ComputeFi

ComputeFi, short for compute finance, is an informal term for financial products and markets built around computing power, especially the graphics processing units (GPUs) used to train and run artificial intelligence models. It became popular in crypto from around 2024 as demand for AI computing grew. Examples include decentralized marketplaces where owners rent out spare GPU capacity in exchange for tokens, such as Render and similar networks; tokens or contracts that represent a share of the income from data-centre hardware; loans secured by GPUs; and proposals for futures contracts on the price of compute time. Supporters see compute as a new commodity that can be priced and traded like energy. Critics note that hardware loses value quickly, that many projects are early-stage and that some mainly market AI coins. Also see Asset-Backed Tokens.