OpenLedger Commits $25M to Fund AI Blockchain Startups

Blockchain protocol OpenLedger has announced a $25 million commitment to fund AI and Web3 developers. The capital will be deployed through OpenCircle, a new launchpad designed to support the creation of AI-focused protocols. This MOVE highlights the growing convergence of blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies.

The funding initiative arrives amid increasing integration between AI and crypto ecosystems. Telegram recently partnered with Elon Musk's xAI to incorporate the Grok chatbot, while also accepting TON tokens for payments. OpenLedger positions itself as a challenger to centralized AI models, with core contributor Ram criticizing current systems as "extractive economies" that profit from invisible labor.

OpenLedger's $8 million seed round in 2024 positioned it as a "sovereign data blockchain for AI technology." The protocol has since formed strategic partnerships, including a collaboration with restaking platform Ether.fi to enhance AI model security. Ether.fi currently boasts $6.5 billion in total value locked.