SKN | Phase Blockchain Launches With $45 Million Commitment From Unlimit Founder

Key Points:

• Phase has launched its blockchain with a $45 million funding commitment from Unlimit founder Kirill Eves, intended to support the project’s first two years and provide an additional two years of runway.
• Smartphone users can earn PHASE tokens by validating blocks and sharing internet connectivity to help AI agents access websites.
• Phase plans to introduce AI computing and AI model-routing services in November, with some revenue intended to fund open-market PHASE purchases for node-operator rewards.

Phase Launches Blockchain Focused on AI Infrastructure

Phase has launched a new blockchain designed to connect smartphone users with the growing demand for AI infrastructure, supported by a $45 million funding commitment from Kirill Eves, founder of global payments company Unlimit.

The launch, announced Thursday, includes Phase Proxy, a service that routes AI agents’ web requests through internet connections shared by participating smartphone users. The project aims to address a growing challenge for autonomous AI systems: websites frequently restrict or limit automated traffic originating from data centers, including requests made on behalf of legitimate users.

Eves said these restrictions are becoming a barrier as AI agents take on more tasks across multiple websites. By routing requests through distributed internet connections, Phase aims to provide an alternative pathway for AI-driven web access.

The company told Cointelegraph that it has no outside investors. Eves’ $45 million commitment is intended to finance the first two years of development and provide an additional two years of runway, giving the project funding to develop its blockchain and planned AI services.

Eves founded Unlimit in 2009 and built it into a global payments company. Unlimit reported in December 2025 that it served more than 50,000 businesses worldwide.

How Smartphone Users Can Earn PHASE Tokens

Phase allows smartphone owners to participate in the network through its app. Users can earn PHASE tokens by validating blocks and sharing their internet connections through the Phase Proxy service.

The model is designed to turn distributed consumer devices into contributors to blockchain operations and AI-related infrastructure. Instead of relying exclusively on centralized facilities, the network seeks to use resources available across participating smartphones.

Eves said modern flagship smartphones can deliver approximately 35–45 trillion operations per second of AI processing performance, depending on the device. This capacity can allow compatible phones to run smaller open-weight AI models locally.

However, device capabilities vary, and the processing power available from an individual smartphone does not necessarily translate into consistent performance for every AI workload. The network’s practical capacity will depend on participating devices, connectivity and the services being delivered.

Phase also adjusts participation according to a device’s battery level and network connectivity. These controls are intended to account for the limitations of running network tasks on consumer hardware.

Phase Proxy Targets Restrictions on AI Web Traffic

The launch comes as website operators develop new ways to manage automated traffic. Cloudflare, an internet infrastructure provider, gives website owners controls over AI-related traffic. Its documented settings for new domains block certain agent and training traffic on pages displaying advertisements.

Such restrictions create an infrastructure challenge for AI agents that need to navigate websites, retrieve information or complete tasks across multiple services.

Phase Proxy seeks to address this issue by routing requests through internet connections contributed by smartphone users. Its approach could provide another option for AI developers seeking web access, although the extent to which it can overcome website restrictions will depend on implementation and the policies of individual websites.

The service’s development also raises broader questions about how distributed connectivity can be used responsibly, including the need to respect website access policies and manage the security of participating devices and connections.

AI Computing and Model Routing Planned for November

Phase plans to expand beyond proxy services with two additional offerings scheduled for November.

The first is an AI computing service that would allow smartphone users to contribute processing resources. The second is a service designed to route requests across different AI models.

The company also plans to develop its own AI model and expand participation beyond smartphones to desktops, servers and graphics processing units. These initiatives would broaden the network’s potential sources of computing capacity and give the project more flexibility in supporting different AI workloads.

The November services remain planned developments rather than completed launches. Their eventual performance and adoption will depend on execution, demand and the ability to coordinate resources across a distributed network.

PHASE Token Demand and Node-Operator Rewards

Phase said some revenue generated by its planned AI services would be used to purchase PHASE tokens on the open market. Those tokens would then be used to reward node operators contributing resources to the network.

This approach is intended to connect demand for Phase’s services with token purchases and incentives for network participants. If the services generate sustained revenue, the mechanism could provide a source of funding for operator rewards.

However, the actual impact on token demand will depend on revenue levels, the proportion allocated to purchases, operating costs and the structure of the reward system. The funding commitment alone does not establish future token performance or guarantee demand for PHASE.

Outlook

Phase’s launch combines blockchain participation, distributed connectivity and planned AI computing services in an effort to address infrastructure needs created by autonomous agents. The $45 million commitment provides a stated funding runway, while the upcoming computing and model-routing services represent the next major execution milestones. The project’s longer-term prospects will depend on whether it can attract active smartphone participants, deliver reliable AI infrastructure and generate enough commercial revenue to sustain its token-reward model.