The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has created an unprecedented demand for high-quality, diverse, and continuously updated training data. However, access to such data remains concentrated in the hands of a few tech giants. Enter Grass (GRASS) — a decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) built on the Solana blockchain, designed to democratize AI data collection by leveraging underutilized internet bandwidth from everyday users.
By turning passive internet connections into active contributors for AI development, Grass creates a transparent, incentivized, and censorship-resistant data ecosystem. This article explores how Grass works, the problems it solves, its tokenomics, and how you can get involved.
What Is Grass?
Project Overview
Grass is a pioneering DePIN protocol launched in 2023 by co-founders Andrej Radonjic and Chris Nguyen under Wynd Network. It operates on the Solana blockchain and enables individuals to contribute their unused internet bandwidth to collect public web data used for training large language models (LLMs).
Large language models thrive on vast datasets drawn from across the internet. The more diverse and up-to-date the data, the smarter and more accurate these AI systems become. Grass ensures a continuous stream of real-time, publicly available information — helping AI developers build better models without relying solely on closed, corporate-controlled data sources.
At its core, Grass rewards users for sharing their residential IP addresses and bandwidth to ethically scrape public websites. All collected data is verified via zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) on-chain, ensuring authenticity while preserving privacy.
How the Grass Protocol Works
Grass reimagines data collection by decentralizing it across thousands of user-operated devices instead of relying on centralized data centers that are easily blocked or rate-limited.
The protocol functions through three key roles:
- Nodes: User devices running the Grass client that use idle bandwidth to fetch public data from websites.
- Routers: Coordination nodes that manage node availability and route data requests efficiently.
- Validators: Nodes responsible for verifying data integrity, encrypting responses, and ensuring compliance with network standards.
When a client requests specific public data (e.g., news articles, product listings, social media posts), the router assigns the task to an available node. That node retrieves the information, sends it back through the router, where validators confirm its legitimacy before delivery. Every step is recorded transparently using blockchain technology.
This architecture makes Grass highly resilient against anti-scraping measures employed by major Web2 platforms like Twitter, Meta, and Reddit — which often restrict or manipulate data access for third parties.
Key Problems Solved by Grass
Bridging the AI Data Access Gap
One of the biggest challenges in AI development is unequal access to training data. While companies like Google may secure exclusive API deals (such as with Reddit), independent developers and startups are left at a disadvantage.
Grass levels the playing field by creating a decentralized data marketplace where anyone can request or purchase clean, structured datasets. Instead of being blocked due to suspicious traffic patterns from data centers, Grass uses distributed residential IPs — making detection far more difficult and enabling uninterrupted access to public content.
Importantly, Grass only collects freely accessible public data, respecting robots.txt rules and ethical scraping practices.
Preventing Data "Poisoning" and Bias
Another critical issue in AI training is “data poisoning” — when platforms intentionally inject noise or false information into their public APIs to deter large-scale scraping. This corrupted data can lead to biased or inaccurate AI outputs, as seen in early versions of some models generating offensive responses.
Grass combats this using blockchain-verified provenance and zero-knowledge proofs. These cryptographic tools allow users to verify exactly which node retrieved specific data and trace its origin without exposing sensitive details. This transparency ensures accountability and helps maintain dataset integrity — crucial for building trustworthy AI systems.
As a result, developers can source reliable, auditable training data at lower costs compared to traditional methods.
Funding and Growth Milestones
Grass has attracted strong backing from leading crypto investors:
- Seed Round (December 2023): Raised $3.5 million led by Polychain Capital and Tribe Capital.
- Series A (September 2024): Secured funding from Hack VC, Polychain Capital, Delphi Digital, Lattice, and Brevan Howard Digital. Terms undisclosed.
With a post-funding valuation reaching $1 billion, Grass has emerged as a major player in the intersection of AI and decentralized infrastructure.
👉 Discover how decentralized networks are reshaping AI innovation today.
Grass Tokenomics: $GRASS Explained
$GRASS – The Utility and Governance Token
$GRASS is the native token of the Grass ecosystem with a fixed total supply of 1 billion tokens. It powers network operations and enables community participation through:
- Transactions & Repurchases: Used for purchasing datasets, paying for data crawling jobs, and accessing premium features like LCR (Latency Control Routing).
- Staking & Incentives: Users can stake $GRASS to routers to support network performance and earn rewards.
- Governance: Token holders can propose and vote on upgrades, partnerships, incentive structures, and long-term strategy.
Token Distribution Breakdown
- Early Contributors: 22%
- Investors: 25.2%
- Ecosystem Development: 22.8%
- Future Incentives: 17%
- First-Season Airdrop: 10%
- Routing Rewards: 3%
This balanced allocation supports long-term sustainability while rewarding early adopters and maintaining decentralization.
How to Participate in Season 2 Airdrop
After distributing 100 million tokens in its first season, Grass has launched Season 2 with 170 million GRASS tokens up for grabs. The more active your node, the higher your rewards.
There are three participation tiers based on device type:
- Mobile devices: 1x earning rate
- Advanced nodes: 1.25x boost
- Desktop applications: 2x multiplier
Step-by-Step Participation Guide
- Sign Up: Create an account at app.getgrass.io
- Verify Email & Download Client: Confirm your email and install the appropriate node software for your device.
- Connect Solana Wallet: Link your Solana-compatible wallet to receive future $GRASS distributions.
- Start Earning: Run the node in the background — no technical expertise required.
Your device will quietly contribute bandwidth to the network while you earn points toward the upcoming airdrop.
👉 Learn how you can turn idle internet into real digital rewards.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is Grass legal?
A: Yes. Grass collects only publicly available data from websites that do not require login credentials. It complies with standard web scraping ethics and respects site policies like robots.txt.
Q: Does running a Grass node slow down my internet?
A: No. The client uses only idle bandwidth and runs in the background with minimal system impact. Most users notice no difference in performance.
Q: Can I run multiple nodes?
A: Yes, but each node must operate from a unique IP address. Duplicate IPs may be flagged to prevent abuse.
Q: When will $GRASS be listed on exchanges?
A: While official listings are managed by independent platforms, the token’s growing ecosystem and billion-dollar valuation suggest strong market potential upon launch.
Q: Is personal data collected by Grass?
A: No. Grass does not access private browsing activity or personal files. Only public web data is transmitted, encrypted, and verified.
Q: How are airdrop allocations calculated?
A: Points are earned based on uptime, data contribution quality, and node type. Higher-tier devices earn faster, but consistency matters most over time.
Grass represents a paradigm shift in how AI training data is gathered — moving from centralized control to community-powered collection. By aligning incentives across users, developers, and validators, it fosters a fairer, more transparent AI future.
Whether you're an AI researcher seeking clean datasets or an individual looking to monetize unused resources, Grass offers a compelling entry point into the decentralized AI economy.
👉 Join the next wave of decentralized innovation powered by real-world utility.