Solana News Today: Presearch Spur Decentralized Growth with Node NFT Auction, Fueling Frontier Intelligence Expansion

Presearch Launches Node NFT Licenses to Expand Decentralized Search

Presearch, a privacy-focused search engine, is launching node NFT licenses to enable more individuals to contribute to the decentralized search network. The initiative includes a node NFT auction, offering 142 unique NFTs from the Wasteland Web collection, each serving as a license key for operating a node under Presearch's new Node Orchestration layer. This model aims to blend digital art, network participation, and economic incentives to expand the network's global crawling and indexing capabilities.

The auction, which commenced on December 9, 2025, allows participants to bid using PRE tokens to acquire a Node NFT. These NFTs not only represent unique digital art pieces but also grant holders the rights to activate a node and earn network rewards once the orchestration system is fully operational. The introduction of Node NFTs marks the first phase of Presearch 3.0, a major architectural update designed to enhance real-time crawling and indexing.

The new node orchestration system is set to support what the team refers to as "Frontier Intelligence," focusing on high-value, underrepresented content that mainstream search engines often overlook.

By tying node licenses to NFTs, Presearch is pioneering a model for permissionless participation, blending network operations, art culture, and economic incentives to foster a more inclusive and decentralized search environment.

Market Context and Competitor Moves

The launch of Presearch's Node NFTs comes amid a broader slowdown in crypto venture capital funding. In November 2025, venture capital funding in the cryptocurrency sector remained muted, with deal activity concentrated in a few large raises by established companies. According to RootData, only 57 disclosed crypto funding rounds occurred during the month, despite headline-grabbing raises such as Revolut's $1 billion round and Kraken's $800 million raise. This trend indicates that capital is increasingly flowing to bigger, more mature firms rather than early-stage startups.

The subdued funding activity reflects a broader market condition, where the number of deals has remained well below levels seen in previous bull markets. Sarah Austin, co-founder of Titled, noted that while some of the slowdown can be attributed to general market conditions, the trend poses longer-term risks for the sector. This context underscores the importance of innovative models like Presearch's node NFTs in sustaining community-driven growth and decentralization.

Strategic Innovations in the Crypto Ecosystem

In parallel with Presearch's node NFT auction, other projects are also introducing innovative solutions to enhance the crypto ecosystem. Moca Network, a flagship project by Animoca Brands, launched MocaProof, a gamified digital identity verification and reward platform. MocaProof leverages blockchain to simplify and advance data privacy and self-sovereignty, allowing users to verify ownership, participation, and qualifications without disclosing raw data or identifiable information.

MocaProof is integrated with Moca Network's AIR Kit and Moca Chain, enabling reusable, interoperable, and verifiable identity data across platforms. This integration supports zero-knowledge proof, decentralized data storage, on-chain monetization, and single sign-on, further reinforcing Moca Network's position as a leader in the decentralized identity space. The beta launch of MocaProof is currently available on the Moca Chain Testnet and is scheduled to transition to mainnet later in 2026.

Technical and Regulatory Developments

The broader crypto landscape is also seeing significant technical and regulatory developments. Sonami, a Layer 2 token on Solana, announced its mission to enhance network reliability and transaction efficiency. By leveraging cutting-edge Layer 2 transaction bundling, Sonami aims to minimize congestion and support the continued growth of high-frequency decentralized applications (dApps) on Solana. This move addresses a critical scaling challenge, as Solana experiences congestion during periods of high activity, leading to delayed transactions and inconsistent user experiences.

Regulatory developments are also shaping the crypto landscape. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has collected over C$1 billion in taxes through crypto-related audits over the last three years. However, the agency has not secured a criminal conviction for crypto tax evasion since 2020, highlighting a structural enforcement gap. The CRA's acquisition of data on 2,500 Dapper Labs users through a court order underscores the agency's expanded efforts to enforce compliance in the crypto space.

Implications for the Future

The launch of Presearch's Node NFTs and other innovations like MocaProof and Sonami's Layer 2 solution highlight the evolving nature of the crypto ecosystem. These initiatives not only address technical challenges but also introduce new models for community engagement and economic incentives. As the market continues to mature, the focus is shifting from rapid growth to sustainable and scalable solutions that enhance user experience and compliance.

The regulatory landscape is also becoming more defined, with authorities like the CRA and others implementing stricter enforcement measures. The upcoming implementation of the OECD's Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework in 2026 will further require crypto-asset service providers to report customer identities, account balances, and transaction data. These developments indicate a more structured and transparent future for the crypto market, where innovation and regulation work in tandem to ensure user trust and market integrity.