NTU Singapore and Zero Gravity have launched a $3.84 million research hub to advance decentralized, blockchain-based artificial intelligence.
Advancing Decentralized AI Technology
Singaporean higher learning institution, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), has partnered with Zero Gravity (0G) to establish a $3.84 million (S$5 million) joint research hub dedicated to advancing blockchain-based artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The collaboration, said to be 0G’s first with a university worldwide, is expected to fund projects exploring decentralized AI training, blockchain-integrated model alignment, and proof-of-useful-work consensus mechanisms.
According to a media release, the initiative aims to create open, transparent AI systems, differentiating itself from proprietary models controlled by private corporations. This strategy is designed to boost accountability and public trust in AI applications. The partnership launch comes nearly a year after 0G secured over US$325 million in committed funding, including a US$40 million seed round led by Hack VC, with participation from Delphi Ventures, OKX Ventures, Samsung Next, and Animoca Brands.
The hub was officially launched by 0G CEO and co-founder Michael Heinrich and NTU Vice President Louis Phee.
“Open and trustworthy AI depends on a foundation that is decentralised and accountable,” said Phee. “NTU has built world-class expertise in blockchain systems, cryptography and computing. By working with 0G, we aim to design a next-generation, innovative AI stack that enables global participation and transparency for everyone.”
For his part, Heinrich emphasized the company’s mission: “Our goal is to make AI a public good. By partnering with NTU, we are moving beyond centralised AI monopolies to build an open ecosystem where developers, institutions, and communities can contribute, verify, and audit.”
The collaboration will be jointly led by Professor Wen Yonggang, NTU Associate Provost and Ming Wu, 0G co-founder and chief technology officer. Their teams will focus on decentralized computing architectures and secure AI marketplaces that reward contributors for data and computing resources.
The four-year initiative will also include workshops, hackathons, scholarships, and open-source projects to cultivate Asia’s next wave of decentralized AI talent. Early proof-of-concepts are expected within two years, with pilot applications in finance, healthcare, and smart infrastructure.
NTU’s College of Computing and Data Science and its Centre in Computational Technologies for Finance (CCTF) will provide research leadership in scalable model training, AI governance, and blockchain-enabled security frameworks.
FAQ 💡
- What is the NTU–Zero Gravity partnership? It is a $3.84 million joint research hub in Singapore advancing blockchain-based AI technologies.
- Why is this collaboration significant? It marks 0G’s first university partnership worldwide and positions Singapore as a decentralized AI hub.
- What will the hub focus on? Projects include decentralized AI training, blockchain-integrated model alignment, and proof-of-useful-work systems.
- How will Singapore benefit? The initiative will nurture local talent through workshops, scholarships, and pilot applications in finance, healthcare, and smart infrastructure.