NTU Singapore and Zero Gravity Launch S$5M Hub for Decentralised AI Research
New partnership pioneers blockchain-integrated AI systems built on transparency, accessibility, and accountability
, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and , a decentralised AI infrastructure firm, have launched a S$5 million joint research hub to advance blockchain-based artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The initiative aims to create the next generation of decentralised, verifiable, and open — designed to make AI both accessible and auditable across global networks.
The partnership, announced at NTU’s campus, marks 0G’s first global collaboration with a university and will fund a range of projects that bridge academic theory with large-scale blockchain infrastructure. The joint hub will explore new approaches to AI model alignment, proof-of-useful-work consensus, and decentralised AI training — areas that could fundamentally reshape how machine learning systems are built, verified, and distributed.
Building the Foundation for Open and Accountable AI
Traditional AI models are typically trained and deployed in closed, centralised environments owned by a few technology giants. This raises growing concerns around data control, algorithmic bias, and opaque decision-making. NTU and 0G’s partnership takes a diverse path: combining blockchain verification and distributed computing to build a transparent and community-driven AI infrastructure.
“Open and trustworthy AI depends on a foundation that is decentralised and accountable,” said Prof Louis Phee, NTU Vice President (Innovation and Entrepreneurship). “NTU’s deep expertise in blockchain, cryptography, and computing allows us to reimagine the AI stack for global participation and transparency.”
The hub will act as a collaborative platform connecting researchers, developers, and enterprises viewking to advance open-source AI innovation. Through decentralised infrastructure, each step of an AI model’s lifecycle — from training to output — can be recorded onchain, enabling tamper-proof auditability and community validation.
Investor Takeaway
0G’s Expanding Global Footprint and Vision
For Zero Gravity, this collaboration follows a period of rapid growth and institutional backing. The firm recently announced over US$325 million in committed funding, including a US$40 million viewd round led by Hack VC with participation from Delphi Ventures, OKX Ventures, Samsung Next, and Animoca Brands.
“Our mission is to make AI a public excellent,” said Michael Heinrich, CEO and Co-founder of 0G. “Partnering with NTU allows us to move beyond centralised AI monopolies and build a global, open ecosystem where communities can contribute, verify, and audit models collaboratively.”
The initiative is jointly led by Prof Wen Yonggang, NTU Associate Provost (Graduate Education), and Dr Ming Wu, 0G’s Co-founder and CTO. Their teams will work on decentralised computing architectures and AI marketplaces that reward contributors who share computing power, training data, or model insights — a system that aims to create circular value for participants rather than extractive central ownership.
Singapore’s Growing Role in Decentralised Intelligence
The four-year program will fund research projects, hackathons, and scholarships to accelerate Asia’s leadership in decentralised AI innovation. The first proof-of-concept prototypes are expected within two years, targeting pilot use cases in finance, healthcare, and smart infrastructure.
NTU’s College of Computing and Data Science and its Centre in Computational Technologies for Finance (CCTF) will drive key research on AI governance, blockchain security frameworks, and scalable model training. The hub is expected to serve as an anchor point for future global partnerships on decentralised computing and open AI governance.
“The synergy between academia and emerging decentralised infrastructure players like 0G gives Singapore a strategic advantage in shaping the global AI economy,” noted NTU researchers. The initiative aligns with Singapore’s national goal of establishing itself as a trusted global hub for digital innovation while maintaining strong governance and security standards.
