How to evaluate decentralized AI compute
Design an AI pilot around reproducible workloads, data boundaries, useful output, and the complete cost of accepted tasks.
7 min readRead guide
THE OPEN INFRASTRUCTURE FIELD GUIDE
Decentralized
platforms.Clearly explained.
Practical guides to Web3, IPFS, Linux, and AI infrastructure. Understand what you control, what you trust, and how to build a more resilient stack.
Independent explanationsNo account required
One stack. Many decisions.Explore the dependencies behind the diagram.
17Topic guides
across the stack
across the stack
10In-depth articles
in the Lab
in the Lab
05Curated reading
collections
collections
OpenKnowledge.
No sign-in.
No sign-in.
Choose your starting point
Understand the architecture
Start with authority, dependencies, and the boundaries you need to test.
Map your platformPublish beyond one host
Connect static builds, IPFS retention, DNSLink, and a practical rollback plan.
Explore IPFSEvaluate the compute
Compare AI workloads, Linux operations, and the real work behind a server.
Explore AI computeEXPLORE THE STACK
Every layer. A clearer picture.
Seventeen focused guides, organized around the decisions a developer or operator actually needs to make.
Architecture & Web3
GUIDE 01
Platform architecture
Map what you control, what you trust, and what you can replace. Start with the application’s dependencies—not its technology labels.
Explore the guideGUIDE 02
Web3 foundations
Translate Web3 terminology into an understandable application design, with explicit identities, state, interfaces, and administrative powers.
Explore the guideGUIDE 03
DApp architecture
Design the complete application journey—from a readable interface to an authorized action and a trustworthy account of its result.
Explore the guideGUIDE 04
Tokenized systems
Define the mechanism before the ticker. Separate payment, resource access, voting, and rewards from assumptions about investment value.
Explore the guideGUIDE 16
Ethereum
Review Ethereum as an execution layer inside a complete application. Keep contracts, interfaces, data access, and upgrade powers in the same design.
Explore the guideGUIDE 17
Solana
Study accounts, programs, instructions, and user authorization before evaluating a Solana application’s wider hosting and operating model.
Explore the guideCompute & connectivity
GUIDE 05
Decentralized AI
Evaluate AI compute with a repeatable workload, a clear data boundary, and evidence of useful results—not hardware counts or token narratives.
Explore the guideGUIDE 06
AI tokens & credits
Separate model text units, compute entitlements, and transferable tokens. Similar terminology does not make their roles interchangeable.
Explore the guideGUIDE 07
VPS & compute
Separate a compute marketplace from the machine it supplies. Evaluate resources, administration, persistence, and the work required to rebuild.
Explore the guideGUIDE 08
Linux operations
Build an operating baseline around individual access, limited services, maintained software, and a recovery procedure another person can use.
Explore the guideGUIDE 09
VPN & private access
Choose a network boundary you can explain. Review the tunnel, operators, client updates, account relationships, and failure behavior separately.
Explore the guidePublishing & ownership
GUIDE 10
Web hosting
Compare delivery models around a complete website release. Keep availability, update authority, data retention, and domain control in the decision.
Explore the guideGUIDE 11
IPFS storage
Understand the difference between identifying a release and keeping it available. Plan content addressing, retention, gateways, and updates together.
Explore the guideGUIDE 12
Web servers
Treat HTTP delivery as its own operating layer. Serve a complete artifact, restrict write authority, and test the behavior readers actually depend on.
Explore the guideGUIDE 13
CMS publishing
Let editors manage content while readers receive a complete static release. Keep preview, review, media, metadata, and publishing authority aligned.
Explore the guideGUIDE 14
DNS & DNSLink
Connect a stable name to a versioned publication without confusing the DNS record, the browser gateway, and the retained content.
Explore the guideGUIDE 15
Domains & ownership
Protect the entry point separately from the website files. Review registration, DNS authority, renewals, recovery access, and a consistent public URL.
Explore the guideSTART WITH THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Decentralization isn’t
a switch. It’s a design.
A contract can distribute execution while a single account still controls the interface. Map the layers before making claims about the whole system.
Our architecture worksheet gives you five review categories—and a practical way to test what remains dependent on one operator.
Map your dependencies01Interface deliveryWhat users reach
02Identity & permissionWho can act
03ExecutionWhere rules run
04Data availabilityWhat stays retrievable
05AdministrationWho can change it
DECENTRALIZED PLATFORM LAB
Go deeper. Build with context.
A recovery plan for decentralized platforms
Rehearse a clean rebuild across content, domains, servers, and application dependencies—without relying on the original delivery path.
7 min readRead guide
DNSLink and custom domains: a safer publishing workflow
Connect a familiar domain to a versioned release while keeping DNS, gateway delivery, and rollback responsibilities separate.
7 min readRead guide
BEFORE YOU BUILD
Good questions.
Grounded answers.
Begin with the tradeoffs that matter. There is no single architecture that removes every dependency.
What is a decentralized platform?
It is useful to examine how a system distributes control and dependencies across its interface, execution, data, and administrators. Start with the platform architecture guide rather than a single label.
Does IPFS mean a website stays online forever?
No. Content addressing and ongoing retention are different responsibilities. The IPFS persistence guide explains why someone must continue retaining the content.
Do I need a token or wallet to use these guides?
No. Everything here is open to read. A token, wallet, or contract should be part of your own architecture only when it serves a specific requirement—not because a guide uses the term Web3.
Should I choose Ethereum or Solana first?
Define an application rule and a complete user journey first. The dapp comparison guide helps you compare implementation and operating requirements without a universal chain ranking.
Where should I begin with hosting?
Start with a complete static artifact, then compare delivery, retention, domain control, and recovery. Follow the web hosting guide into the IPFS and CMS walkthroughs.
Your next step doesn’t need more hype.
Start with one user journey. Learn the layers. Make the tradeoffs explicit.