Mirrored from filpgf.io — ProPGF Batch 3 (Karma program 1479, application 6a27c54b28c170552033c5a3, status: pending). Contact details redacted; canonical application lives on filpgf.io. 1.1 Project Name Open Model 1.2 Project Github https://github.com/6block/openmodel 1.4 Team Lead/Point of Contact Gao Jiatong PR @carol9702 1.5 Category [ "Core Infrastructure" ] 1.6 Open Source Status Fully Open Source 2.1 Project Summary During this grant period, OpenModel will focus on three key initiatives aimed at strengthening decentralized AI infrastructure and expanding ecosystem adoption within the Filecoin ecosystem. First, OpenModel will expand its multimodal capabilities beyond text generation by integrating image generation, image understanding (including models such as Qwen-VL), and speech-related services. These capabilities will be delivered through a unified API gateway built on OpenModel’s existing scheduling framework, providing developers with standardized access to multimodal AI services. Second, OpenModel will drive ecosystem growth and developer adoption. Through improved documentation, technical tutorials, community engagement, and developer support programs, OpenModel will demonstrate the value of utilizing idle compute resources for AI inference while attracting developers and ecosystem partners to build on the network. Third, OpenModel will develop demonstration applications, including AI assistants and content creation tools, to validate real-world use cases for decentralized AI infrastructure. These applications will showcase the capabilities of the network, generate meaningful AI workloads, and encourage broader adoption of decentralized AI services. Through these efforts, OpenModel will strengthen Filecoin’s AI infrastructure ecosystem, improve utilization of distributed compute resources, expand developer participation, and accelerate the adoption of open-source decentralized AI applications. 2.2 Who does this work support? [ "Application Builders", "Application Users", "Storage Providers", "Network Infrastructure" ] 2.3 Total Funding Requested (USD) 50,000 2.4 Milestones & Budget [ { "title": "Milestone 1: Multimodal Infrastructure Expansion", "description": "Timeline: September 1, 2026 – November 30, 2026 \n\nBudget: USD 30,000 \n\nObjective: \n\nExpand OpenModel’s multimodal AI service capabilities and provide developers with a unified interface for multimodal inference. \n\nDeliverables: \n\n* Integrate image generation models and make them available through OpenModel APIs \n* Integrate image understanding capabilities, including Qwen-VL, and provide API access \n* Integrate speech-related AI services and provide API access \n* Upgrade the unified API Gateway to support routing and scheduling for text, image, and speech workloads \n* Publish developer documentation and API references for multimodal services \n* Open-source all related modules developed under this milestone \n* Publish at least three multimodal integration examples and usage demonstrations", "dueDate": "2026-11-30", "fundingRequested": "30,000", "completionCriteria": "* Integrate image generation models and make them available through OpenModel APIs \n* Integrate image understanding capabilities, including Qwen-VL, and provide API access \n* Integrate speech-related AI services and provide API access \n* Upgrade the unified API Gateway to support routing and scheduling for text, image, and speech workloads \n* Publish developer documentation and API references for multimodal services \n* Open-source all related modules developed under this milestone \n* Publish at least three multimodal integration examples and usage demonstrations" }, { "title": "Milestone 2: Developer Adoption & Application Demonstration", "description": "Timeline: December 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027 \n\nBudget: USD 20,000 \n\nObjective: \n\nExpand the OpenModel developer ecosystem and validate the practical value of decentralized AI infrastructure through real-world applications. \n\nDeliverables: \n\n* Improve developer onboarding documentation and quick-start guides \n* Publish technical tutorials, SDK examples, and integration guides \n* Launch at least one demonstration application built on the OpenModel network (e.g., AI Assistant or AI Content Creation Tool) \n* Publish developer case studies and application implementation guides \n* Conduct developer outreach and ecosystem partnership activities \n* Open-source all grant-funded deliverables \n* Publish a public project summary and milestone completion report", "dueDate": "2027-01-31", "fundingRequested": "20,000", "completionCriteria": "* Improve developer onboarding documentation and quick-start guides \n* Publish technical tutorials, SDK examples, and integration guides \n* Launch at least one demonstration application built on the OpenModel network (e.g., AI Assistant or AI Content Creation Tool) \n* Publish developer case studies and application implementation guides \n* Conduct …[truncated] 3.1 Impact pathway Output OpenModel will deliver four core outcomes during the grant period: * Build and maintain a fully open-source AI inference infrastructure and developer toolchain. * Expand multimodal AI capabilities, including image generation, image understanding, and speech-related services. * Improve developer documentation, SDKs, and ecosystem support resources. * Develop and launch demonstration applications, including an AI assistant and AI-powered content creation tools built on the OpenModel network. ↓ Outcome Developers will be able to access multimodal AI services through a unified API without the need to deploy and maintain complex AI models or inference infrastructure. More Filecoin ecosystem participants and third-party development teams will be able to build AI-powered applications on top of OpenModel, while additional compute providers can contribute resources to the network and participate in AI workloads. As developer adoption, application integrations, and inference requests increase, OpenModel will foster a more active AI ecosystem and improve the utilization of distributed compute resources. ↓ Impact OpenModel will enable more real-world AI workloads to run on open and decentralized infrastructure, creating a sustainable ecosystem that connects developers, applications, and compute providers. Through open-source infrastructure, multimodal AI capabilities, and real-world application validation, OpenModel will strengthen AI infrastructure within the Filecoin ecosystem, increase developer participation, and encourage broader adoption of decentralized AI services. Over time, this will help expand the utility, sustainability, and long-term value of the Filecoin ecosystem. 3.2 Verification metrics Metric 1: Total Inference Requests Data Source: FVM Settlement Contract Event Logs Measurement: Total number of paid inference requests settled through the FVM settlement contract during the grant period. Each completed settlement represents a verified inference request processed by the OpenModel network. Target: 500,000+ requests Metric 2: Total Revenue Distributed to Storage Providers Data Source: FVM Settlement Contract State Measurement: Total amount settled and distributed from user deposits to participating Storage Providers through the settlement contract during the grant period. Target: USD 5,000+ equivalent Metric 3: Storage Providers Receiving Revenue Data Source: Storage Provider balances recorded in the FVM settlement contract Measurement: Number of Filecoin Storage Providers that have received positive settlement balances through the OpenModel settlement contract. Target: 5+ Storage Providers Metric 4: Active Developers Data Source: Developer API Key Usage Records Measurement: Number of unique API keys generating inference traffic during the grant period. Target: 50+ developers Metric 5: Third-Party Applications Integrated Data Source: Ecosystem integration records and API key attribution Measurement: Number of third-party applications built on OpenModel that generate real production traffic. Target: 5+ applications Metric 6: Production Models Available Data Source: OpenModel Model Registry Measurement: Number of production-ready AI models accessible through the OpenModel network. Target: 8+ models 3.3 References OpenModel is currently in the infrastructure development phase and has not yet entered large-scale public adoption. As this grant progresses, we expect to onboard developers, ecosystem partners, Filecoin ecosystem participants, and compute providers to contribute to network growth and adoption, creating a broader base of stakeholders who can validate the project's impact. Potential references include Filecoin ecosystem partners, long-term Filfox ecosystem collaborators, developers integrating OpenModel APIs, compute providers participating in the network, and other projects and infrastructure partners contributing to the OpenModel ecosystem. Building on the team's long-standing experience operating Filecoin ecosystem infrastructure through projects such as Filfox and 6Block, OpenModel will continue to expand its network of ecosystem partnerships and foster a growing community of developers, users, and infrastructure participants. 4.1 Monthly Operating Burn [ "$10-$100K (small team)" ] 4.2 What % of total team monthly burn depends on this grant? Approximately 70%. OpenModel is currently at a critical stage of development. This grant will directly support the expansion of multimodal infrastructure, developer ecosystem growth, and the development and deployment of demonstration applications. The funding will cover a significant portion of project development, infrastructure operations, and ecosystem growth activities. While the team remains committed to advancing the project with available resources, this grant represents a substantial portion of the project's planned investment during the grant period. With this support, the team will be able to deliver the proposed milestones on schedule and further expand OpenModel's impact within the Filecoin AI ecosystem. 4.3 If this grant is not awarded, what happens? If this grant is not awarded, OpenModel will make every effort to maintain existing network operations. However, the planned expansion of multimodal capabilities, developer growth initiatives, and application-layer development will face significant delays. Some planned features may need to be postponed or reduced in scope due to resource constraints. The team would need to prioritize maintaining the stability of the existing infrastructure rather than investing in new capabilities and ecosystem expansion. This grant is critical for OpenModel's transition from an infrastructure-building phase to an ecosystem growth phase. Funding will enable the team to deliver key features on schedule, attract more developers to the network, and validate the commercial viability and long-term sustainability of decentralized AI inference in real-world use cases. 4.4 Core Team The OpenModel team is composed of core members of the 6Block team, including infrastructure engineers, AI engineers, product leaders, and ecosystem operators with extensive experience in distributed systems, cloud computing, AI model services, and developer ecosystem growth. The team has long been involved in building decentralized infrastructure and has practical experience across the Filecoin ecosystem, blockchain systems, distributed compute networks, and AI application development. Team members have contributed to multiple open-source projects and infrastructure products, with experience spanning architecture design, network operations, product development, and ecosystem expansion. Building on the team's experience operating Filecoin ecosystem infrastructure such as Filfox and 6Block, OpenModel aims to establish an open, scalable, and sustainable decentralized AI inference network that provides reliable AI infrastructure for developers, applications, and compute providers. 4.5 Has your team received a ProPGF grant or funding from PLFIF before? [ "Yes" ] 5.1 Key risks & dependencies OpenModel aims to serve as a bridge between decentralized infrastructure and the growing demand for AI applications. Through an open and fully open-source AI inference network, OpenModel enables developers to leverage distributed compute resources to build innovative AI-powered applications while advancing the adoption of AI within the Filecoin ecosystem. Beyond infrastructure development, the project also focuses on validating real-world use cases and application adoption. By supporting practical applications and real user demand, OpenModel seeks to demonstrate the long-term sustainability and value of decentralized AI networks while driving greater utilization of distributed compute resources. Any feedback you have on the application process? The overall application process is well structured and provides a clear framework for projects to present their value proposition, implementation plans, and expected impact. For future funding rounds, it would be helpful to provide example applications for different project categories (such as infrastructure, developer tools, and application-layer projects), as well as more detailed KPI guidance and evaluation criteria. This would help applicants better understand reviewer expectations and improve the quality and consistency of submitted proposals. Contributing to Core Infrastructure? OpenModel is an open-source decentralized AI inference network built within the Filecoin ecosystem, providing a unified AI infrastructure layer for developers, applications, and compute providers. By aggregating distributed computing resources, OpenModel transforms idle compute capacity into accessible AI inference services, lowering the barrier for developers to integrate AI capabilities into their products. The core infrastructure maintained by OpenModel includes an Inference Gateway, model routing system, task scheduling system, developer APIs, and a distributed compute coordination mechanism. During this grant period, OpenModel will further expand its capabilities to support image generation, image understanding (via models such as Qwen-VL), and speech-related services, while building a unified multimodal AI service gateway on top of its existing scheduling framework. These infrastructure components serve third-party developers, AI applications, Filecoin ecosystem participants, and compute resource providers. Developers rely on OpenModel to rapidly access multimodal AI capabilities, applications depend on OpenModel for reliable inference services, and compute providers leverage OpenModel to monetize underutilized resources and unlock additional value from their infrastructure. OpenModel’s goal is to establish an open and sustainable AI infrastructure layer that enables developers and applications to build the next generation of AI products on top of the Filecoin ecosystem, while improving the utilization and economic value of distributed computing resources. Objective 1 Indirect Objective 2 Direct Objective 3 Indirect Open Source Context OpenModel is committed to a fully open-source development model. Current open-source repositories include: * Node Infrastructure: https://github.com/6block/openmodel * Gateway Infrastructure: https://github.com/6block/openmodel-gateway The settlement and smart contract components are currently under development and will be released as open source upon completion.