Aethir’s Launch on Sophon’s ZK Chain and Node Swap

- Aethir joins forces with Sophon, a zkSync hyperchain focused on entertainment, AI, and gaming applications.

- Aethir’s decentralized cloud infrastructure is launching on Sophon’s ZK Chain.

- Aethir and Sophon have agreed to swap nodes, strengthening each other's networks and fostering Web3 decentralization. 

Aethir, the world's largest decentralized GPU cloud, and Sophon, an entertainment-focused ecosystem built as a modular rollup leveraging zkSync's Hyperchain technology, embark on an exciting journey together. The Aethir decentralized cloud infrastructure network is launching on Sophon’s ZK chain. This means faster transactions, lower fees, and higher interoperability, all powered by the Aethir distributed GPU cloud and Sophon’s ZK Hyperchain network. Aethir nodes will now operate on the Sophon ZK chain, which means a shift in the underlying network infrastructure. This will involve upgrading software, ensuring compatibility, and migrating tokens and data.

As part of our partnership, we will engage in a mutual node swap with Sophon. Aethir will run  nearly 40,000 Sophon nodes, while Sophon will reciprocate by running 16,000 of our Checker Nodes, creating a symbiotic relationship that enhances both networks. 

Sophon is a zkSync hyperchain leveraging the ZK Stack intended to power high-throughput applications such as artificial intelligence and gaming platforms. Sophon facilitates the connection between developers and users and is backed by robust strategic collaboration with ecosystems like Aethir, zkSync, Beam, and Zentry. By leveraging the ZK Stack, Sophon is positioned to become a leading provider in the entertainment and blockchain space. The Web3 innovator integrates artificial intelligence with gaming to offer developers and users a streamlined and engaging experience. Since AI and gaming are key industries for Aethir's decentralized GPU cloud, joining forces with Sophon was a natural choice.

Through our massive partnership, Aethir and Sophon are not just fostering infrastructure decentralization but also reinforcing the narrative that nodes are the new Meta. The Sophon ZK chain will offer superior performance, security, and scalability features that Aethir aims to leverage.

Unlike centralized networks that concentrate control over their infrastructure in the hands of a select few stakeholders, Aethir and Sophon are steadfast in their commitment to decentralization as a core operational mechanism, ensuring Web3 principles are at the heart of our partnership. 

With the recent launch of our ATH utility token, the Aethir community has gained an additional possibility to participate in the Aethir ecosystem through ATH staking. Through our migration to the Sophon blockchain, the Aethir community gains access to a more efficient and versatile network.

Our decentralized Checker Node Sale made Web3 history as the largest node sale to date, with over $150m worth of sold nodes, while Sophon's node sale saw $60m worth of node sales. Combined, the two networks raised over $210m. Numerous projects have already scheduled or executed their own node sales, replicating Aethir and Sophon's node sale model as the new norm for Web3 infrastructure decentralization.