AIOZ Stream launches as creator-first alternative to centralized streaming giants

AIOZ Network unveiled AIOZ Stream on September 15, 2025—a decentralized peer-to-peer streaming protocol that promises to disrupt the $670+ billion video streaming industry by putting creators back in control of their content and revenue. Built on a global network of over 200,000 edge nodes, the platform delivers video content through blockchain-verified transactions while offering transparent, token-native monetization that stands in stark contrast to the opaque revenue-sharing mechanics of YouTube and other Web2 platforms. The launch represents a significant milestone for decentralized infrastructure, combining high-performance content delivery with creator ownership and verifiable on-chain payouts that could reshape how the internet handles streaming media.

The streaming protocol arrives at a critical moment when distribution costs are climbing and creators increasingly question whether centralized platforms serve their interests. AIOZ Stream addresses these pain points through its Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN), which leverages spare computing resources from individuals worldwide to create a resilient, censorship-resistant alternative to traditional Content Delivery Networks. According to founder and CEO Erman Tjiputra, “AIOZ Stream is about creating alignment end-to-end. It enables creators to maintain ownership of their work, allows viewers to support and participate in value creation, providing developers an open media foundation to build on, and ensures the DePIN community is rewarded for delivering storage, bandwidth and compute.”

The company behind the technology: from AI research to blockchain infrastructure

AIOZ Network traces its origins to 2013, when founder Erman Tjiputra began collaborating with a core team researching emerging technologies in artificial intelligence, peer-to-peer networking, and distributed computing. The official company formation came in 2017, following the emergence of blockchain technology and smart contracts that made decentralized infrastructure economically viable. Tjiputra, an Indonesian-born entrepreneur who studied finance at Boston College, brought unusual credentials to blockchain—his background spans AI computing, deep learning, computer vision, and medical imaging, with early participation in SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) that introduced him to decentralized computational contributions.

Based in Singapore, AIOZ Network has grown to nearly 50 team members including over 40 developers, blockchain engineers, AI scientists, and project managers. The technical leadership includes Chief Technology Officer Trieu Nguyen, who laid the blockchain architecture foundation and worked on Bitcoin payment systems as early as 2013, and Head of AI Quang Tran, who leads the company’s artificial intelligence research initiatives. This research pedigree distinguishes AIOZ from many blockchain projects—the team has published papers accepted at prestigious AI conferences including CVPR 2021, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, and MICCAI 2021, covering topics from autonomous navigation to medical visual question answering.

The company positions itself as comprehensive infrastructure for Web3, describing its mission as providing “a complete infrastructure solution for web3 storage, decentralized AI computation, live streaming and video on demand, powered by people.” Tjiputra has articulated an ambitious long-term vision: “to establish itself as the premier infrastructure for dApps… We’re building a comprehensive set of features and capabilities and aiming to provide everything necessary for dApps to run and host their content seamlessly. We’re currently being referred to as the ‘AWS of Blockchain.’” This positioning reflects AIOZ’s strategy of building not just streaming infrastructure but an entire ecosystem encompassing storage, AI computation, and blockchain services.

AIOZ Network launched its blockchain mainnet in December 2021 after raising $1.35 million through an Initial Decentralized Offering (IDO) on April 2, 2021 via BSCPad and Ignition platforms. Since then, the network has achieved significant milestones including listing on major exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, and becoming the first DePIN company featured in NVIDIA’s Accelerated Applications Catalog. Strategic partnerships with NVIDIA (ongoing since 2019), Alibaba Cloud (announced March 2024), and collaborations with institutions like Imperial College London validate the technical approach and provide access to enterprise markets.

What AIOZ Stream delivers: comprehensive streaming with blockchain economics

AIOZ Stream launched on September 15, 2025 as a decentralized streaming protocol that fundamentally rethinks how video content moves across the internet and how value flows to participants. The platform officially describes itself as “a foundational infrastructure for decentralized video streaming on the internet” that provides “the necessary tools, technologies, and support for businesses to deliver high-quality video content to their audiences globally.” Unlike traditional streaming platforms where a single company controls infrastructure and economics, AIOZ Stream distributes these functions across its DePIN network while recording all transactions on-chain for transparency.

The Version 1 launch includes robust capabilities for professional deployment. Video-on-Demand (VOD) supports both short-form and long-form content with built-in transcoding that automatically converts uploaded videos into multiple resolutions for adaptive bitrate streaming. The system is OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) ready, enabling creators to integrate existing live streaming workflows, though full live streaming features are planned for future releases. Developers receive comprehensive tools including SDKs, webhook events for real-time notifications, and a configurable player that supports extensive UI/UX customization. The platform achieves wide device compatibility across desktop browsers, mobile devices, smart TVs, and streaming media players through support for industry-standard protocols including HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) and MPEG-DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP).

What distinguishes AIOZ Stream from competitors is its token-native economics that weave cryptocurrency into every aspect of monetization. Creators can implement SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) for recurring revenue, TVOD (Transactional Video on Demand) for pay-per-view content, and AVOD (Advertising Video on Demand) where real-time auctions use reinforcement-learning algorithms to optimize yield per impression. The tip system directs 100% of viewer contributions to creators through a dedicated Tip Router, while an optional Watch-to-Earn feature allows viewers to receive AIOZ tokens for engagement with advertisements. A sophisticated Payment Router automatically allocates subscription revenue to a Developer Pool and splits advertising revenue between developers and the Watch-to-Earn Pool.

The official launch announcement emphasized the platform’s alignment philosophy: “AIOZ Stream introduces token-native economics in which creators, viewers, developers, and the AIOZ DePIN community participate as stakeholders. Ownership remains with creators; rewards are verifiable on-chain; and contributions from DePIN operators directly strengthen the network’s reach and resilience. The result is a transparent, community-governed media economy that delivers high-quality, low-latency streaming with fair, accountable monetization.” This represents a direct challenge to YouTube’s model, where the platform captured the vast majority of advertising revenue while maintaining opaque distribution mechanisms that leave creators with minimal value and no ownership rights.

The roadmap extends beyond current capabilities to include audio-on-demand for podcasting, enhanced low-latency live streaming, AI-generated subtitles and descriptions, custom domains for branded experiences, static web hosting, image optimization, and dedicated gateways for high-speed content access. Edge-AI services planned for the platform will leverage the distributed compute network to provide speech-to-text, text-to-speech, automated tagging, and intelligent search—all processed on AIOZ DePIN nodes rather than centralized servers.

Technical architecture: blockchain meets distributed edge computing

AIOZ Stream runs on sophisticated technical infrastructure that combines blockchain consensus, decentralized storage, and edge computing to deliver streaming media without relying on traditional centralized servers. At the foundation sits a Layer-1 blockchain that merges Cosmos SDK robustness with Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility, creating a hybrid architecture that achieves up to 1,400 transactions per second with instant finality. The consensus mechanism, delegated Byzantine Fault Tolerance (dBFT) built on Tendermint Core, uses 21-50 validators (expandable through governance) who participate in a two-stage voting process that can tolerate up to one-third of nodes acting maliciously or failing.

The blockchain’s multichain structure facilitates cross-ecosystem integration through two key technologies. Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol enables fluid asset and data transfer across Cosmos-based chains, while Gravity Bridge connects to Ethereum mainnet and Binance Smart Chain for cross-chain asset bridging. Developers can write smart contracts in both Solidity (for Ethereum compatibility) and WebAssembly (for Cosmos-based development), with support for standard token formats including AIOZRC-20 (fungible tokens), AIOZRC-721 (NFTs), and AIOZRC-1155 (multi-token standard). This interoperability means developers can deploy on AIOZ Network while maintaining connections to the broader Web3 ecosystem.

The DePIN infrastructure that actually delivers streaming content consists of four node types working in concert. Edge Nodes, numbering over 200,000 globally, contribute spare CPU/GPU cycles, storage capacity, and bandwidth from individual computers. These nodes perform transcoding, store content segments, and deliver streams to viewers—earning AIOZ tokens based on contribution. HUB Nodes (also called Satellite Nodes) coordinate the Edge Nodes, managing proof mechanisms for transcoding, storage, and delivery verification while storing technical indexes that enable content discovery. Validator Nodes participate in blockchain consensus, requiring significant token stakes and producing blocks through the dBFT algorithm. Witness Nodes replicate blockchain state without participating in consensus, spreading chain data across the network for redundancy.

Content flows through this architecture via a multi-stage process designed for resilience and performance. When creators upload video, the system ingests the original file and distributes it to Edge Nodes for transcoding into multiple resolutions (480p, 720p, 1080p, 4K) suitable for adaptive bitrate streaming. The transcoded content undergoes data sharding, breaking files into segments that distribute across multiple nodes with redundancy to ensure availability even if individual nodes fail. An Archive Structure using ZIP format without compression reduces workload by organizing segments efficiently—critical for handling the thousands of small chunks a single video generates. When viewers request content, the system uses intelligent routing to deliver segments from the nearest available Edge Node, reducing latency through geographic proximity while using peer-to-peer protocols to offload bandwidth from any single source.

Multiple proof mechanisms ensure honest behavior throughout this decentralized system. Proof of Transcoding (PoT) randomly selects frames from original and transcoded videos, computing Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) scores that verify accurate conversion. Proof of Storage (PoS) uses Merkle root tree principles to verify data integrity—HUB Nodes challenge Edge Nodes to provide random hashes from stored content, comparing a 544-byte hash instead of entire multi-megabyte files. Proof of Delivery (PoD) employs ECDH (Elliptic-curve Diffie-Hellman) secure sessions and digital signatures to confirm Edge Nodes successfully delivered content to genuine viewers, preventing fake viewer creation that could defraud the payment system. These cryptographic proof mechanisms enable trustless operation where participants earn rewards based on verifiable contributions rather than reputation or trust.

The blockchain’s tokenomics underwent significant evolution with the implementation of Tokenomics 2.0 in March 2023. The AIOZ token serves multiple functions: staking for network security, payment for Edge Node contributions, transaction fees (gas), governance voting, and payment for storage, streaming, and AI services. With a capped supply of 1.2 billion tokens and roughly 1.2 billion currently circulating, the economic model implements programmatic inflation that started at 9% annually and decreases by 1% per year until reaching a target 5% by 2026. Deflationary mechanisms including usage-based burns help balance the inflation, with 50% of newly minted tokens distributed to validators and delegators while 50% goes to a treasury that funds ecosystem development.

How streaming actually works: from upload to playback

The technical mechanics of AIOZ Stream reveal how decentralized infrastructure can match or exceed centralized performance. When a creator uploads content to the platform, the ingestion process begins by accepting the original video file and distributing copies to multiple Edge Nodes. The platform’s built-in transcoding service—running on distributed DePIN nodes rather than centralized servers—converts the video into multiple formats and resolutions necessary for adaptive bitrate streaming. This transcoding happens in parallel across numerous Edge Nodes, each processing different segments or resolutions simultaneously to accelerate the overall conversion time.

Once transcoding completes, the system breaks the resulting video files into smaller segments and applies data sharding across the network. Rather than storing a complete video on a single server, AIOZ distributes segments to many Edge Nodes with built-in redundancy that ensures content remains available even if some nodes go offline. HUB Nodes maintain technical indexes that track which Edge Nodes hold which segments, creating a distributed catalog that enables rapid content discovery. These indexes use TOP HASH identifiers—unique cryptographic signatures for each video segment—that allow verification of data integrity and prevent tampering.

When viewers request content, the platform’s smart routing algorithms identify the closest available Edge Nodes holding the required segments. This geographic proximity reduces latency compared to routing requests to distant data centers. The delivery uses peer-to-peer protocols where viewers might receive different segments from different Edge Nodes simultaneously, aggregating bandwidth from multiple sources. The configurable player automatically adjusts quality based on network conditions through adaptive bitrate streaming—if bandwidth drops, the player requests lower-resolution segments; when bandwidth improves, it seamlessly switches to higher quality.

All playback integrity is verifiable on-chain through the Proof of Delivery mechanism. When an Edge Node delivers content to a viewer, it generates cryptographic proof of the transaction that gets recorded on the AIOZ blockchain. This creates an immutable record of every view, which the payment system uses to calculate rewards for Edge Node operators and, when Watch-to-Earn is enabled, credits for viewers. The AIOZ Ads Platform leverages this verified data to run real-time auctions for advertising inventory, using multi-armed bandit reinforcement learning algorithms to optimize which ads generate maximum yield per impression.

Target applications from gaming to enterprise video

AIOZ Stream addresses diverse use cases spanning consumer entertainment, enterprise communications, and Web3-native applications. The platform’s official documentation identifies eight primary target segments: video streaming platforms seeking alternatives to expensive traditional CDNs, media and entertainment companies including broadcasters and production studios, e-learning platforms requiring reliable educational video delivery, webinar and virtual event platforms needing live streaming capabilities, OTT (over-the-top) service providers building subscription platforms, gaming and esports platforms streaming gameplay and tournaments, enterprise video solutions for internal communications and training, and telecommunications providers enhancing their video offerings.

The gaming sector represents particularly strong early traction. Nakamoto Games, a Web3 gaming hub with over 200,000 registered users and 200+ games, integrated AIOZ W3S (Web3 Storage) and W3IPFS in March 2024 for storing and delivering game assets. The integration achieved considerable cost savings compared to centralized storage while providing faster loading times, enhanced security for NFT storage, and improved data protection. For gaming applications, the low-latency delivery enabled by edge nodes positioned close to players proves critical—millisecond differences can impact competitive gaming experiences. The ability to store in-game assets, NFT metadata, and gameplay recordings on immutable, distributed infrastructure aligns with Web3 gaming’s ownership philosophy.

NFT marketplace platforms including OpenSea, Rarible, SuperRare, and Foundation represent another natural fit. These platforms require reliable storage for digital asset metadata and media files that must remain accessible indefinitely since NFT ownership records exist permanently on blockchain. AIOZ Pin, the platform’s IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) pinning service, provides content-addressable storage where files receive cryptographic identifiers rather than location-based URLs. This ensures that an NFT’s associated media file can always be retrieved using its hash, even if the original uploader disappears—solving a critical weakness in NFT infrastructure where media stored on traditional servers can vanish.

Enterprise applications extend to sectors like healthcare, where compliant medical data storage meets regulatory requirements while benefiting from distributed architecture’s resilience. E-commerce platforms use the infrastructure for product media hosting, delivering high-resolution images and product videos with the performance customers expect. Educational institutions leverage the platform for online learning, research data storage, and academic video distribution. The metaverse and virtual reality applications developing on chains like Decentralized Mixed Reality (DeMR) and Bullieverse rely on AIOZ infrastructure to store and stream the massive media assets required for immersive experiences.

The platform’s wallet-optional onboarding removes a significant barrier for mainstream adoption. While blockchain purists might require cryptocurrency wallets and token holdings, AIOZ Stream allows developers to create experiences where viewers interact with content without understanding the underlying Web3 infrastructure. Creators receive transparent on-chain payments while viewers enjoy familiar streaming interfaces. This architecture acknowledges that successful decentralized applications must match Web2 user experience expectations while delivering Web3’s ownership and transparency benefits behind the scenes.

Sources

Primary Sources:

Official Documentation: