OpenLedger Partners with UC Berkeley Blockchain Group to Let Students Build Decentralized AI Models

The AI blockchain OpenLedger has partnered with the Blockchain Group of UC Berkeley to accelerate the development of decentralized AI infra.

Published by

Jannett Hernández

June 13, 2025

Partnership OpenLedger Partners with UC Berkeley Blockchain Group to Let Students Build Decentralized AI Models

OpenLedger:- The next generation of blockchain technology depends on fresh, young minds to drive it forward. Many Web3 brands are now focusing on university students—educating them and ensuring they can contribute to the future of crypto.

Just in June 2025, two of the biggest Web3 names announced major education initiatives:

Ripple partnered with Pakistan’s Ministry of IT to launch campus‑wide blockchain workshops.
Binance unveiled a $200 million APAC education incentive, funding university programs and student research across the region.

Building on this momentum, AI‑blockchain platform OpenLedger has teamed up with UC Berkeley’s “Blockchain at Berkeley” group. As an on‑chain data layer for AI, OpenLedger will enable students to build and train domain‑specific AI models – and offer a decentralized alternative to OpenAI and Google’s centralized infrastructure.

Also Read: Ripple Invests $5 Min APAC

OpenLedger Partners with UC Berkley’s Student-led Blockchain Group

OpenLedger utilizes an EVM-compatible layer 2 blockchain to keep up the smart contracts. With its new economic model of “Payable AI”, OpenLedger aims to ensure fair compensation for data creators and the Students who would be participating in building the AI Models. It

As per the press release shared with BrandTalk, OpenLedger will be offering grants for standout model development and valuable data contributions. This is aimed at encouraging students and researchers to build innovative AI models using the OpenLedger infrastructure. The kind of decentralized AI models that would be developed under the partnership include areas such as healthcare, smart cities and DeFi.

Interestingly, the news also aligns with its announcement of a $250 million On-chain incubator program. The targeted funds aim to support developers and researchers in building on OpenLedger.

OpenLedger is putting $25M worth of $OPEN behind builders through OpenCircle, an on-chain incubator for open, permissioned AI.

If you’re a developer, researcher, or data contributor tired of black-box AI, this is your path forward.

OpenCircle supports early builders on…

— Openledger Foundation (@OpenledgerFdn) June 12, 2025

Young Adults Lead the Crypto Adoption

The million-dollar bets by web3 brands such as OpenLedger on integrating yound minds into Blockchain revolution does entails a reasonable implication. Younger adults are indeed the dominant demographic in crypto adoption worldwide.

In 2024, 34 % of all cryptocurrency owners fell into the 24–35 age bracket. This is more than any other group, making them the single largest cohort of holders globally. A more recent 2025 industry overview notes that 68 % of all crypto investors are aged between 18 and 34.

In particular, Gen Z is especially engaged. Globally, Gemini data shows that 51 % of Gen Z adults (ages 18–29) report current or past crypto ownership—compared to just 35 % among the general population.

Infact, in many markets such as UK, US, Singapore, France, their ownership rates exceed 50 %.

Gemini Survey Finds More Than Half of Gen Z Owns Crypto — Source: Gemini

Together, these data show that not only are young adults more likely than older generations to adopt crypto, thus explains the ongoing collabs between crypto brands such as OpenLedger and educational institutions.

Also Read: Binance Enters Syria

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Experienced Web3 media professional who is always looking at the price tickers and seeking fresh stories for CoinGape's BrandTalk Section. Further, overseeing the regular and trending news production cycle with focus on bringing market insights to CoinGape's huge base of Web3 readers. Besides Crypto, passionate about reading stories of successful and emerging brands in tech and AI Space.