In episode #66 of the DePINed Podcast, Tom Trowbridge welcomes Luis Oscar Ramirez, founder of Mawari, to unpack how AR and AI will be delivered at scale through decentralized infrastructure.
Mawari is building what could be described as the “YouTube of AR” — a real-time, decentralized content delivery network for immersive experiences. With over 5,000 GPUs across APAC powering low-latency compute, their system enables AI inference and volumetric content streaming directly to AR glasses and spatial devices.
From XR Studio to DePIN Protocol
Mawari didn’t start as an infrastructure company. It began as an XR studio in Tokyo, creating immersive AR experiences for fashion, retail, and entertainment. But the lack of compute infrastructure made these experiences hard to scale.
So they shifted from creating content to enabling it building the Mawari Protocol, a modular DePIN framework to deliver 3D assets in real time. Their architecture involves four distinct node types and is now being tested across Japan and Korea.
Guardian Nodes, Tokenomics, and Ecosystem Design
Luis introduces their upcoming Guardian Nodes — a new on-chain incentive layer designed to support content rendering, delivery, and verification. These nodes are powered by partners and contributors who are incentivized to provide GPU compute in exchange for rewards.
Key highlights:
- Modular 4-node architecture for streaming, compute, verification, and orchestration
- Token model focused on rewarding useful work (AI inference, 3D asset delivery)
- Designed to power everything from spatial content in AR glasses to AI agents
Why This Changes the Game
AR and AI rely on real-time compute. You can’t pre-render personalized scenes or offload inference to the cloud without latency issues. Mawari makes it possible to compute at the edge and stream volumetric content seamlessly — whether you’re powering a virtual YouTuber or enabling smart AR glasses.
This makes the project one of the clearest examples of AI + DePIN in action: infrastructure that’s both decentralized and performance-driven.
About DePINed Podcast
DePINed is a podcast exploring the frontier of decentralized physical infrastructure, hosted by Tom Trowbridge, co-founder of Fluence. Each episode features in-depth conversations with founders, builders, and investors who are shaping the future of real-world Web3 networks.
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