0G launches liquid staking gateway for AI compute credits

0G has launched its Ascend liquid staking product and introduced a five-step system that will let eligible users convert staked 0G tokens into credits for AI computing services.

Summary

• Ascend users receive the liquid staking token a0G after depositing 0G.
• a0G will be the only supported asset for minting iAI at launch.
• Eligible staked iAI will generate credits for supported 0G AI services.
• Infinite AI is scheduled to launch on Sep. 29, subject to product terms.

In a Sep. 21 press release shared with crypto.news, 0G said that Ascend will serve as the first access point for Compute Finance, or ComFi, a system designed to link digital assets with usable AI computing resources.

The product gives users a0G when they stake the network's native 0G token. Holders can keep using a0G across compatible decentralized finance applications while the underlying 0G remains staked, according to the announcement.

A second product, Infinite AI, is scheduled to launch on Sep. 29. Its iAI asset will connect the liquid staking position to compute credits accepted by selected services in the 0G ecosystem.

How 0G's Compute Finance system works

Under the initial structure, a user stakes 0G through Ascend and receives a0G. The user can then deposit a0G to mint iAI before staking eligible iAI to earn compute credits.

The full process consists of five steps: stake 0G, receive a0G, mint iAI, stake iAI, and collect compute credits. Users can spend the credits on supported AI products rather than receive them as cash or a standard token reward.

At launch, a0G will be the only asset accepted for minting iAI, making Ascend the required starting point for the system. Minting iAI locks the underlying collateral, while burning the asset provides a route for unlocking it, subject to the final product terms.

0G described ComFi as a financial layer for AI compute, which is already produced, rented, and priced across global markets. The proposed system treats access to computing resources as the output generated by a digital asset position.

Instead of earning only staking tokens or interest, eligible users receive credits tied to services that require computing power. Their use will remain limited to approved products within the 0G ecosystem.

Michael Heinrich, co-founder and CEO of 0G, compared the model with earlier systems that gave asset holders or network participants a new form of value.

"Equity introduced dividends, proof of work introduced new ways to reward participation, and DeFi expanded what people could do with digital assets," Heinrich said.

"Compute Finance explores a different model by connecting digital assets with access to AI compute."

He added that Ascend and Infinite AI are the company's first implementations of the concept.

iAI credits will have restricted uses

Under the initial parameters disclosed by 0G, eligible staked iAI is designed to generate compute credits carrying a stated usage value of more than $1 per day.

Actual credit amounts, eligibility rules, availability and permitted uses will depend on the terms and policies applied to the products. The company said the terms may change and plans to publish further details covering minting requirements and staking eligibility.

Compute credits will not represent cash, cash equivalents, or guaranteed financial returns. Users will only be able to apply them to eligible AI services, separating their stated usage value from a redeemable monetary payment.

0G identified Private Computer as one supported service. The platform is designed to provide private and verifiable AI access and is expected to offer more than 130 models at launch.

The credits will also be usable within the 0G App, a development platform where users can interact with AI models and build or launch applications. The company did not disclose how many credits each task will require or whether prices will vary between models and services.

Infinite AI is also expected to become available through Comfy.fun, 0G's launchpad for agents and tokens. Access will depend on the terms applied when the product goes live.

The structure combines several functions normally offered separately: liquid staking through a0G, collateral-backed minting through iAI, and service access through compute credits. Each stage depends on the previous one, while the underlying collateral remains subject to the minting and burning process described by 0G.

Ascend keeps staked 0G available for DeFi

Ascend provides the liquidity component of the system by issuing a0G against deposited 0G. Liquid staking tokens generally let holders use a representation of their staked assets in DeFi instead of waiting for the original tokens to become available.

For Ascend users, a0G can remain active in compatible DeFi applications and also serve as the input for minting iAI. The same position can therefore support network staking and entry into the compute-credit system, according to the company's design.

Use across DeFi can introduce risks that differ from standard native staking, depending on the protocols, smart contracts, and liquidity pools selected by a holder. 0G's announcement focused on the product flow and did not state which external DeFi platforms will initially support a0G.

The company also framed ComFi as an open category for AI projects rather than a term reserved for 0G products. Its full thesis will describe a market in which participants can own claims on compute and earn, spend or trade access to computing resources.

Related work linking blockchain infrastructure with AI has included systems for recording machine decisions and permissions. In September, crypto.news covered blockchain verification for AI-driven financial tools, where RoboTech Frontier Hub founder Denis Saklakov said blockchains can record system states, decision conditions, and execution histories without running the AI itself onchain.

0G's model uses blockchain infrastructure for a different task: connecting staking positions to access rights for AI products. The company operates an AI-focused EVM-compatible layer-1 network alongside encrypted storage, private computing tools and model-verification systems.

US access will depend on final product terms

For users in the United States, access to Ascend, iAI and related staking functions will depend on the eligibility rules released with the final documentation. The announcement states that credit availability, supported uses, and minting conditions will be governed by applicable terms and policies.

0G has not assigned the compute credits a cash value that users can redeem, and it describes them as units intended only for eligible AI services. The company also states that the credits do not provide guaranteed financial returns.

The treatment of a0G and iAI for US regulatory or tax purposes will depend on their final functions, distribution terms, and availability. The announcement does not name a US regulator, exemption or registration connected with either product.

Infinite AI remains scheduled for Sep. 29, when 0G plans to release the iAI asset and activate the next part of the staking-to-compute process.