NuNet

Overview

NuNet is a computing marketplace that lets people rent out spare hardware and lets others pay to run AI jobs, DePIN nodes, or other workloads on it. Payments run through the NTX token, with Cardano handling settlement and economic security¹.

NuNet was incubated at SingularityNET and is built from three parts: a service that manages each connected machine, a communication layer that signs and checks every message between them, and a matchmaker that pairs each job with the right hardware². The platform is aimed at AI developers, DePIN projects, IoT operators, and Cardano stake pool operators who want an alternative to renting from big cloud providers. Instead of leasing capacity from one company, NuNet users buy and sell computing power directly from each other, with signed agreements that spell out what the job covers, how long it runs, and how much it costs.

Key Features

• Device Management Service. NuNet's core software handles onboarding each machine, giving it a unique ID, matching it to jobs, and running them, on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Laptops, GPU servers, and small edge devices can all join the same pool².
• NuActor framework. NuNet's communication layer signs and checks every message between machines individually, so permission to use a piece of hardware travels as a verifiable pass between users instead of going through a central gatekeeper².
• Cardano-anchored settlement. Payments are settled through Cardano, so users can pay for compute jobs in ADA while the NTX token handles the network's internal accounting and the deposits providers lock up to participate³.
• Computing for stake pool operators. A dedicated track, funded through Project Catalyst, adapts the network for Cardano stake pool operators who want to earn from hosting compute jobs on the same hardware they already use to run their pools⁴.
• Hydra micropayments. NuNet connects to Hydra, a faster payment layer built on top of Cardano, so users can pay in tiny amounts as a job runs, useful for DePIN workloads, without crowding the main Cardano network⁵.

What to Expect

Using NuNet starts with installing the NuNet Appliance, the friendly front end for the underlying software. Providers register their hardware, anything from a small edge device to a GPU server, set when it is available, and accept jobs. Customers submit a job through a matchmaker that scans the network for machines that fit what they need: location, hardware specs, and track record. Payments settle automatically once the job finishes, so neither side has to send invoices or chase balances.

NuNet is open source: the protocols and core code are on GitLab, and contributions and discussion happen there and on Discord. A live network dashboard shows connected machines and where they are around the world, so providers can see how healthy the network is before signing up.

For AI and DePIN builders, NuNet offers a Cardano-backed alternative to renting from large cloud providers: instead of signing a contract with one company, customers tap into a shared pool of machines and pay per job. Day-to-day use still suits people comfortable with Linux and developer tooling, though the NuNet Appliance hides much of the underlying setup.