Bitcoin News Today: Yuma's AI Funds Mirror Bitcoin's Institutional Adoption, Democratizing Decentralized Intelligence

Yuma, a development studio and accelerator for decentralized AI (deAI) network Bittensor created by Digital Currency Group (DCG) CEO Barry Silbert, has launched Yuma Asset Management to provide institutional and accredited investors access to the deAI ecosystem. The new division introduces two flagship strategies: the Yuma Subnet Composite Fund and the Yuma Large Cap Subnet Fund. These funds invest in subnet tokens, the protocol-native crypto assets of Bittensor's decentralized contributor networks, denominated in and traded with TAO, Bittensor's native token. The Subnet Composite Fund offers market-cap weighted exposure across all active subnets, while the Large Cap Subnet Fund targets the top subnets by market capitalization, drawing comparisons to the NASDAQ Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average indices.

Bittensor, a decentralized AI network, operates through "subnets"-specialized marketplaces for AI/ML services such as text generation, translation, and protein structure prediction. Participants contribute data and computing power to these subnets, earning rewards in TAO. Yuma Asset Management, backed by a $10 million anchor investment from DCG, aims to democratize access to this emerging asset class. Silbert, who previously launched the Bitcoin Investment Trust in 2013 (now Grayscale's GBTC), emphasized the transformative potential of subnet tokens. "The decentralized AI sector has the power to be as transformative as Bitcoin, and Yuma Asset Management is opening the door for investors to access it through Bittensor," he stated.

DCG's strategic pivot into decentralized AI reflects broader industry trends. Since its 2021 investment in Bittensor, DCG has positioned itself as a key player in the convergence of crypto and AI. Yuma's role extends beyond asset management; it incubates computational infrastructure on Bittensor, supporting startups and enterprises in building decentralized AI applications. The subsidiary has already partnered with entities like Sturdy, Masa, and Infinite Games to launch subnets on the network. Yuma also participates in Bittensor's consensus mechanisms, operating as the third-largest validator and mining across four subnets.

The launch of Yuma Asset Management addresses a critical gap in the AI investment landscape. DCG noted that major AI firms like OpenAI and Anthropic remain private, limiting institutional access. By structuring funds around subnet tokens, Yuma creates a bridge to decentralized AI innovation. The strategy mirrors Silbert's earlier efforts to institutionalize Bitcoin exposure, leveraging DCG's expertise in digital asset infrastructure. Analysts highlight that subnet tokens represent a novel asset class, blending blockchain's permissionless innovation with AI's expanding economic impact.

Bittensor's vision of a "World Wide Web of intelligence" hinges on its Yuma Consensus (YC) mechanism, which fairly measures and rewards contributions to the network. Yuma's funds are designed to capitalize on this ecosystem's growth potential. The Subnet Composite Fund's broad exposure aligns with a diversified approach, while the Large Cap Subnet Fund targets high-conviction opportunities within the top-performing subnets. Both strategies are denominated in TAO, which has seen increasing adoption as a governance and utility token across the Bittensor network.

The move underscores DCG's confidence in decentralized infrastructure's role in reshaping AI's future. "We're moving from the digital ownership of assets to the decentralized ownership of intelligence," Silbert remarked, drawing parallels between Bittensor's early-stage development and Bitcoin's emergence in the 2010s. With its focus on democratizing access to AI innovation, Yuma aims to replicate the success of its parent company's earlier ventures while addressing the challenges of centralization in the AI sector.

Source: [1] Bittensor's Decentralized AI Studio, Yuma, Launches Asset Management Arm (https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/10/09/bittensor-s-decentralized-ai-studio-yuma-launches-asset-management-arm)

[2] DCG Launches Yuma, A New Subsidiary Focused on Accelerating Decentralized Intelligence (https://secure.businesswire.com/news/home/20241120332472/en/DCG-Launches-Yuma-A-New-Subsidiary-Focused-on-Accelerating-Decentralized-Intelligence)