In the current wave where almost every public chain brands itself with “AI,” there are still a few teams genuinely trying to build infrastructure.
Right now in crypto, adding “AI” to a project’s name can seemingly add $200 million to its valuation overnight. I’ve reviewed more than twenty so-called AI Layer 1 projects, and most of them are surface-level rebrands. Underneath, they still rely on EVM-based architectures that can’t realistically run large models. At best, they bolt on a few off-chain oracles to pass data back and forth. That setup might handle simple scripts, but once you move into complex agent interactions, gas costs alone can make the whole system economically unsustainable.
Over the past few days, I’ve been testing the Vanar Chain testnet, and its direction does feel somewhat different. Instead of chasing large-model hype, it focuses on two of the most frustrating infrastructure problems: data rights confirmation and real-time interaction. Compared to Solana’s high-performance, hardware-driven approach, Vanar seems to emphasize layered software architecture. If Solana is a muscle car with an oversized engine, Vanar is more like a hybrid—optimized for efficiency and cost control. For high-frequency AI applications, that kind of stability and predictability is arguably more attractive.
That said, there are clear shortcomings. The documentation is weak, with critical parameters poorly defined—you often have to track down someone on Discord for clarification. The block explorer is also immature; checking cross-chain transaction status sometimes requires multiple refreshes. These rough edges constantly remind you that this is still an early-stage project.
If Near feels like Tencent Cloud for Web3, then Vanar feels more like Android in blockchain form—accessible, flexible, and compatible, but not yet fully polished in terms of system stability. For developers, this could represent a blue-ocean opportunity. For retail investors chasing quick gains, however, it’s still largely undeveloped terrain.