IoTeX and 0G Kick Off Crypto’s Got Talent S2 to Fund DePIN Startups

IoTeX, the blockchain platform for Real-World AI, today kicked off Season 2 of Crypto’s Got Talent (CGT), a community-driven competition aimed at discovering and accelerating the next generation of DePIN (decentralized physical infrastructure networks) projects. Backed this year by sponsor 0G Network, the world’s largest Layer 1 built for AI, the show blends entertainment, ecosystem collaboration and milestone-based funding to push more real-world infrastructure into Web3.

Applications opened in August, and the live series begins Sept. 8. Over eight to nine episodes, capped by a livestreamed finale, roughly 25 teams will present pitches, video demos and progress updates. From that pool, CGT will identify six winners who will receive milestone grants, then enter a four-to-six month post-competition phase focused on measurable scaling and delivery.

“Crypto’s Got Talent was created to shine a spotlight on builders tackling real-world infrastructure challenges,” said Jing Sun, co-founder of IoTeX. “Season 1 proved that the community is hungry for innovative DePIN projects, and with 0G’s support, Season 2 will be bigger, more global, and more impactful.”

Season 1 laid the groundwork: the show generated nearly 200,000 impressions and almost 3,000 community votes, and five standout teams received grants. Those winners are now developing decentralized solutions across industries, from EV charging (DeCharge) and 3D mapping (ROVR) to drone detection (Gargoyle Systems), environmental sensing (Nubila) and on-chain finance (Axal), demonstrating the practical potential of DePIN in everyday infrastructure.

Empowering the AI and Web3 Builders

0G’s sponsorship signals a stronger AI-centric focus for this season. “0G is proud to sponsor Crypto’s Got Talent as it reflects our mission to empower the AI and Web3 builders shaping the future,” said Michael Heinrich, Co-Founder and CEO at 0G. “Together with IoTeX, we are supporting teams that are pushing the boundaries of decentralized infrastructure and real-world AI applications.”

For context, 0G (Zero Gravity Labs) positions itself as the first decentralized AI protocol: a modular, infinitely scalable Layer 1 designed to unify decentralized storage, compute and data availability to run AI-native applications at scale. IoTeX, founded in 2017, has built infrastructure to deliver verified, real-time physical-world data into AI systems and dApps, today powering more than 100 projects and 40 million devices across mobility, robotics, energy and health. The platform’s roster of partners includes major names like Google, Samsung, IEEE and ARM.

CGT Season 2’s format mixes public engagement with expert evaluation: projects advance through community pitch rounds and video demos, while judges and mentors weigh in on innovation, execution and real-world impact. That hybrid model aims to balance crowd enthusiasm with technical rigor, a combination organizers say is essential for funding infrastructure that must actually work in the physical world.

While DePIN starts to prove itself as a real-world layer for Web3, Crypto’s Got Talent is stepping in to connect builders, users, and funders. Season 2 isn’t just about getting attention; it’s about results. Winners will be expected to meet clear milestones and ship working products, the kind of accountability investors and communities are increasingly demanding.