DePIN startup GAIA opens pre-sale for Galaxy S25 Edge AI smartphone

GAIA, a decentralized AI startup, has kicked off a limited pre-sale for an AI smartphone that runs intelligence and privacy tools directly on the device. Early buyers can earn network rewards, access a pre-loaded web3 domain, and test fully local AI powered by a new software layer on Galaxy S25 Edge hardware.

Summary

• GAIA, a decentralized AI startup, has launched a limited-run AI smartphone with on-device intelligence and privacy tools.
• Only 7,000 units are available, with early buyers getting network rewards and a pre-loaded web3 domain.
• The phone runs on Galaxy S25 Edge hardware but adds a software layer for fully local, decentralized AI and staking-based rewards.

GAIA, a startup building decentralized artificial intelligence infrastructure, has launched a limited-run AI smartphone that puts on-device intelligence and privacy-first AI tools into early units ahead of a wider release. Only 7,000 units are available in this initial release, and the public sale will follow immediately after the waitlist window, according to a press release shared with crypto.news.

Galaxy S25 Edge AI smartphone | Source: GAIA

The so-called Gaia AI Phone runs on Galaxy S25 Edge hardware, but the big thing comes from a new infrastructure layer built by Gaia Labs. Shashank Sripada, GAIA’s co-founder and COO, explained in an interview with crypto.news that instead of changing the hardware itself, the team created a software layer between Android and applications that enables decentralized AI inference right on the device.

“Previously, mobile ‘AI’ was primarily application-level – individual apps with basic AI features. Our approach coordinates AI requests at the infrastructure level, using localized training models and authentication protocols that work across all applications while keeping processing entirely on-device.”

Shashank Sripada

The phone’s software stack includes the Gaia AI Platform for decentralized AI tools, a local LLM runtime, a voice-to-agent interface, as well as a custom Agent Launcher for deploying AI agents. On-chain identity and a pre-loaded Gaia Domain are also included, giving users digital ownership from day one.

Open publishing through verification

For developers and AI builders, GAIA is said to be providing access to its node infrastructure through public GitHub repositories. Sripada explained that while the company is currently testing an agent marketplace with vetted developers, the goal is to eventually allow open publishing with proper verification.

“Our goal is open publishing through a verification system, but we’re prioritizing security and user experience in the initial release. Developers can access our node infrastructure through our public GitHub repositories. We’re expanding developer tools based on community feedback.”

Shashank Sripada

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Early buyers also get a bundle of perks: priority access to new AI tools, a pre-loaded web3 domain, and network rewards for contributing compute to the Gaia Network in GAIA tokens. Users can stake GAIA for higher-priority rewards, and all inference requests processed on the device contribute to the overall network. For the first 3,000 orders, GAIA is also including a complimentary ticket to Korea Blockchain Week.

Galaxy S25 Edge AI smartphone | Source: GAIA

Behind the screen

GAIA’s setup keeps AI running separately from individual apps, and the team has already run internal security checks to make sure things aren’t leaving the device, Sripada told crypto.news.

As for audits, third-party reviews are expected before shipping, and Sripada said updates to the phone’s software will start off being sent over the air by GAIA directly, with plans to eventually let the network handle verification in a decentralized trust model.

“We’ve conducted internal security reviews and are finalizing third-party audits before device shipping. Full audit results will be published publicly as part of our open-source commitment.”

Shashank Sripada

The Gaia AI Phone is designed for a broad range of users — from web3 enthusiasts to privacy advocates —offering fully local AI execution, and integrated identity features, Sripada explained. Hence, AI agents can be migrated between devices running Gaia OS, with user-friendly backup tools in development.

Hardware support follows standard warranties, Sripada said, adding that the open-source software ensures community-driven maintenance and repair options. Full details of the project’s security architecture are scheduled to be released in October, the GAIA co-founder added.

Priced at $1,399, with just 7,000 units available in this first run, the phone seems aimed at early adopters ready to experiment with a new decentralized AI ecosystem. GAIA says it has already onboarded over 10,000 subscribers on the waitlist, though how many actually get their hands on a device won’t be clear until shipping begins later this year.

Read more: Solana Mobile opened pre-orders for new smartphone

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