Phase, a blockchain that lets smartphone users earn tokens by contributing to AI services, has launched its mainnet with a $45 million funding commitment from Unlimit founder Kirill Eves.
Phase announced the launch of its blockchain on Thursday alongside Phase Proxy, a service that routes AI agents' web requests through internet connections shared via smartphones. Eves' $45 million commitment covers the project's first two years of development and provides an additional two years of runway.
"Websites routinely block or rate-limit automated traffic originating from data centers, even when an agent is acting on a legitimate user request," Eves said. "As agents take on more tasks across multiple websites, these restrictions are becoming a significant barrier to their adoption."
Smartphone users can join through the Phase app and earn PHASE tokens by validating blocks and sharing their internet connection. Participation is adjusted based on a device's battery level and connectivity.
Eves said current flagship smartphones can deliver approximately 35–45 TOPS of AI processing performance, depending on the device, allowing them to run smaller open-weight AI models locally.
Phase plans an AI computing service in November, when smartphone users will be able to contribute computing power. A second service expected the same month will route requests across AI models. The company also plans to develop its own model and expand to desktops, servers and graphics processing units. Part of the revenue from these services would fund purchases of PHASE tokens on the open market, which would be used to reward node operators.
Phase has no outside investors, the company said. Eves founded Unlimit in 2009 and built it into a global payments company. Unlimit said in December 2025 that it served more than 50,000 businesses worldwide.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Smartphone owners can earn tokens by contributing their device's computing power and internet connection to support AI services.
- The project aims to solve a growing problem of websites blocking traffic from data centers, which could accelerate AI agent adoption.
- Phase's approach could offer an alternative to traditional cloud-based AI infrastructure, leveraging distributed smartphone resources.
Background
Phase is a blockchain designed to reward users for participating in AI-related tasks. The project has no outside investors beyond a $45 million commitment from Kirill Eves, founder of payments company Unlimit. Phase launched its mainnet this week along with a proxy service that routes AI agents' traffic through shared smartphone connections.
What to Watch
- Phase's AI computing services expected in November, which will allow smartphone users to contribute processing power.
- How Phase Proxy's approach to bypassing website restrictions on AI traffic affects adoption.
- Whether the project can attract enough smartphone users to build a viable distributed computing network.
Checked
11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedUnlimit founder Kirill Eves committed $45 million to Phase.Cointelegraph.com News: “Phase, a new blockchain that lets smartphone users earn tokens by helping run AI services, has received a $45 million funding commitment from Unlimit founder Kirill Eves.”
- SupportedPhase's mainnet launched.Cointelegraph.com News: “Unlimit founder backs Phase blockchain with $45M as mainnet launches”
- SupportedThe network lets smartphone users earn tokens by validating blocks and sharing internet connections.Cointelegraph.com News: “Smartphone users can join the Phase network through the Phase app and earn PHASE tokens by validating blocks and sharing their internet connection through the proxy service.”
- SupportedPhase lets smartphone users earn tokens by contributing to AI services.Cointelegraph.com News: “Phase, a new blockchain that lets smartphone users earn tokens by helping run AI services”
- SupportedPhase announced its blockchain launch on Thursday alongside Phase Proxy, which routes AI agents' web requests through smartphone-shared internet connections.Cointelegraph.com News: “Phase announced the launch of its blockchain on Thursday alongside Phase Proxy, a service that routes AI agents’ web requests through internet connections shared via smartphones.”
- SupportedEves said: “Websites routinely block or rate-limit automated traffic originating from data centers, even when an agent is acting on a legitimate user request,” and “As agents take on more tasks across multiple websites, these restrictions are becoming a significant barrier to their adoption.”Cointelegraph.com News: ““Websites routinely block or rate-limit automated traffic originating from data centers, even when an agent is acting on a legitimate user request,” Eves told Cointelegraph. “As agents take on more tasks across multiple websites, these restrictions are becoming a significant barrier to their adoption.””
- SupportedThe $45 million commitment covers Phase's first two years of development and provides another two years of runway.Cointelegraph.com News: “Eves’ $45 million commitment covers its first two years of development and provides another two years of runway.”
- SupportedUsers can join through the Phase app and earn PHASE by validating blocks and sharing their internet connection.Cointelegraph.com News: “Smartphone users can join the Phase network through the Phase app and earn PHASE tokens by validating blocks and sharing their internet connection through the proxy service.”
- SupportedEves said current flagship smartphones can deliver approximately 35–45 TOPS, depending on the device, and run smaller open-weight AI models locally.Cointelegraph.com News: ““Current flagship smartphones can deliver approximately 35–45 TOPS [trillions of operations per second] of AI processing performance, depending on the device, allowing them to run smaller open-weight AI models locally,” Eves said.”
- SupportedPhase's planned AI computing service in November will let smartphone users contribute computing power.Cointelegraph.com News: “Smartphone users will be able to contribute computing power when Phase launches its AI computing service, planned for November.”
- SupportedPart of the services' revenue would fund open-market PHASE purchases used to reward node operators.Cointelegraph.com News: “Part of the revenue from these services would fund PHASE purchases on the open market, which would be used to reward node operators.”
