Projects We Back
At synapz, we don't chase hype—we align with protocols and pioneers pushing the edges of decentralization, intelligence, and human potential. Our involvement is rooted in purpose, not profit: we support systems that empower individuals, decentralize control, and unlock new forms of collective coordination across code, data, biology, and machines.
Here's a transparent look at the initiatives we are involved in, invested in, or actively supporting as of June 2025.
🔍 Transparency Disclosure
Derek Barnes (synapz founder) is a member of the Templar team (SN3 on Bittensor). This represents a direct involvement beyond investment or support. We believe in full transparency about our relationships and commitments. Any opinions expressed on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
Bittensor: Decentralized AI on the Blockchain
Open networks for open intelligence.
We are long-term believers in Bittensor, a decentralized protocol where machine learning models compete and collaborate on-chain. Our focus lies in the subnet layer, where real innovation happens. Each subnet represents a specialized domain of intelligence, hosted by independent teams.
🔹 Subnets We Support:
| Subnet(s) | Operator | Focus | Our Involvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Templar | Incentivized collaborative training of LLMs using permissionless compute | Team Member |
| 50 | Synth | Probabilistic forecasting and volatility modeling using Monte Carlo simulations | Supporter |
| 64, 19, 56 | Rayon Labs | Comprehensive decentralized AI infrastructure: serverless inference, training, and multimodal reasoning | Supporter |
| 1, 9, 13, 25, 37 | Macrocosmos | Distributed machine learning infrastructure | Supporter |
| 68 | NOVA Labs | AI for pharmaceutical drug discovery | Supporter |
| 76 | Safe Scan | Decentralized cancer detection and AI safety tools | Supporter |
We are particularly excited about:
Rayon Labs, who operate three complementary subnets—Chutes (64) for serverless model inference and hosting, Gradients (56) for decentralized fine-tuning and training, and Nineteen (19) for image generation and multimodal reasoning. Together, these form a full-stack decentralized AI platform. Chutes alone processes over 90 billion tokens daily and has become Bittensor's first $100M+ subnet, underscoring the scale and adoption of this infrastructure.
Templar—a live proof-of-concept for decentralized pretraining of large language models using wide-internet pseudo-gradient aggregation, robust incentive design, and rigorous fault tolerance mechanisms. It may represent a glimpse into a new open model economy. As a member of the Templar team, I'm directly involved in advancing this vision of decentralized AI training.
Additional Resources
- Squad (Rayon Labs' Agent Builder)
- Templar Whitepaper
Polkadot: The Multichain Protocol of the Future
Cypherpunk roots. Scalable coordination.
Polkadot continues to stand out as one of the most principled and forward-thinking ecosystems in Web3. Built on Wasm-based runtime environments and a modular, forkless upgrade system, its architecture is designed for truly sovereign blockchains to interoperate seamlessly.
We're especially excited about Polkadot's next evolution: the Join-Accumulate Machine (JAM)—a cutting-edge, scalable, and decentralized compute fabric that brings Ethereum-like smart contract functionality and Rollup-style scalability directly into the Polkadot ecosystem. JAM not only preserves Polkadot's core principles of security and decentralization but extends its potential to support a universal, multi-runtime network.
Polkadot Parachain Projects We Support:
- Powering the Machine Economy and enabling DePIN infrastructure for autonomous machines and dApps.
- Frequency: A Polkadot parachain enabling decentralized social media, backed by Project Liberty and the DSNP protocol.
- We stand behind initiatives like the People's Bid to reclaim TikTok and decentralize the social graph.
- Ex Machina DAOs (DEUS): We are Genesis OG holders of the DEUS token—supporting on-chain coordination for humanoid robotics and physical AI applications.
JAM reaffirms our belief that Polkadot isn't just a protocol—it's a meta-platform for sovereign innovation.
BIO Protocols & Decentralized Science
Science liberated from silos.
We actively support the rise of DeSci (Decentralized Science)—a movement reimagining how research is funded, verified, and shared. These DAOs and protocols are unlocking public-good biotech, regenerative medicine, and mycology science.
BioDAOs We Support:
| Project | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| Longevity research, Matrix Bio, and the Longevity Prize | |
| Psychedelic science and mental health governance | |
| Fungal science, sustainability, and LAB-IN-A-BOX innovation | |
| ReflexDAO | Health data systems and research funding innovation |
These DAOs represent a return to science as a commons, where peer-review and access are decentralized.
🤖 AI-Native Economies & Autonomous Agents
Agents are the new apps.
As AI-native protocols emerge, we're laying groundwork to develop, fund, and coordinate autonomous agents that are free, composable, and governed by users—not by centralized APIs.
Our Alignment:
- Wayfinder.ai: A framework for creating and deploying autonomous agents across chains.
- We cache and stake PRIME long-term to support agent development.
- We intend to be active holders of PROMPT, the utility and governance token for programmable AI behavior.
- Note: We've experimented with the platform and find it has some growing pains—clunky interface and slow performance, but we continue to monitor its development.
- Squad: A composable agent builder from Rayon Labs, enabling seamless integration with Bittensor's subnet infrastructure.
- We are early adopters and supporters of Squad's agent development platform.
- Squad represents a key bridge between Bittensor's decentralized intelligence and practical agent deployment.
- Note: We haven't been hugely successful in implementing useful, functioning agents yet, but continue to explore the platform.
- AGNO: Currently researching this AI agent platform for its potential in autonomous task execution and decision-making.
- CreatorBid: Exploring this platform for AI agent development and deployment capabilities.
- Tibbir: We have taken a small, speculative position in Tibbir on Virtuals, exploring AI agent coordination and autonomous task execution. Read our analysis.
We'd love to dedicate more time to AI Agent development soon! Stay tuned for updates as we continue experimenting with these platforms and discover new ones.
We see these platforms not as financial assets, but as tools for coordinating machine labor and agency in the open web.
Final Word
We disclose our involvements not to boast, but to invite collaboration, demonstrate transparency, and show where our values lie. These projects reflect our belief that decentralized coordination, AI, and biotech will be the core pillars of a post-platform world—one where code, consciousness, and value can flow freely.
At Synapz, we back builders—not buzzwords.