Test Grid Phase 3: final steps to mainnet

To keep participating in this phase, Nodes will have to follow a few brief instructions in order to start processing jobs. With the first two Test Grid phases behind us, it is now clear what has to happen for Nosana’s grid to be ready for the public. Let’s dive into it.

What’s new in TGP3

During TGP3, the Nosana network will implement and test three final pieces that are required to become a fully functioning, decentralized, compute grid. Whereas the first Test Grid focused on establishing compute markets, and the second on client workloads and compute quality, this final phase will focus on the following key topics: staking, pricing, and tooling. We will briefly describe these below.

Staking

During the switch to TGP3 the network has activated staking requirements on all compute markets. This is an important change for Node operators, as it directly impacts their ability to process compute jobs. Nosana’s staking mechanism works by locking up tokens for a minimum amount of time. These tokens then provide a warranty that Nodes will not abuse the network or behave maliciously. During TGP3 the stake requirements for markets will be fine tuned to ensure the network sustains a high quality of compute nodes.

Slashing, the mechanism for penalizing malicious nodes, will be activated at a later time, and is not a hard requirement for the release of Main Grid. The staking requirements already provide a large increase to our network security. Slashing, on the other hand, is not designed to be a performance monitor, as there can be many reasons for a node underperforming. It mainly provides a means of applying a penalty to any malicious behavior which is a detriment to our customers and the network as a whole.

Pricing

One of the major goals of this phase is to establish a solid pricing model for GPUs and Nodes on the network. Up to this point, our pricing system has been based on static rates and was missing nuances and market dynamics.

The new pricing system has two main goals: it should provide the most cost effective compute rates in the industry, and second, nodes on the network should earn more on Nosana than on other compute platforms. This may sound like a catch-22, but will be achievable given Nosana’s super power of complete decentralization. The details of this model will be released as we approach closer to mainnet.

Next to these goals, the pricing will be dynamic to account for the volatility in crypto markets, and make it easier to use stable coins to pay for GPU compute.

Tooling

The tooling and visibility of Nosana’s network has proven to be an important element of the compute grid, as indicated by clients, nodes, and community members alike. In the last few months we have released an SDK, an advanced CLI tool, a real-time explorer, and a node leaderboard. During TGP3 these tools will be polished and will reach a mature state that allows for unparalleled usability and introspection of AI inferences. Next to that, we will be releasing the Nosana Console: sleek and refined UI for seamless management of AI inference jobs.

Main Grid

As Test Grid Phase 3 is the final phase of testing, we are excited to share that Nosana’s Main Grid will launch on January 14, 2025. The Main Grid will mark a special moment in Nosana’s history, where the powers of the first decentralzied GPU grid will become available to everyone.

The release of Main Grid enables us to expand the ecosystem and attract a broader range of projects. Nosana will also host its first global hackathon, inviting developers and startups to explore new applications for AI inference on its decentralized GPU grid.

We are grateful for everyone that is dedicating time and energy into making Nosana’s Test Grid a success. Especially the nodes that have contributed hardware and knowledge, the early clients that are running AI inferences, and the wider community for their support. The most exciting time in Nosana’s history is coming up and we are looking forward to building out the network together.

Questions?

As always, our team is active on Discord and ready to help with any questions you might have. Feel free to reach out there, and we'll do our best to give you thorough answers.