Cortex Labs

Cortex Blockchain Ecosystem is an open-source, AI-enabled blockchain platform that blends on-chain smart contracts with machine learning inference to run AI-powered DApps directly on the blockchain. It enables developers to deploy AI models and deterministic AI inference within smart contracts, leveraging GPU-accelerated execution via the Cortex Virtual Machine (CVM) and on-chain AI inference infrastructure. The ecosystem is designed to incentivize researchers and developers to store and reuse AI models on the blockchain, promoting an open marketplace of AI capabilities for decentralized applications.

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What Cortex Solves

• Enables on-chain execution of machine learning models in a deterministic, verifiable manner without relying on off-chain inference.
• Bridges traditional smart contract capabilities with AI-enabled components, reducing the gap between ML research and real-world DApps.
• Encourages an open, collaborative AI model marketplace where developers can publish and reuse models within smart contracts and dApps.

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Core Components

• Cortex Virtual Machine (CVM): EVM-compatible VM that adds on-chain AI inference and uses GPU acceleration for nontrivial AI models.
• AI Inference Engine (Synapse): Deterministic on-chain AI inference that guarantees identical results across heterogeneous computing environments.
• AI Smart Contract & AI DApp Layer: Enables Solidity-based development with off-the-shelf AI models on the storage layer to build AI-enhanced smart contracts and dApps.
• ZkMatrix & ZkRollup: Layer2 scaling solution leveraging zkRollups to batch on-chain transitions, increasing TPS and reducing per-transaction fees.
• MRT (Quantization & Integer-Only Inference): Techniques to optimize AI inference performance on-chain.
• Decentralized AI Research: An open ecosystem that incentivizes sharing AI models, ensuring developers have access to high-quality AI models for integration.

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How It Works

• Developers write smart contracts in Solidity and can embed AI models into the Cortex storage layer.
• The CVM executes on-chain AI inference using GPU resources to support nontrivial models, producing deterministic results.
• ZkMatrix layers enable high-throughput transactions by aggregating batch transitions into main-chain transactions, lowering costs.
• An open model marketplace fosters collaboration and accelerates innovation in on-chain AI applications.

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Benefits & Goals

• Deterministic on-chain AI inference for verifiable smart contract outcomes.
• Reduced reliance on off-chain inference solutions, preserving the decentralization and security guarantees of blockchain.
• A vibrant, open-source ecosystem for AI researchers and DApp developers to share, reuse, and monetize AI models.
• Scalable on-chain AI with Layer2 reductions in fees and improved throughput.

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Core Features

• EVM-compatible Cortex Virtual Machine (CVM) with on-chain AI inference support
• Deterministic AI inference engine (Synapse) ensuring identical results across environments
• AI smart contracts and AI DApps integration using Solidity
• GPU-accelerated on-chain AI execution via CVM
• ZkMatrix Layer2 solution with zkRollups for higher TPS and lower fees
• MRT quantization and integer-only inference optimizations
• Open AI model marketplace to publish, discover, and reuse AI models
• Open-source, incentivized ecosystem for AI researchers and developers