How Swarm Plans To Make Money

We read Swarm’s Substack article on how their subnet plans to generate revenue — and a few things really stood out.

First, their subnet isn’t just running drone simulations for fun. It’s been a live testing ground for developing autonomous models capable of piloting a real quadrotor drone — equipped with LiDAR and precise sensors. By proving their models can actually control a physical device, Swarm is validating both its subnet design and the broader Bittensor incentive system.

What’s more interesting is how this setup translates into a real business model. Swarm can adapt its competition rules — drone configuration, simulation environment, and evaluation metrics — to match a client’s needs. That means companies can effectively commission AI models through the subnet.

In practice, they’ll be able to design flight brains for drones that:

• Have different builds or rotor counts
• Perform specialized tasks like carrying payloads
• Use extra sensors for mapping or detection
• Navigate unique terrains or environments

All of this will be packaged into three revenue streams:

1. Technical consulting and project design — helping clients define specs and goals.
2. Custom-trained model delivery or licensing — building AI models through the subnet’s miner competition.
3. Maintenance subscriptions — ongoing support and updates for deployed models.

Swarm also notes that its decentralized model-training network means lower operating costs than traditional R&D — miners compete 24/7 to improve models, so development never stops.

Importantly, Swarm isn’t chasing profit right away. Their focus for now is real-world validation: collaborating with drone companies, refining simulations, and proving that decentralized AI competitions can produce commercial-grade products.

If they pull this off, Swarm could become one of the first subnets to bridge the gap between on-chain incentives and off-chain industry value.