TAO Network Co-Founder Calls on Builders to Resist Exploitative Investor Contracts

Const, co-founder of TAO Network, issued a public message to developers this week, urging them to avoid “deceptive” contracts with venture capital firms and investors, offering direct support to those looking to launch independent projects on the protocol.

The call comes amid an ongoing dialogue on the balance between funding and development autonomy, especially critical for decentralized AI ecosystems like Bittensor.

In a community-wide announcement, Const emphasized that Bittensor was built to give developers agency and freedom in an open network. He invited builders who feel trapped under unfavorable agreements to reach out for help, including access to legal funding or grants in TAO, Bittensor’s native token, to start new subnets and projects.

“I built Bittensor so that people can have agency and freedom in an open network. I want to work with all of you to make sure this vision succeeds,” Const wrote.

The move underscores a broader tension in the crypto and AI space, where early-stage teams often struggle with restrictive investor contracts that can dilute autonomy and long-term sustainability. By offering direct support, Bittensor is signaling a commitment to keeping development aligned with its decentralized ethos, rather than concentrating it in the hands of a few well-capitalized backers.

TAO Network has recently gained traction as a decentralized marketplace for intelligence, where independent subnet developers compete and collaborate to train AI models on-chain. Const’s outreach reflects an effort to ensure that the growth of the ecosystem remains accessible to grassroots builders — not just institutional players.

Aligning with TAO Network Decentralized Vision

The Bittensor network thrives on distributed innovation, where subnets contribute diverse functionality—from AI inference and compute power to novel use cases like genomics or PoW integration. Maintaining developer freedom is vital to preserving this creative, decentralized spirit. Const’s call serves as a proactive reminder that external funding must not come at the cost of internal values.