From Vision to Tokenization: An AI Developer’s Journey on Modelz by Alpaca Network
Aug 26, 2025
Alpaca Network kicked off its new podcast series with a powerful conversation between one of our Core Contributors and @Bootz_of_Truth — a solo developer and community member who became the first to tokenize his own open-source model on Modelz.io and reach singularity. His model (Danimls-V1) is now trading on decentralized exchanges.
Bootz was frustrated with the stagnant NFT space which pushed him toward AI experimentation. Training LoRAs late into the night, he built an interactive NFT engine that allowed users to mint unique creations. But the real breakthrough came when he discovered Alpaca Network’s Modelz.io platform.
“When I learned more about $PACA, that’s when the light turned on. I realized I could tokenize my model, charge for inference, and build an actual flywheel of revenue, all without needing to learn smart contract development.”
Why This Matters
Bootz’ story highlights why Modelz.io is different:
Seamless tokenization: Developers don’t need to master Solidity or auditing — just drop the Hugging Face link and launch your model in minutes.
Built-in revenue sharing: Every inference call generates value that flows back to model creators and token holders. 3.14% is dedicated to the model creator, incentivizing research and improvement of that model.
Community-driven growth: Tokenization turns users into stakeholders, creating long-term incentives to support and grow the project.
For Bootz, tokenization completely reshaped his relationship with his community. The Danimals V1 token is now the backbone of his project’s rewards, creating utility beyond just holding NFTs. He’s already planning expansions like Alley Wars, a Web3 game where NFTs become playable characters. All this powered by his tokenized model on Modelz.io.
A New Path for Open Source AI
Open source developers often struggle to find sustainable funding. Traditional grants and VC pipelines are hard to access, especially for solo devs. Modelz.io changes that.
As Bootz put it:
“It would’ve been nearly impossible for me to secure funding any other way. By putting it on Modelz.io, the community trusted the vision and made it possible.”
This is exactly why Alpaca Network exists: to give AI builders the tools to launch, monetize, and grow. While keeping their work open and accessible.
Why You Should Build on Modelz.io
If you’re an AI developer with a project on Hugging Face, tokenization unlocks:
New revenue streams to cover inference costs.
Community ownership that drives engagement.
Ecosystem alignment with one of the fastest-growing decentralized AI platforms.
The message is simple: don’t just host your model — own it, share it, and let it thrive with the community.
Listen to the full podcast below and follow @Bootz_of_Truth and @DegenAnimls to learn more about what he's building!