AI赛道新黑马，挑战谷歌脸书？
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AI赛道新黑马，挑战谷歌脸书？
Backed by three top-tier VCs, Vana's vision is to build AI models owned by everyone.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAuthor: Viee, Core Contributor at Biteye
Editor: Crush, Core Contributor at Biteye
The crypto "AI craze" hasn't cooled down, and even the Nobel Prize has entered the "AI era"—this year's Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry are both related to artificial intelligence.
Just days ago, a16z partner @venturetwins released a list of notable AI projects to watch, mentioning @withvana—the only Web3 project on the list—and one that deserves our close attention.
With AI still red-hot, what exactly is Vana? And where does its innovation lie? Let's break it down today. 🤔👇
01 What Does Vana Want to Do?
The answer: build a platform for tokenizing and trading user data. Users can leverage their data generated on platforms like Google and Reddit to create a user-managed data marketplace, supplying high-quality data for AI training while earning rewards.
This narrative has appeared in other AI projects too—essentially about returning data ownership to users and challenging the monopolies of big tech companies.
But if we dig deeper, Vana actually has some distinct highlights:
1. **Data Trading**: Users can deposit their data into Data Liquidity Pools (DLPs) and receive token rewards with each submission—similar to data mining.
2. **Data DAOs**: Vana has established Data DAOs, allowing users not only to upload and manage their own data but also to collectively participate in governance and decision-making. This structure gives users greater control and voice within the platform, going beyond just being passive data providers.
In short, Vana’s core is its “data liquidity network,” enabling user data to be tokenized and traded like financial assets.
02 Vana’s Core Technical Concepts
“Building the best AI models” is Vana’s foundation—and precisely why it created the Data Liquidity Pool (DLP) to gather the highest quality data, which is crucial for the project.
Vana implements its “data liquidity network” through two key mechanisms: Proof-of-Contribution, which verifies the value of private data in a privacy-preserving way; and Non-Custodial Data, ensuring data is used only for approved operations.
Think of it as a modern “data marketplace.” Participating in Vana’s Data Liquidity Pool is akin to being an early Ethereum miner. Its three main technical components are:
1. Data Liquidity Layer (DLP)
This layer aggregates user-submitted data into Data Liquidity Pools (DLPs). A DLP is a smart contract that enables users to contribute, verify, and record data. Think of it as a “data pool”—users place their data inside, forming a large reservoir. The water (aggregated data) here is more valuable than individual droplets (personal data), because it can be used to train AI models. Each data pool has its own rules regarding how data is verified and used. After contributing data, users earn rewards and governance rights.
2. Data Portability Layer
This layer serves as a collaborative space where data contributors and developers can use data from DLPs to build applications. It provides infrastructure for training user-owned models and developing AI apps. Through this layer, online communities and developers can generate economic value from data, while data contributors benefit from AI systems built on their data.
3. Connection Set
The Connection Set is a decentralized ledger that records data transactions across the Vana ecosystem in real time. It ensures every transaction is secure and valid, and allows external parties to view these transactions. This ledger is compatible with other blockchain networks, enabling seamless data flow across platforms.
It is precisely through these two layers and the Connection Set that Vana offers users a secure, decentralized data management platform.
03 How Is Data Mining Achieved?
As mentioned earlier, the data liquidity network allows individuals’ personal data to generate income. Here's how it works in practice:
First comes data assetization. Vana uses Data Liquidity Pools (DLPs) to turn user data into tradable assets. Each DLP is a smart contract designed to aggregate specific types of data. Users receive token rewards upon submitting data, transforming static personal information into dynamic digital assets that can circulate in the market.
Second, to ensure data quality, a standardized verification process evaluates authenticity and quality—this is where the Proof of Contribution mechanism comes in. Only high-quality data earns rewards. Multiple validators assess each data submission to ensure fair evaluation and prevent bias.
Third, non-custodial data storage means users’ data isn’t directly stored on-chain but kept in locations chosen by users, such as Google Drive. Only the creator and authorized accounts can access this data—an essential feature ensuring users retain full control over their data.
Finally, incentives tie everything together. Vana allows each DLP to issue its own tokens to encourage active participation in data contribution. The top 16 ranked DLPs receive additional Vana token rewards, further incentivizing competition and the formation of high-quality data pools.
04 How Can You Interact With It Now?
Telegram Mini-App: Simple Click-to-Mine Simulation
Vana launched an interactive campaign via a Telegram mini-app (https://t.me/VanaDataHeroBot), where users complete tasks to earn points. Here’s how:
1. Tap the central orb as many times as possible within a given timeframe—the more taps, the higher your score.
2. Complete social tasks, testnet missions, and invite friends.
From the team’s strategic perspective, “Telegram mining” is just a small entry point. Future focus will shift toward deeper interactions with ecosystem projects and testnet node participation. Current ecosystem partners listed on the official site include Reddit Data DAO, Flirtual, Kleo, and other AI-related projects—offering promising gameplay ahead.
Join a DLP to Contribute Data
The current DLP rankings are shown below. As a regular user, you can choose to contribute your data to a DLP and earn points. Take the top-ranked DAO—Reddit Data DAO—as an example.
After registering a Reddit account, go to https://www.rdatadao.org/home and enter your username. Once verified, posting or commenting on Reddit earns you points, which may be linked to future token airdrops. It costs nothing—worth trying if you have time.
05 Summary
One way or another, AI remains a critical sector in this cycle.
By combining AI with blockchain, projects can enhance the intelligence of decentralized applications, meet demands for data privacy and security, and offer users financial returns. Compelling narratives attract both capital and attention.
In the first half of the race, speculative capital floods in; in the second half, success will go to those who deliver real-world adoption first.
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