Polaris Network is being listed among the subnets facing potential deregistration on the Bittensor network.
In response, the team has released a thoughtful update, acknowledging the community’s support and outlining how they plan to move forward.
In their words, the feedback from the ecosystem has been both kind and constructive. Many have recognized the value Polaris brings to the network, and the team made it clear they are listening, learning, and adjusting.
This is not the story of a project giving up. It is the story of one learning how to evolve.
How It All Began
Polaris was founded about six months ago with a clear vision: to make participation in artificial intelligence more accessible.
Most of the team comes from Africa, where many talented builders face a simple barrier, lack of access to compute. Before launching, Polaris tested this assumption by offering a 24-hour free compute service. The results confirmed what they already suspected.
More than 60 percent of available resources were used. People were eager to build. They just needed the right tools.
Polaris decided to take a practical approach. Instead of relying on grants, they aimed to empower individuals through affordable compute, inference APIs, and tools designed to help them grow sustainably within the AI ecosystem.
What Made Polaris Stand Out
From the beginning, two key ideas helped define the Polaris identity:
1. Accessible Pricing
The team built a transparent subscription model for GPU access, with Researcher, Researcher Pro, and Student plans. The goal was to make costs predictable and fair.
2. Simplified Mining Experience
The entire mining process was redesigned to be web-based. Anyone could log in, add their Bittensor details, and start earning. It lowered the barrier for people who wanted to connect their compute to the network but lacked the technical background to do so.
These innovations helped Polaris establish itself as one of the most user-friendly projects on the network.
Challenges Along the Way
Despite strong fundamentals and community presence, the team began to face market realities. The Bittensor compute marketplace is highly competitive, and many similar products were already live.
While Polaris had built something meaningful, the path to long-term growth within this crowded space was becoming more difficult.
The lesson was clear. To survive and thrive, the team needed to focus on what they did best: connecting people and compute efficiently.
A Strategic Pivot
Rather than winding down, Polaris has chosen to pivot. The project is shifting from Polaris Cloud Services to the Polaris Mining Network.
This new direction focuses on building high-performing Unique Identifiers (UIDs) across multiple subnets by pooling distributed compute from participants worldwide.
The miners in this network are not large data centers. They are individuals, students, and engineers who contribute their machines because they believe in what Polaris stands for — accessibility, fairness, and community.
Together, they form a truly distributed and human-centered compute layer that is both resilient and efficient.
Recent Progress and Proof of Concept
The team has already begun testing this pivot. Miners were given the option to opt in or out of specific subnets. The results showed that the system could dynamically allocate compute, monitor performance, and manage everything from a unified backend.
This confirmed that a human-powered, distributed mining model can work as effectively as centralized systems, while remaining far more inclusive.
Next Steps for the Polaris Mining Network
Polaris has outlined a clear roadmap for its next phase of growth:
1. Refining Compute Requirements
Machines will be aligned with specific subnet needs, focusing mainly on GPUs and selected CPU types optimized for mining. This ensures higher efficiency and consistent performance.
2. Reaching Full Utilization
The team aims to fully utilize every connected machine. Early projections suggest a fivefold increase in computational output, potentially growing to tenfold as automation is introduced.
3. Scaling the Buyback Program
Mining proceeds will be directed toward:
a. Buying back Subnet 49 tokens ($ALPHA) to stabilize the token economy.
b. Paying the team, which operates efficiently with minimal overhead.
c. Accumulating $ALPHA in specific subnets to gradually transition from mining to validating, a move that provides steadier and more predictable returns.
What This Means for the Future
This pivot is not a retreat from the original mission. It is a refinement of it.
By focusing on mining first, Polaris is securing stability and creating a reliable source of revenue. The Bittensor network itself becomes the customer, creating a sustainable cycle where every unit of compute is put to productive use.
As automation improves, the network will mine more intelligently, reinvesting resources back into innovation.
A Shared Vision
Polaris still stands for accessible AI. The team continues to focus on inclusion, especially for builders and creators in underrepresented regions.
They want to make sure that talent is not limited by geography or access to hardware. Every person, they believe, should have the chance to contribute to and benefit from the AI revolution.
In their closing note, the team said it best:
“We want everyone, especially the GPU-poor, the forgotten, the underrated who quietly build, to participate in the AI revolution. We want you to reach for the stars. We want you to touch it.”
Listed “at risk” of deregistration may have marked a difficult moment for Polaris, but it also seems to have sparked a renewal of purpose.
Rather than fade away, the project is finding a new orbit; one powered by its community, strengthened by its lessons, and guided by a mission that still matters.
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