Unlock GPU Earnings: IO.net (IO) on Solana Revolutionizes Idle Processing Power

Modified on Wed, 17 Sep at 12:10 PM

What is io.net (IO)?

io.net is the largest decentralized GPU network, supporting Machine Learning engineers and AI applications built on the Solana blockchain. It enables monetization of unused GPU processing power from around the world, aggregating over 1 million GPUs with low latency for users from various sources such as independent data centers, cryptocurrency mining, Filecoin, and Render projects.

The development of io.net addresses the challenges of Machine Learning software and AI model development. It aims to reduce project obstacles by simplifying fundraising and supporting projects located in specific regions. These challenges relate to accessibility, security, and cost. The arrival of io.net reduces barriers for GPU suppliers and companies accessing GPUs, thus reducing operating costs and facilitating GPU procurement.

io.net has 6 core products at the heart of its platform:

IO Cloud: Allows users to deploy and manage GPU needs, providing access to GPU resources without investing in expensive hardware and infrastructure management. This is achieved by leveraging a decentralized network of nodes called IO Workers

IO Worker: A web application that enables individuals to rent out their devices to increase processing power. Individuals can generate profits by leasing their underutilized GPU/CPU processing resources by joining the IO network.

IO Explorer: This app provides users with a comprehensive view of the io.net network, including detailed statistics and insights into the GPU cloud for transparency. Similar to blockchain explorers, it allows users to monitor, analyze, and understand network activity in real time.

IO Coin: The native coin of the IOG Network, facilitating transactions between GPU renters, GPU owners, and IO Coin holders to incentivize the ecosystem. Users can pay for services within the io.net ecosystem using IO tokens.
IO ID: Acts as a central control hub for tracking income and expenses within the io.net ecosystem. Users can easily monitor balances and withdraw earnings in digital currency.
IOG - The Internet of GPUs: A platform that simplifies the distribution of AI applications by introducing customization. This allows for the scaling of advanced AI.

The People Behind io.net

The io.net team was inspired to develop a more affordable and accessible computer resource due to the rising prices of NVIDIA GPUs, particularly those used for High-Frequency Trading (HFT) algorithms with Ray.io. Subsequently, the development team changed their name from Antbit to io.net and transitioned from developing institutional-grade quantitative trading systems to developing a decentralized marketplace for computer resources focused on Machine Learning and AI development.

io.net was founded and led by Ahmad Shadid, a former engineer at WhalesTrader and Arabfolio, and a volunteer contributor at the Ethereum Foundation. Co-founder and former COO, Tory Green, assumed leadership after Ahmad resigned on June 11, 2024.

Members of the project team include:

Tory Green, Co-founder & CEO: A Stanford University graduate, currently the CEO of io.net, and former COO of Tiller Partners and HUM Capital.
Basem Oubah, Co-founder & COS: Graduated with an engineering degree from Yildiz Teknik University in 2022. He is the Chief of Staff at io.net.
Gaurav Sharma, CTO: Held positions at Binance, Agoda, Amazon, and eBay. He currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer at io.net.

What is the IO Token?

IO is the native token of the IOG Network. It supports the functioning of the ecosystem and facilitates interactions between those renting and those leasing GPU power. For example:

GPU Renters (Users): Developers need IO tokens to rent GPU processing power for tasks like software development, application creation, and running cloud gaming instances.
GPU Owners (Suppliers): GPU owners, such as data centers and cryptocurrency miners with idle GPU capacity, can activate it on the io.net network. They receive IO tokens in exchange for providing processing power.
IO Token Holders (Community): Supporters who stake IO tokens to secure the network can earn rewards. This incentivization mechanism fosters growth and sustainable adoption across the ecosystem.
Universal Payment System: The IOG Network's payment system is based on the IO token. While users can pay in fiat currencies (like USD), USDC, or other supported cryptocurrencies, all payments are automatically converted to IO. This simplifies transactions and avoids traditional issues.

IO Tokenomics and Token Allocation

The IO token has a total limited supply of 800 million tokens. This can be broken down as follows:

500 million IO will be distributed at launch.
300 million IO will be distributed as hourly rewards to Suppliers and their Stakers over time, with a total vesting period of 20 years.

The chart below details the token release rate, annual inflation rate, and distribution of released coins compared to remaining coins. The initial phase has an inflation rate of 8% per year in year 1, decreasing by 1.02% per month (~12% per year) until the 800 million token cap is reached.

IO Token Allocation

The initial supply of IO is set at 500,000,000 tokens. There are 5 allocation categories:

Pro Forma Allocation – Source: io.net Document

Seed Investors - 12.50%: For early backers of io.net.
Series A Investors - 10.20%: For those who supported and funded io.net in its initial stages.
Core Contributors - 11.30%: For the initial members and key contributors of the IOG network.
Research & Development - 16.00%: IO allocated to the IOG Foundation and core developers for research, development, and ecosystem initiatives.
Ecosystem and Community - 50.00%: This allocation comprises the initial airdrop, future incentives, and rewards for node operators.

Interesting Price Information for IO

According to data from CoinMarketCap as of 18 June 2025, the IO token has a market capitalization of $118,181,531.15, equivalent to approximately 3,827,282,399.21 THB.

At the time of writing this article, the IO token is trading at around $0.7128 or approximately 23.23 THB per IO. The token previously reached its all-time high (ATH) of $6.44 or approximately 209.85 THB per IO on 13 June 2024.

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