0G Unveils Compute Finance, a Financial System Built around AI Compute

SINGAPORE, September 24, 2026 - 0G, the trust layer for AI and a frontier AI lab, has introduced Compute Finance (ComFi), a new financial layer for AI that lets users earn AI compute they can actually use. Instead of an asset generating only interest or tokens, ComFi lets digital assets generate access to compute that can be spent across AI services. It starts with Ascend, the 0G Ecosystem's liquid staking product, which is now live, and Infinite AI (iAI), a new compute-focused digital asset scheduled to launch September 29.

Compute already powers the AI economy. It is a tangible product produced at scale, rented globally, and priced daily, yet it has no established financial layer of its own. ComFi introduces that financial layer, creating a model where users can own claims on compute, earn compute, and spend it across AI services.

ComFi starts with a simple user journey: users stake 0G through Ascend and receive a0G, use a0G to mint iAI, then stake eligible iAI to earn compute credits that can be used across supported 0G AI products. Ascend provides the staking and liquidity layer, while Infinite AI connects that position with access to usable AI compute.

Stake 0G → Receive a0G → Mint iAI → Stake iAI → Earn Compute → Use AI

Ascend: the entry point

Ascend is the 0G Ecosystem's liquid staking product and the entry point into Compute Finance. Users stake 0G and receive a0G, keeping DeFi composability while their 0G is staked. a0G is currently the only asset that can be used to mint iAI, which makes Ascend the front door to the "earn with compute" model. Ascend is live at ascend.finance.

Infinite AI: compute as the return

Infinite AI (iAI), scheduled to launch September 29, connects digital assets with access to AI compute. Under the initial product design, users mint iAI with a0G and stake eligible iAI to receive compute credits for use across supported 0G AI products. Details are at iai.finance.

"Equity introduced dividends, proof of work introduced new ways to reward participation, and DeFi expanded what people could do with digital assets. Compute Finance explores a different model by connecting digital assets with access to AI compute. Ascend and Infinite AI are our first implementations of that idea, and we believe this creates a new way to think about how AI infrastructure and digital assets can work together," said Michael Heinrich, Co-Founder and CEO of 0G.

Under the initial parameters, eligible staked iAI is designed to receive compute credits with a stated usage value of more than $1 per day across supported 0G AI services, with credit amounts, eligibility, availability and supported uses subject to applicable product terms of service and policies, which are subject to change.

Minting iAI is designed to lock the underlying collateral, with burning providing a mechanism to unlock it, subject to applicable product terms. Compute credits are intended solely for eligible AI services and are not cash, cash equivalents or guaranteed financial returns. Additional details, including minting requirements, staking eligibility and supported uses, will be made available through the applicable product documentation. iAI is also expected to be available on Comfy.fun, 0G's agent and token launchpad, subject to applicable launch terms.

Compute credits earned through iAI can be spent across 0G's consumer products: 0G Private Computer, a platform for private, verifiable AI with access to 100+ AI models, and the 0G App, where users can chat with AI and build and launch apps. Instead of compute existing solely as an infrastructure cost, iAI gives users an asset that generates compute they can put to work.

Why compute needs a financial layer

Every scarce asset follows a familiar path: first it is produced, then it is priced, then it is financed. Compute is now entering that third stage. The infrastructure, demand and pricing mechanisms for AI compute are already in place. Compute Finance introduces a financial layer around that market, with Ascend and iAI providing a framework that connects digital assets with access to usable AI compute.

0G is positioning ComFi as an open category for the wider AI ecosystem rather than a proprietary brand. The full Compute Finance thesis, which outlines a framework for a market where compute can be owned, earned, spent and traded, is published at 0g.ai/blog/compute-finance.

A longer lockup for team and early investor tokens

Alongside the Compute Finance launch, the 0G Foundation announced a change to the token unlock schedule for the team and early investors, whose tokens together make up 44% of the total supply.

The first distribution of team and early investor tokens, previously scheduled for October 22, 2026, moves to October 22, 2027. The remaining tokens then vest monthly over 24 months, so the schedule still completes in September 2029, as originally published. The total allocation does not change. Until October 22, 2027, no team or early investor tokens enter circulation.

The Foundation says the change reflects where 0G is now. The infrastructure is live, and the work ahead is turning it into real usage by developers, founders, institutions and everyday users. The early investors who agreed to the extension backed 0G's long-term vision, and the Foundation believes their incentives, and the team's, should stay aligned with the period in which the technology and its adoption mature. Adoption is already visible: the Apollo accelerator's first cohort is building on 0G, and 0G's compute network serves a catalog of 100+ AI models.

"0G is evolving into the reserve currency for Compute Finance. As we enter this next chapter, our earliest supporters have chosen to extend their unlocks by another year, aligning long-term ownership with the long-term value we are building," said Michael Heinrich.

About 0G

0G is the trust layer for AI and a frontier AI lab. It trains its own foundation models, including the 0GM series, and builds the harness, safety, and verification layers around them. Its stack combines these with private compute, encrypted storage, and an AI-native EVM L1 chain, designed to enable AI work, from inference to agent actions, to be verified and audited.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security, digital asset or financial instrument, or any investment, financial, or legal advice. Ascend, Infinite AI (iAI) and related compute credits are not available in all jurisdictions, are subject to eligibility criteria and applicable product terms, and are not offered to any person where doing so would be unlawful. Compute credits are intended solely to access supported 0G AI services, are not redeemable for cash and do not represent interest, dividends or any guaranteed return. Token unlock schedules, product features, pricing, timing and availability are subject to change and are not guarantees of future performance. Digital assets involve significant risk, including possible total loss of value; users should conduct their own research and consult their own advisers.