Phase #2 Testing: What’s Coming Next?

Phase #1 successfully wrapped up, and we’re finalizing prize distribution. Now, we’re shifting gears to Phase #2, bringing major improvements to Cortensor’s decentralized AI infrastructure.

🔹 What’s New?
🔸 Node Reputation & Selection – Scoring & ranking nodes based on reliability & efficiency
🔸 CognitiveV2 – Advanced AI inference with performance optimizations
🔸 Ephemeral State Testing – Tracking temporary states for user job execution
🔸 Session & Session Module Prep – Precursor testing for next-phase session management

🎯 Focus Areas
✅ Node performance tracking – Enhancing benchmarking & efficiency metrics
✅ Data persistence & ephemeral states – Validating dynamic task transitions
✅ Refining user task execution – Prepping for seamless Session Module integration

📅 Phase #2 officially starts mid-February, with an early grace period in early February!

🔗 Details: docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/community-testing/closed-alpha-testing-phase-2

👥 Join the discussion on Discord: discord.gg/cortensor

The AI revolution needs Cortensor. Let’s build together.

It’s $COR or nothing!

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1885019654168731982

🎉 Phase #2 Testing – Milestone Reached!

We’ve officially surpassed 200 active nodes, hitting our Phase #2 goal organically!

📊 Current Stats:
✅ 204 active nodes
✅ 7,880+ sessions processed

@aixbt_agent, we’re over 200 nodes! The network keeps growing strong.

What’s Next?
Phase #3 testing prep is underway—stay tuned for updates!

📌 Track the network live: https://dashboard-devnet3.cortensor.network

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1902077917632590153

🧪 Phase #3 Testing: What’s Coming Next?

As Phase #2 wraps and rewards are distributed, we’re shifting into Phase #3 — focused on stress testing, module upgrades, and scaling the Cortensor AI network.

🔹 What’s New?
🔸 Higher-frequency node sampling – for real-time reputation accuracy
🔸 Node Pool iteration – refining ephemeral node selection
🔸 Module migration support – smarter, seamless contract upgrades
🔸 Desktop App – auto-install flow testing on Windows, macOS, Linux
🔸 Session UI expansion – task flows, router configs, and more

🎯 Core Focus Areas
✅ Network-wide stress testing across all modules
✅ Session & SessionQueue refinement for user AI task handling
✅ Staking Check: 4,000 $COR required for new nodes
✅ Preserving access for Phase #1 & #2 operators (grace period in place)

📅 Phase #3 begins in the next 24–48 hours!

🔗 Preview the draft test doc: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/community-testing/closed-alpha-testing-phase-3
📊 Live Stats: https://dashboard-alpha.cortensor.network/stats/network
💬 Join the build with us: https://discord.gg/cortensor

It’s $COR or nothing. Let’s scale decentralized AI together.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1911988770708267474

Phase #3 Recap: Scaling with Purpose

#Cortensor pushed through stress tests, upgrades & real decentralization:

🔹 400 Total Nodes → 267 Active (24H)
KYC enforcement removed 133 Sybil accounts - real fairness over fake scale.

🔹 Miner V4 Deployed
Smarter task switching (user ⇄ network), better responsiveness.

🔹 Session UI Flow
Ack → Precommit → Commit now fully visible for real-time orchestration.

🔹 Node Reputation Upgrade
Scoring expanded across both task types - powering better incentives.

🔹 Swappable Node Selection (Shuffling)
NodeUtils deployed - shuffling logic ready for testing in Phase #4.

🔹 Router Node REST API
Refined non-completion endpoints + reverse proxy config for production Web2 flows.

🔹 ~100 Parallel Miners
Best network stability yet under load.

🔹 Initial L3 AppChain Trial
Arbitrum Orbit + external sync validated. YAML config now public for L3 RPC setup.

📈 Check Your Stats on DevNet4:
Network: https://dashboard-devnet4.cortensor.network/stats/network
Heatmap: https://dashboard-devnet4.cortensor.network/stats/heatmap
Node Rank: https://dashboard-devnet4.cortensor.network/stats/heatmap/rank/table
Rewards: https://dashboard-devnet4.cortensor.network/stats/heatmap/reward/table
Tasks: https://dashboard-devnet4.cortensor.network/stats/tasks

Phase #4 will polish what Phase #3 proved.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1928988561602392401

🧪 Phase #4 Starts Now

Cortensor's most advanced testing phase is live.
We're entering a 1-week grace period - node ops can still sign up and join through next week.

What's in Phase #4:
🔹 Dynamic Node Shuffling
Randomized precommit selection ensures fairness and fault tolerance - key for trustless execution.

🔹 Full User Task Pipeline Under Load
End-to-end stress testing across:
Node Pool ➝ Session Queue ➝ Task Stats ➝ Session Stats ➝ Reputation.

🔹 Session UI Updates
Improved orchestration view (ack → precommit → commit) + UX refinements based on alpha feedback.

🔹 Router Node API + Reverse Proxy
Production-ready Web2/Web3 integration - including API key auth, SSL proxy, and raw prompt support.

🔹 Multi-Oracle per Network
Starts with 2 oracles per network, scaling to 4 - each rotating leadership every 15 mins for better fault tolerance and reliability.

🔹 L3 Experimentation
L3 remains our main stress testing ground as Arbitrum Sepolia continues to face instability.
We may transition fully to L3 in Phase #5 if conditions persist.

🔹 Mini Hackathon (Internal)
Community members are helping surface missing features and fix bugs across DevNet5/6 - a prep step toward more structured hackathons ahead.

📚 Details: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/community-testing/closed-alpha-testing-phase-4

📊 Stats: https://dashboard-devnet5.cortensor.network/stats/heatmap/rank/table
🔧 Installer: https://github.com/cortensor/installer
💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/cortensor

Let the trustless AI infra stress test begin.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1933770543771365447

Cortensor Q2 Recap – Progress Through Pressure

Q2 was about pushing boundaries - scaling stress tests, resolving real-world bugs, and laying the foundation for a decentralized AI execution layer.

Here’s a high-level recap of what we shipped, improved, and what’s next:

🔹 (1/5) Closed Testing Milestones
Phase #3 and #4 pushed hundreds of nodes and thousands of inference tasks through real-world E2E flows. Each bug revealed a breakpoint we resolved.

🔹 (2/5) Core Reliability Upgrades
We introduced task queuing for Miner and Router nodes, fixed session state bugs, enforced version alignment, and stabilized the full task lifecycle from submission to response.

🔹 (3/5) Community-Led Momentum
183M+ $COR staked (52.48% of circulating), the first internal hackathon launched, contributor tools added to the ecosystem repo, and website v1.5 rolled out with improved onboarding and documentation.

🔹 (4/5) Protocol Design in Motion
PoI & PoUW oracles are being designed for testnet, network task levels will unlock smarter routing, and our session-based payment module PoC is live - laying the groundwork for a sustainable inference economy.

🔹 (5/5) What’s Next
We'll complete two final closed phases (#5 and #6) to polish user-side flows, inference reliability, and economic integrations - setting the stage for testnet and real-world application usage.

📖 Key Docs:
• Ecosystem Flow: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/ecosystem-flow
• Developer Ecosystem: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/developer-ecosystem

🔗 Read Full Thread: https://x.com/cortensor/status/1941304850203173041

🧪 Phase #4 Recap – Trustless AI Infra Under Load

Phase #4 was Cortensor's most advanced testing phase yet - pushing live task routing, payment flows, multi-oracle sync, and node diversity under real conditions.

🔹 Live User Task Pipeline
End-to-end tested: session deposit → credit allocation → task execution → node payout via $COR. First user task payments confirmed on-chain.

🔹 Internal Mini-Hackathon
Five working apps built in two weeks, surfacing critical edge cases and driving UX fixes across the task pipeline.

🔹 User Task Flow Polishing
Internal testing helped refine session states (ack → precommit → commit), ranking logic, and failure handling.

🔹 Dynamic Node Shuffling
Randomized miner selection through precommit rotation improved fault tolerance and load distribution.

🔹 Router Node REST API + Reverse Proxy
Apps tested against production-ready API with full SSL support, key-based auth, raw prompts, and flexible proxy routing.

🔹 Multi-Oracle Coordination
2–4 oracles per network with 15-minute rotation cycles now live for sharded validation and leader election.

🔹 SessionPayment Module
Tested in a loose OracleV3-triggered mode for credit and payout flows. Will evolve toward tighter contract-to-contract logic.

🔹 CognitiveLevel PoC
Deployed on DevNet6. Begins groundwork for SLA, model-aware routing, and node classification by performance.

🔹 NodeVersion Tracking
New module added to track historical node versions for better debugging, filtering, and upgrade management.

🔹 DevNet6 Migration
All major modules moved to DevNet6 for deeper iteration and Phase #5 preparation.

📊 Stats: https://dashboard-devnet5.cortensor.network/stats/heatmap/rank/table

Phase #5 will tighten, automate, and scale toward a resilient testnet.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1944674790775873940

🧪 Phase #5 Starts Now

Cortensor's most advanced testing phase is here - SLA logic, Node Level classification, L3 rollup flows, and Validator scoring now active.

We're entering a 1-week grace period - node ops can still join and test ahead.

What's in Phase #5:
🔹 SLA-Based Node Assignment (v1)
- Session creation now supports SLA tiers (Low / Medium / High)
- NodePool selects based on actual Node Level with new fallback logic
- More testing + algorithm refinement during Phase #5

🔹 Validator v1 + Node Level Runtime
- Validator tracks task success/failure across nodes
- Upgrade/downgrade logic now live after 10+ valid results
- Phase #5 will improve scoring precision and thresholds

🔹 CognitiveLevel – Adaptive Node Categorization
- Miner-side logic active to classify node level by task performance
- Supports smart routing and recursive inference
- Validator-side SLA enforcement under testing

🔹 SessionPayment – Light Payment Flow
- Loosely coupled, event-driven payout tested end-to-end
- COR-based payments run on Sepolia
- Phase #5 to explore tighter integration via contract-to-contract flow

🔹 Dual Testnet Environment
- Testnet-0: Arbitrum Sepolia (full-stack setup: wallet + task pipeline)
- Testnet-1: L3 Rollup (COR as gas) with oracles + miners live
- Stress testing L3 pipeline + dashboard + blockchain module updates

🔹 User Task Mode Flexibility
- Dedicated Node: Now supports multi-model setup (e.g., LLaMA 3.1, DeepSeek-R1)
- Ephemeral Node: Starting support for longer reservation and model switching
- More iteration expected to reach production readiness

🔹 UX + Dashboard Updates
- Session creation flow now includes SLA configuration
- Additional UI updates in progress for node stats, L3 interaction, and clarity

📍 Node Level View: https://devnet6.cortensor.network/node-level
🌉 L3 Bridge: https://cortensor-testnet-1-32ph80a02h-01acc12814e9cea3.testnets.rollbridge.app
🔎 L3 Explorer: https://testnet1.explorer.cortensor.network
📚 Docs: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/community-testing/closed-alpha-testing-phase-5

💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/cortensor

Let the next wave of trustless AI infrastructure testing begin.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1949727772861190301

Welcome to the Official Cortensor Community!

Cortensor is transforming AI inference through our decentralized, community-powered network, making advanced AI tools accessible to everyone.

Important Links:
• Website: https://www.cortensor.network
• Documentation: https://docs.cortensor.network
• X / Twitter: https://x.com/cortensor
• LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/cortensor

🔔 "Tap to verify" button below and join our community group to engage in real-time discussions, get the latest updates, and be part of the movement!

Click below to verify you're human

🧪 Phase #5 Recap – Scaling Toward Testnet Readiness

Phase #5 pushed Cortensor through its most advanced testing so far, focusing on SLA-driven routing, validator scoring, memory-aware orchestration, and ecosystem stress.

🔹 SLA-Based Node Assignment (v1)
- Session creation now supports SLA tiers (Low / Medium / High)
- NodePool selects based on Node Level with fallback logic
- More refinement done during live testing to improve routing fairness

🔹 Validator v1 + Node Level Runtime
- Validator tracked task success/failure across nodes
- Upgrade/downgrade logic applied after 10+ results
- Improved scoring precision and SLA enforcement under load

🔹 CognitiveLevel – Adaptive Node Categorization
- Miner-side logic categorized nodes by runtime performance
- Validator-side SLA enforcement validated routing decisions
- Early foundation for recursive inference and smarter orchestration

🔹 SessionPayment – Tightly Coupled Flow
- Loosely coupled, event-driven payouts validated and stable in Phase #5
- Tightly coupled Session ↔ SessionPayment integration completed
- First end-to-end payments executed directly between modules
- Further testing planned during Phase #6, including delta calculations for charging extra features

🔹 Dual Testnet Setup
- Testnet-0 (Arbitrum Sepolia): full-stack task pipeline validated
- Testnet-1 (L3 COR Rollup): ~100 miners live, L3 stress tests stable

🔹 User Task Mode Flexibility
- Dedicated Nodes: supported multi-model setups (e.g., LLaMA 3.1, DeepSeek-R1)
- Ephemeral Nodes: longer reservations + model switching tested

🔹 NodeSpec Memory Index
- Rolled out across environments, classifying nodes by system/GPU VRAM
- Enables memory-aware task routing by matching sessions to nodes that can actually load the required model
- Will be fully activated in Phase #6 / DevNet7

🔹 Hackathon #1
- Ran in parallel with Phase #5
- Builders delivered live apps: AI assistants, market/sentiment bots, decentralized oracles, Telegram bots, and more
- Entries showcased how Cortensor infra supports real-world decentralized inference

🔹 UX + Dashboard Updates
- Session creation flow updated with SLA configs
- Node stats, L3 interaction, and memory index visibility added

📊 Stats: https://dashboard-devnet6.cortensor.network/stats/heatmap/rank/table

👉 Phase #5 tightened SLA routing, validated memory-aware orchestration, and advanced SessionPayment into tightly coupled mode - all while fostering ecosystem apps via Hackathon #1. With DevNet7 prepped, we now move into Phase #6: the final development phase before Testnet.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1962103740699398493

https://farcaster.xyz/cortensor/0xc41e7970

🧪 Phase #6 Starts Now

The final development phase before Testnet is live.

We're entering a 1-week grace period. Most nodes are already migrated to DevNet7 with a few still finalizing. Once migration completes, stats will reset and tasks will run across the network to confirm stability.

What's in Phase #6:
🔹 Node Level Rewards
- Base rewards introduced by tier (3 levels)
- Linear level bonus on top

🔹 Memory Index & GPU Benchmarks
- General dynamic model loading, switching, reporting & NodePool matching
- Stress testing all supported models (CPU + GPU: incl. LLaMA 3.x, DeepSeek)

🔹 SessionPayment Integration
- Full contract ↔ contract payout flow
- Real-time event trigger validation

🔹 Regression – Refactored Sessions
- Session & SessionQueue data isolation fully live
- Backward compatibility + regression testing

🔹 Oracles & Canary Testing
- Multi-region shards monitored across CA, UT, OH
- Canary rollout on DevNet7 + Testnet-0/1

🔹 Privacy Prototyping
- Early privacy-preserving sessions & queues prototyping
- Full evaluation deferred to Testnet due to limited user data in DevNet

🔹 Validator Expansion Prototyping
- Extending Validator v1 with quantitative (embedding/distance) + qualitative (LLM scoring) checks
- Prototyping PoI & PoUW modules; full rollout during Testnet

🔹 Hackathon #2
- Launches one week after Phase #6 start
- Focused on real-world apps, integrations, and agent tools
- Double rewards pool compared to Hackathon #1
- Draft/WIP: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-2

🔹 Testnet Stress Testing
- Run existing hackathon apps & demos on Testnet-0/1
- Validate user task flows and cross-env stability

📄 Full details: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/community-testing/closed-alpha-testing-phase-6

📍 Network DevNet7 Stats: https://dashboard-devnet7.cortensor.network/stats/network

🌉 L3 Bridge: https://cortensor-testnet-1-32ph80a02h-01acc12814e9cea3.testnets.rollbridge.app

🔎 L3 Explorer: https://testnet1.explorer.cortensor.network

💬 Join the community: https://discord.gg/cortensor

👉 The last dev phase before Testnet – stability, scaling, and trust features all under test.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1967144644623692212

https://farcaster.xyz/cortensor/0x80c92b9f

🧪 Phase #6 Recap – Final Dev Phase Before Testnet

Phase #6 has been one of the most comprehensive milestones yet - the final development phase before the Testnet rollout. With about two weeks remaining, nearly all planned objectives are complete, and the network is operating in one of its most stable states to date.

🔹 Validator Expansion & Stabilization
- Both Validator v2 (PoI) and Validator v3 (PoUW) are fully live and running across DevNet7, Testnet-0, and Testnet-1.
- Node operators are now participating in distributed validation, confirming stability across both GPU and CPU instances.
- Visualizations, heatmaps, and validator leaderboards provide real-time insights into validation performance.

🔹 SessionPayment Integration
- Full contract-to-contract payout and real-time event validation are functional.
- End-to-end payment verification runs continuously across test environments.

🔹 Memory Index & GPU Benchmarks
- Dynamic model loading, switching, and NodePool matching stabilized.
- Network-wide benchmarking for LLaMA 3.x, DeepSeek, and other supported models completed successfully.

🔹 Dashboard & Data Visualization
- Expanded validator stats dashboards and improved real-time visibility for quantitative and qualitative metrics.
- Validator detail views and indexer endpoints provide deeper insights into task validation patterns.

🔹 Hackathon #2 – Active Phase
- Three-Four weeks in, builders continue shipping agentic web apps and decentralized AI tools.
- About two weeks remain until submission close (Nov 2).

🔹 Deferred Items → Testnet Phase
- Privacy-preserving sessions and deep stress testing will continue into the upcoming Testnet phases, when more real-world traffic and user data become available.

Phase #6 has successfully transitioned Cortensor from prototype validation to a multi-network, multi-role system with live validators, payments, and visual analytics.

The final weeks will focus on validation data refinement, final node onboarding, and preparing for the public Testnet launch.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1979669575395672549

https://farcaster.xyz/cortensor/0x0844831e

Welcome to the Official Cortensor Community!

Cortensor is transforming AI inference through our decentralized, community-powered network, making advanced AI tools accessible to everyone.

Important Links:
• Website: https://www.cortensor.network
• Documentation: https://docs.cortensor.network
• X / Twitter: https://x.com/cortensor
• LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/cortensor

🔔 "Tap to verify" button below and join our community group to engage in real-time discussions, get the latest updates, and be part of the movement!

Click below to verify you're human

🧪 Phase #6 Recap – Final Dev Phase Before Testnet (Latest)

Phase #6 wraps as one of Cortensor's most complete milestones - the final dev phase before Testnet. Core modules are functional, network task validation is live, and the agentic roadmap through 2026 is defined.

🔹 Validator Expansion & Stabilization
- v2 (PoI) & v3 (PoUW) live on DevNet7, Testnet-0, Testnet-1; end-to-end network task validation confirmed.
- v2 shows hardware-specific variance - fine-tuning continues during Testnet.

🔹 SessionPayment – Stake-to-Use Prototype
- SessionPaymentStaking + SessionPaymentStakingRateLimit powering Stake-to-Use.
- E2E prototype complete; dashboard shows live rate-limit usage and resets.

🔹 Dashboard & Visualization Enhancements
- Session/Task views: staking mode, rate-limit usage, miner participation.
- Validator views: quantitative + qualitative breakdowns; improved network stats.

🔹 Hackathon #2
- Submissions closed with the Phase #6 snapshot; tools and early agentic prototypes inform Testnet challenges.

🔹 Testnet Preparation
- All modules are up to date with DevNet6 and DevNet7.
- Testnet targets identical behavior and quality to DevNet6/DevNet7.

🔹 Testnet Plans & Docs – 4 Phases
- Mid-Nov ’25 → early/mid-Q2 ’26; ~4–6 weeks/phase on Testnet-0 (Arbitrum Sepolia) & Testnet-1 (COR L3).

🔹 Router → Agentic Surface (x402 + ERC-8004)
- High-level brainstorming/design for Router’s shift to an agentic entry surface; forms the backbone for the 3-phase integration through and after Testnet.

🔹 x402 + ERC-8004 (COR Prover)
- 3-phase path: Phase A COR Prover PoC (validation-only in Testnet Phase 4) → Phase B/C Router Agent (inference + validation post-Testnet).
- Aligns Router v2/v3, Session contracts, and external agents.

🔹 COR/ETH on Base (Uniswap)
- Initial COR/ETH pair launched on Base, bridged from Ethereum issuance via native Base Bridge.

🔹 Conclusion
Phase #6 moves Cortensor from prototype to Testnet-ready architecture - unifying validation, staking, payments, privacy groundwork, and agentic planning. Next: launch the 4-phase Testnet and begin the march to agentic AI infrastructure through 2026.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1984965147337855428

https://farcaster.xyz/cortensor/0xf8e461d4

🧪 Testnet Phase #1 Starts Now

The first of four structured Testnet phases is now live.

We're entering a 1-week grace period: node stats and session data have been reset on Testnet-0 (Arbitrum Sepolia) and Testnet-1 ($COR Rollup L3), and this week serves as onboarding + warm-up before full regression.

🔹 Focus – System Integration & Regression
- Validate all node roles and coordination flows end-to-end across apps, routing, miners, and validators
- Stress-test both Pay-to-Use and Stake-to-Use inference flows under live conditions
- Exercise the new NodePool refactor to generate large user-task & validator datasets for future SLA filters and inference-quality tuning

🔹 Incentivized Testing & Bug Bounty
- Node ops: submit random sessions/tasks daily to simulate real usage
- Manual + load testing throughout Phase #1 will be incentivized
- Bugs and edge cases will qualify for bounty rewards
- Detailed rules and amounts will be announced soon in Discord

🔹 Docs / Plan
- Testnet Phase #1: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/community-testing/testnet-phase/testnet-phase-1
- Testnet Phases: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/community-testing/testnet-phase
- Structured Plan: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/community-testing/testnet-phase-wip-draft/wip-draft-testnet-phases-and-focus-areas-structured-plan

Phase #1 is about breaking and hardening the pipeline so later phases can safely introduce SLA-driven routing, payments, and agentic integrations.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/1989954731058630714

https://farcaster.xyz/cortensor/0x9d6ac074

🧪 Testnet Phase #1 Recap – Integration, Load, and Engine Expansion

Phase #1 was the first structured Testnet week where we focused on one thing: break the pipeline, harden the pipeline, and prove the system scales under real usage across both Testnet-0 (Arbitrum Sepolia) and Testnet-1 (COR #L3).

🔹 Incentivized Manual Testing (E2E + Payments)
- Daily manual testing by community testers across different models and task types
- End-to-end validation: routing → miner execution → validator checks → results
- Exercised both Pay-to-Use (pay per task) and Stake-to-Use (stake-based access / rate-limits)
- General stress-testing across components to surface edge cases early

🔹 Automated Load Testing – 130K+ Tasks Executed
- Automated task jobs ran continuously during Phase #1
- 130,000+ tasks executed, validating stability and throughput under sustained traffic

🔹 Dashboard UI Refinement
- Multiple rounds of UI polish across session/task views
- Improved navigation and usability during high-volume sessions

🔹 #Ollama Engine Support + 65+ Models Live
- Added #Ollama LLM engine support across Testnet-0 and Testnet-1
- 65+ models are now supported (Q1 target: 100+)
- Current limitation is disk footprint: nodes need many models stored to serve on request
- Next up: network-driven model auto-assignment + model-usage-aware routing
- Also added additional embedding models via Ollama to support Validator v2/v3 tuning, since the current embedding stack shows GPU-specific issues on some setups

🔹 SessionQueue Scaling – Read Throughput & Pagination
- Phase #1 load exposed a read bottleneck at high task volumes
- Added missing foundations: precomputed task stats per session + scalable pagination
- Dashboard + Router can now handle large query/read workloads under single sessions

🔹 Corgent Experimental – /delegate + /validate
- First iterations to validate rough E2E behavior and clarify exact requirements
- Established what needs to be strict vs flexible for agent-facing flows

🔹 Router Experiments: #MCP + #x402 + #ERC8004
- #MCP, #x402 and #ERC8004 components are functional inside Router Node today
- Still require refinement and full integration
- These will be re-iterated during Phase #3–#4 to land as router-native primitives

🔹 Roadmap 2026 Docs Ready (Cortensor Network + Corgent)
- Roadmap documentation is now published and aligned for 2026 planning

Phase #1 proved the pipeline can survive both real usage and sustained automated load. Next phases will build on this foundation toward SLA-driven routing, tighter payment flows, and deeper agentic integrations.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/2005225713801277648

https://farcaster.xyz/cortensor/0xc94e762e

🗓️ 2025 Year-End Wrap - Cortensor

2025 was the year we proved a simple thesis: decentralized inference can be practical if you treat it like infrastructure - not a science project.

We focused on one thing: build the execution loop, validate it under load, and set the foundation for an agent-ready and developer-ready trust layer - so builders can ship reliable AI apps without a high cost barrier.


Minimal E2E MVP is live

We shipped a minimal but real end-to-end pipeline:
Router → Session Queue → Miners → Validators

Payments: Pay-per-use + Stake-to-Use (still early, still needs tuning).


DevNets → Testnet

We completed 6 DevNet phases, kicked off Testnet, and wrapped Testnet Phase #1.

Load testing reached 150k+ tasks executed, validating feasibility under sustained traffic.


Infra & Scaling Bpgrades

Core improvements landed:
- NodePool / NodePoolUtil refactors + data isolation (future SLA routing)
- Session Queue & SessionQueued scaling for high read-throughput + session-heavy workloads
- Dashboard polish for better NodeOps monitoring + rewards/performance visibility


Models + Validation Surfaces Expanded

We rolled out 64+ models (including embedding stacks for Validator v2/v3).

We iterated on /validate (multiple templates) and introduced /delegate as a thin agent-facing SDK surface.


Hackathons pushed the ecosystem forward

We ran 3 hackathons in 2025.

So far, 15+ apps were qualified/rewarded - not just demos, but real feedback loops that pressure-test the network.


Early Agent Rails: #ERC8004 + #x402 + #MCP (experimental)

We ran rough experiments on #ERC8004, #x402, and #MCP to surface blockers early.

Not fully integrated yet - but these are the rails we’ll harden and fold in during 2026.


What Cortensor is becoming

Cortensor is shaping into an execution + trust layer for web3 agents and agentic apps - while staying practical for everyday developers building AI products.

Agents (and apps) delegate work → Cortensor runs redundant inference + proofs → validation/trust signals return → results become usable, reliable, and affordable, without a high-cost barrier to enter the AI app market.


2026 North Star

Build the shared primitives that both agent economies and developers keep needing:

- Execution that scales (reliable inference under load)
- Validation you can verify (PoI/PoUW trust rails)
- Trust signals you can reuse (for routing, SLAs, and agent workflows)
- Low-friction payments (#x402 + agent-native integrations)

That's the path toward becoming the AWS for agent economies - and a builder-friendly execution layer where anyone can ship agentic apps with confidence.


https://x.com/cortensor/status/2006903828713713710

https://farcaster.xyz/cortensor/0x450ea4dc

🧪 Testnet Phase #2 – Preview Recap (Starts This Weekend – Jan 17)

We're wrapping prep for Testnet Phase #2, which kicks off this weekend (Jan 17). Most docs + infra are now in semi-final shape, and all environments are wired for the next round of testing:
- Testnet-0 — Arbitrum Sepolia (L2)
- Testnet-1 — COR L3 via RaaS
- Testnet-1a — Self-managed COR L3 (comparison target)
- Testnet-1b — Self-managed COR L3 (internal dev environment)

Phase #2 Focus
🔹 Validator v2/v3 (PoI + PoUW)
Tighten quantitative + qualitative scoring so validators are more deterministic, less “flaky,” and better aligned with the rubric.

🔹 Validator Engine – Ollama + Embeddings
Trial Ollama judge models + multiple embedding variants so validators run well on mixed hardware (CPU/GPU) with stable scores.

🔹 QuantitativeStats / QualitativeStats
Grow calibration datasets + tracking so we can tune thresholds, spot drift, and reduce false positives/negatives across domains.

🔹 Redundancy & Trust Stability
Stress multi-run / multi-miner redundancy and aggregation logic to keep trust stable under partial failures or disagreement.

🔹 Router Surfaces – /delegate & /validate
Exercise agent-facing flows, policy hints, multi-run delegation, and validation-heavy workloads to harden these endpoints.

🔹 Oracle & Internal Service Reliability
Verify router APIs, indexers, and dashboard feeds stay fresh + consistent under sustained load and recovery scenarios.

🔹 Infra Redundancy (RPC / Failover / Backups)
Add and test multiple RPC endpoints, validator backups, and ops playbooks so the network survives infra hiccups gracefully.

🔹 Gas Optimization & Runtime Tuning
Profile cortensord + L2 contracts (SessionQueueValidation, SessionPayment, validator storage) and trim gas + runtime overhead.

🔹 Dashboard – Trust Observability
Expose real-time PoI/PoUW metrics, validator health, and endpoint status so operators can actually see trust behavior.

🔹 L3 Comparison – Self-Managed vs RaaS
Run apple-to-apple tests on Testnet-1 (RaaS) vs Testnet-1a (self-managed) to measure performance, reliability, and ops tradeoffs.

(Testnet-1b is internal-only and will be used for parallel dev validation.)
🔹 Light MCP Integration (Nice-to-Have)
Experiment with MCP-style component assignment so the router starts behaving like an agent execution surface (without full protocol rollout yet).

🔹 Incentives & Pricing
- Rewards: moving toward base reward + level bonus, with role count acting more as a capacity/seniority signal than a separate bonus
- Dynamic pricing: SessionPaymentTable is live across all testnets; fees can factor in SLA, model class, execution depth, validator depth once we flip it on during Phase #2 → Phase #3

🔹 Docs (semi-final, only small tweaks expected)
Phase #2 overview & testing focus: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/community-testing/testnet-phase-2#testing-focus
Phase #2 rewards: https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/community-testing/testnet-phase-2#rewards

Next step: final small adjustments this week, then we’ll share the official Phase #2 start announcement.

https://x.com/cortensor/status/2011029888518832240

https://farcaster.xyz/cortensor/0xb0237460