Introduction
The decentralized protocol of Altered State Machines (ASM Asto) allows anybody to own, train, and exchange unique Artificial Intelligence through digital ASM Brains.
ASM Brains can be used in avatars, games, planets, and other Metaverse application, they are driven by AI, are owned by you, and can be exchanged as an NFT.
Overview
An AI-enabled Avatar is known as an Agent in the ASM ecosystem. The ASM platform empowers developers to create applications with unique, ownable AI agents. These agents are more than just avatars; they possess adaptable skills and intelligence stored in their AI cores. This opens up a world of possibilities for games, metaverses, and even financial platforms. Imagine intelligent companions in your favorite game, learning and evolving alongside you. Or consider AI-driven traders in a decentralized finance setting, making decisions based on acquired strategies.
ASM Agents are built with versatility in mind. Their AI cores can be combined with various physical embodiments, like popular NFTs such as Meebits or Bored Apes. This seamless integration unlocks new dimensions for existing assets and expands the potential of AI in the digital world.
Agents are made up of three parts: the Brain, the Avatar and the Form. These two pieces are interchangeable, allowing for an infinite number of conceivable combinations and uses.
Brains
The Brain, the core of the Agent, is built from a randomized set of base values known as a Genome Matrix, or your Agent’s DNA. This offers each Agent a distinct mix of capabilities and limitations; for example, the Genome Matrix assigns attributes such as strength, speed, size, and risk tolerance to each Brain in a unique combination.
Avatars
Avatars are the visual representations of your character; what they seem like and how they function. Avatars are what allow a Brain to function in its universe; they provide it with physical form and attributes. Bring your current NFT graphics or model from another region of the Metaverse, or design completely new Avatars for your Agent.
Forms
Form primarily encompasses the visual aspects of an agent. Its significance varies depending on the agent’s purpose. For instance, a trading bot’s form might be merely cosmetic, while the size and appearance of a fighting game character could be strategically crucial. Existing NFTs like Punks, Bored Apes, and Azukis can be considered illustrations of ‘form’ within the current landscape.
Memories
Each Agent can learn and increase its skills using embedded machine learning, both via experience and through particular training in an Artificial Intelligence Gym. Memories are kept in the Memory Tree of the Brain, which is an immutable record of the memories made and held by that unique Brain.
Cortex ASM
The Cortex is the Altered State Machine utility’s principal entrance. The Lunaris Machine is used to generate ASTO-Energy, then used to explore Alleriya’s terrain and mine unique Gen II Brains, unlocking your own Non-Fungible Intelligence.
With your Agent you can perform so many actions such as:
Traveling across worlds(Open Metaverse)
There are an infinite number of worlds. From financial markets to sports fields, battlegrounds, and beach bars. As new planets emerge, so do new Avatars and Memories to explore them.
Certain abilities and strengths will be more or less valuable in certain situations. Strength lends itself naturally to games, whereas risk tolerance is essential in DeFi. Each interoperable Agent has a unique set of traits stored in its Genome that it will express based on the environment in which it is used.
AI Training Centers
Training allows agents to learn, grow, and improve. Training takes place in an Artificial Intelligence Gym, where a machine learning (ML) model trainer tailored to each world is used to increase the Agent’s performance. The ML model employs a neural network and works in tandem with the Agent’s unique Genome to produce results that are unique to each Agent.
Owning and Trading
ASM Asto invented the world’s first Non Fungible Intelligence, a unique AI that can be securely owned and exchanged, by merging AI technology with the NFT process. They can be trained to compete in the space you want to control, or they can be sold for profit to other users in need of professional AI.
Background
ASM, founded by the McDonald brothers, Arron and David, as well as Phil Williams and Hal Smith-Stevens, intends to bridge the gap between artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. ‘Artificial Intelligence Football Association,’ their first effort, acts as both a game and a proof of concept for their grandiose aim.
ASM which was founded in 2021 is an AI Metaverse company based in Auckland, New Zealand, with over 100 employees worldwide and it has achieved so many historical milestones such as:
– On February 28, 2023, ASM launched its native token ASTO on renowned crypto exchange Gate.io. ASTO is a ERC-20 token that acts as the ASM ecosystem’s governance and utility token.
– ASM pioneered the concept of Non Fungible Intelligence, a novel metaverse tool that enables anyone to own an AI inside an NFT. ASM Brains are one-of-a-kind AI NFTs with a Genome Matrix that determines their strengths and weaknesses.
– ASM created the Cortex, a bespoke dashboard that allows users to participate in ASM and ASTO-related events such as Genome Mining and Intelligence Mining. Genome Mining is the process of mining for Gen II Brains utilizing ASTO-Energy, whereas Intelligence Mining is the process of training a Brain for a certain environment.
– ASM collaborated with a number of metaverse initiatives and businesses, including Non-Fungible Labs, FIFA, Authentic businesses Group, Warner Music Group, ATEM, The Seekers, and Cryptowalkers. These collaborations aim to develop and train AI-powered NFTs that are interoperable across the metaverse.
Tokenomics
ASTO serves as the central governance token within the ASM ecosystem. This empowers holders to shape the network’s growth and direction through decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) voting processes. Beyond governance, ASTO facilitates transactions within the ecosystem, including network access and potential future functionalities.
Holding ASTO opens doors to lucrative opportunities within the ASM ecosystem. Token holders earn enticing rewards for both their active participation in protocol activities and game play, while Agent Owners and World Creators (app developers) are incentivized for driving ecosystem growth through the dedicated Play-to-Earn pool.
Below is a graphical representation of how the ASTO token is used:
Token Distribution
$ASTO has a Total Supply of 2,384,000,000 and is distributed as thus:
Play-to-Earn:
Fueling Engagement: A generous 20% of ASTO tokens are dedicated to incentivizing user activity and driving growth through the Play-to-Earn program. An initial 2% kickstarts the pool, with the remaining 18% gradually released over 72 months, ensuring sustained rewards for active participants. This entire pool is governed by the DAO, empowering the community to shape the rewards landscape.
Ecosystem:
Nurturing the Network: 16% of ASTO tokens are earmarked for supporting the ASM ecosystem’s infrastructure and development. An initial 5% bolsters the Ecosystem Fund, with the remaining 11% steadily released over 72 months. Just like the Play-to-Earn pool, the DAO wields control over these funds, ensuring strategic allocation for ecosystem growth.
Reserve:
Futureproofing Sustainability: A robust 15% of ASTO tokens constitute the Reserve, guaranteeing long-term stability and resource availability. 1.5% forms an initial safety net in the Treasury Reserve, while the remaining 13.5% are gradually released over 48 months. This forward-thinking approach ensures the DAO has the resources to navigate future challenges and opportunities.
Early Contributors:
Recognizing Pioneering Efforts: 15% of ASTO tokens acknowledge the invaluable contributions of early backers and builders. These tokens are distributed linearly over 12 months, ensuring transparency and fair compensation.
Company, Team, Advisors:
Aligning Interests: 15% of ASTO tokens are allocated to the Company, with 1% dedicated to the Employee Token Program (ETOP) and 3% for key advisors. To ensure responsible deployment, each allocation has a 3-month initial lockup period, followed by a linear release over 24 months. This aligns the team’s interests with the long-term success of the project.
Use Cases of ASTO token
Shaping the Future: Governance with ASTO:
– Hold ASTO to become a voting member of the ASM DAO, empowering you to directly influence the ecosystem’s future through proposal creation and voting.
– Shape features, prioritize developments, and guide the platform’s direction, ensuring it aligns with the community’s needs and aspirations.
– Join an engaged community of ASTO holders and participate in vibrant discussions around governance, fostering collective decision-making and ownership.
Unleashing Agent Potential: AI Training with ASTO:
– Invest ASTO to fuel the training of your AI Agents, unlocking their full potential in creativity, adaptability, and performance.
– Accelerate learning and refine your Agent’s skills, optimizing them for specific tasks and empowering them to excel within the ASM universe.
Contribute to the shared pool of training resources, creating a collaborative environment where all Agents benefit from collective advancement.
Minting Uniqueness: Agent NFTs Across Universes:
– Use ASTO to mint exclusive Agent NFTs within the vibrant ASM universe, boasting unique traits, skills, and appearances.
– Extend your Agent’s influence beyond the ASM world, using ASTO to mint NFTs compatible with other platforms and games, allowing them to travel and explore diverse virtual landscapes.
– Create a valuable portfolio of Agent NFTs, trade them on dedicated marketplaces, and participate in a thriving economy built on ownership and customization.
Boosting Gameplay: Powerups and Customization:
– Enhance your in-game experience with ASTO-powered powerups, granting temporary boosts to your Agent’s abilities and performance.
– Level up your competitive edge and stand out from the crowd with unique customizations, available only through the strategic use of ASTO.
Market Statistics
Market Cap: $26.58M
Circulating Supply: 2.38B ASTO
Supply Cap: 523.08M ASTO
All-time High: $0.5639 -90.99% (April 09, 2022)
All-time Low: $0.01392 +265.01% (October 23, 2023)
Features and Functionality
Non-Fungible Intelligence (NFI):
- Create, own, and trade unique AI agents via NFTs called “ASM Brains.”
- Each Brain has a “Genome Matrix” (DNA) defining inherent strengths and weaknesses.
- Develop specialized AI companions, opponents, or helpers for various applications.
Training and Evolution:
- Train Brains in “Artificial Intelligence Gyms” through machine learning.
- Memories generated from training enhance the Brain’s capabilities and behavior.
- Brains can be combined with “Form” NFTs for visual representation and interaction.
Open-Source & Customizable:
- Access and use the platform’s open-source code to build custom experiences.
- Design and develop unique AI behaviors and functionalities for specific needs.
- Integrate ASM technology into existing projects and platforms.
Open-Source & Customizable:
- Access and use the platform’s open-source code to build custom experiences.
- Design and develop unique AI behaviors and functionalities for specific needs.
- Integrate ASM technology into existing projects and platforms.
Metaverse Integration:
- Leverage AI-powered agents for richer and more dynamic metaverse experiences.
- Create intelligent companions, NPCs, and opponents for games and virtual worlds.
- Foster AI-driven economies and interactions within metaverse platforms.
Advantages of Altered State Machines (ASM Asto)
- Democratization of AI: ASM Asto allows anyone to own and utilize AI via “Non-Fungible Intelligence” (NFTs) called ASM Brains. This opens up access to AI technology for individuals and communities, potentially lowering barriers to entry and fostering wider AI adoption.
- Personalization and Customization: Users can train and evolve their ASM Brains, tailoring them to specific tasks, personalities, or skill sets. This personalized AI experience allows for richer interactions across the metaverse and applications.
- Interoperability and Portability: ASM Brains are designed to be interoperable across different avatars, games, and platforms within the metaverse. This portability grants users flexibility and expands the potential use cases for their AI companions.
- Play-to-Earn and Community building: ASM Asto integrates gameplay and earning opportunities through its $ASTO token. Users can train their ASMs to compete in games, potentially generating income and contributing to a collaborative community around the protocol.
- Open-source and community-driven: The ASM Asto codebase is open-source, empowering developers and enthusiasts to contribute to its development and ecosystem growth. This promotes innovation and fosters a community-driven approach to building the future of AI.
Risks and Challenges
- Smart contract vulnerabilities: Despite audits, unanticipated vulnerabilities in smart contracts may exist, potentially allowing for hacking or manipulation.
- External attacks: Hackers could target the platform by exploiting weaknesses in underlying systems or networks.
- Rug pull: While unlikely given the team’s established presence and development progress, a malevolent “rug pull” in which developers abandon the project and steal user funds cannot be ruled out totally.
- Scalability: As the community grows, the system must be able to manage a high number of users and transactions efficiently.
- Interoperability: It can be difficult to integrate ASM with other blockchain platforms and ecosystems.
- AI Safety: Ensuring the safe and ethical growth of ASM’s AI bots necessitates continual study and development.
- Regulation: Emerging regulations and legal uncertainties surrounding AI and NFTs could impact the development and adoption of ASM.
- Social acceptance: Public perception of AI and its potential risks could impede broader adoption.
- Centralization tendencies: Despite the decentralized design, power imbalances within the community could arise, potentially hindering its autonomy.
How Altered State Machines (ASM Asto) Addresses Challenges
- Audits: Reputable businesses such as Quantstamp and Certik conduct regular security audits to uncover potential vulnerabilities and offer mitigation techniques.
- Bug Bounty Programs: Through ongoing bug bounty programs, the ASM community is motivated to find and report security issues, encouraging continual attention and proactive detection of possible risks.
- Decentralized Architecture: The platform’s decentralized design distributes control and makes it more immune to targeted attacks on a single point of failure.
- Multi-signature wallets: Using multi-signature wallets for critical accounts offers an extra layer of protection because transactions must be initiated by multiple authorized individuals, minimizing the possibility of illegal access.
- Transparency of the ASM team: The ASM team has a public track record and established presence in the blockchain and AI fields, making a deliberate “rug pull” scenario less plausible.
- Open-source Development: Because the project’s codebase is open-source and publicly accessible, anyone may inspect the development process and verify the project’s legitimacy.
- Community Governance: Decentralized governance techniques involve the community in significant decisions, establishing a sense of shared responsibility and limiting any single entity’s ability to control the system.
- Layer 2 Solutions: The team is investigating the integration of Layer 2 scaling solutions like Optimism or StarkNet to handle an increasing number of users and transactions efficiently while maintaining decentralization.
- Sharding: Implementing sharding mechanisms could partition the network into smaller segments, reducing the workload on individual nodes and improving transaction processing speed.
- Ongoing Optimization: Continuous optimizations of the codebase and network infrastructure focus on improving efficiency and handling higher transaction volumes.
- Standardized Protocols: Collaborating with other blockchain projects and organizations to establish standardized protocols and communication channels facilitates seamless integration with external ecosystems.
- Cross-chain Bridges: Utilizing existing cross-chain bridge technologies allows ASM to interact with other blockchains and expand its reach beyond the Ethereum network.
- Developer Tools and APIs: Providing user-friendly developer tools and APIs encourages the development of third-party applications and services that enhance the platform’s interoperability and functionality.
- Proactive Engagement: The ASM team actively engages with regulatory bodies and policymakers to stay informed about relevant regulations and ensure compliance with evolving legal frameworks.
- Ethical AI Framework: ASM adheres to established ethical frameworks for AI development, focusing on principles like safety, fairness, and transparency.
- Guiding Principles and Guidelines: The project outlines clear guiding principles and guidelines for the development and deployment of AI agents within the ASM ecosystem, emphasizing responsible practices and risk mitigation.
How is the Altered State Machines (ASM Asto) Secured?
Altered State Machines (ASM) and their related token, ASTO, are secure due to a combination of factors:
ASM and ASTO work on the Ethereum blockchain, which is well-established and well-known for its security. This creates a tamper-proof and visible record of all transactions, making illegitimate acts difficult.
Smart contract security: Reputable businesses like as Quantstamp and Certik have audited the smart contracts that regulate ASM and ASTO. These audits aid in identifying and mitigating potential vulnerabilities in code that hackers could exploit.
Smart contract security: Reputable businesses like as Quantstamp and Certik have audited the smart contracts that regulate ASM and ASTO. These audits aid in identifying and mitigating potential code vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers.
Decentralization: ASM is a decentralized protocol, which means that no single party controls the system. This limits the possibility of centralized authority manipulation and increases resilience to possible attacks.
Genome Mining: Genome Mining is used in the process of acquiring a Brain NFT (the core of an ASM AI agent), where users stake ASTO. This encourages long-term ASTO ownership, which benefits to the network’s stability and security.
Ongoing Development: The ASM team is constantly expanding and enhancing the platform, correcting any discovered flaws and implementing new security measures. They also encourage bug bounties and open engagement with the community.
Conclusion
ASM is a decentralized platform based on blockchain technology and artificial intelligence (AI) that aims to develop a new generation of intelligent agents capable of learning and adapting in complex contexts. These agents, represented by Brain, Avatars and Forms could be used in a variety of industries, including game development, personalized experiences, and creative content generating.
Overall, ASM offers a distinct and ambitious vision for decentralized AI development. Despite the obstacles, its promise for tailored experiences, collaborative content production, and a new environment of AI interaction make it a project to watch in the future years.
Sources:
https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/altered-state-token
https://www.alphaplease.com/p/asto-asm-nft-ai-alteredstatemachine
https://whitepaper.alteredstatemachine.xyz/token-and-dao/the-asto-token
https://www.alteredstatemachine.xyz/about-us/
https://cortex.alteredstatemachine.xyz/
https://whitepaper.alteredstatemachine.xyz/
