as understood by most people today. Staking, however, is one of the foundational features of our network. Users can interact with our staking dapp directly through the web or download our Android wallet for a more secure connection.
The TOP staking service consists of two steps. First, users need to exchange their TOP tokens for tickets based on different lock-up periods — the longer the lock-up period, the more tickets they receive. Second, users allocate their tickets to nodes, enabling them to earn daily rewards.
4. Tell me how your TOP Network project is different from others. Is your project a local project and a global project? Is your project open to anyone worldwide? Are there any plan to explore market here in UAE?
Stella: Our project has evolved from a high-performance public blockchain, and the new focus on AI has added even greater value to the technology highlights we previously concentrated on. Additionally, we have close partners both in supporting miners and in AI model business operations. This indicates that we are not a local project but a global one.
Our current development and design are based on real-world AI model business needs, so we welcome participation from people around the world. Regarding the Middle East market, we are also very interested. Recently, our founder visited the renowned Abu Dhabi investment company ADIG and engaged in an in-depth discussion with their senior management about the future vision of blockchain, reaching a preliminary cooperation intention.
Find More
Official Website | Telegram | Twitter | Medium | Reddit | Email