Chromia Launches Mimir Upgrade, Enabling Onchain Vector Databases for AI Applications

Chromia, a Layer 1 blockchain known for its relational databases that facilitate efficient data indexing and retrieval, has launched a significant upgrade called Mimir. This upgrade introduces support for onchain vector databases, a feature that is particularly beneficial for developers aiming to create scalable AI applications. The Mimir upgrade is now live on the mainnet, enhancing Chromia's capability to handle complex data sets and perform numerous read-and-write operations within a single transaction.

Traditional blockchains typically record information in a list format, which can become inefficient as data sets grow in complexity. Chromia's relational blockchain allows for direct onchain data querying, ensuring that decentralized applications (dapps) can execute hundreds of read-and-write operations in a single transaction. The Mimir upgrade further strengthens this capability, making Chromia a more robust platform for handling the data demands of next-generation dapps, many of which will be powered by AI.

Vector databases are essential components of AI workflows, supporting functions such as similarity search, long-term memory, and contextual text retrieval. Until now, most dapps have relied on centralized servers to store and manage their vector databases. With the Mimir upgrade, Chromia enables vector data to be stored directly onchain, eliminating the need for centralized solutions and enhancing the decentralization of AI applications.

To illustrate the practical applications of Chromia's onchain vector database, the company recently published a case study on the game "Shadows of Harrow City." This game, developed by Aarda AI, is a whodunnit mystery where players act as detectives to solve a murder. Behind the scenes, Chromia's onchain vector database stores packets of information associated with core concepts and keywords. When players interact with non-player characters (NPCs), the relevant knowledge "bricks" are retrieved from the database based on similarity searches. Previously, Aarda AI used AWS for this functionality, but with Chromia, it can now be done entirely onchain.

The Mimir upgrade also introduces the AI Inference Extension, which allows open-source models like DeepSeek to run on Chromia provider nodes. This shift moves developers away from centralized services like AWS to fully decentralized infrastructure. As a result, developers can create AI-powered apps that operate 100% onchain without compromising on performance. This advancement positions Chromia as the first Layer 1 blockchain with fully onchain vector database capability, making it a more attractive option for developers looking to build scalable and decentralized AI applications.