Theta Network is poised for its biggest year yet with the introduction of Theta EdgeCloud in 2024, the first hybrid cloud computing platform built on a fully distributed edge architecture. Inspired by our collaboration with Google last year creating automated Video-to-Text, and in response to resource-intensive AI use cases from Theta Ecosystem projects like Lavita and FedML, Theta EdgeCloud combines the best of Cloud and Edge architectures to serve emerging AI use cases in video, media and entertainment. In addition to EdgeCloud, the coming year will see advances in Theta Video API functionality, more subchain and TNT20 launches, and extension of TDROP functionality in both ThetaDrop and other partner platforms.

H1 2024

1. EdgeCloud, next gen edge network, release 1

• Cloud hosted nodes managed by Theta
• Elite+ Booster features for EEN
• Operations dashboard, virtual management
• Host popular gen-AI, vision and language models

2. Theta Hackathon — Metachain/EdgeCloud/DePIN focus
3. New adoption metrics and subchain stats
4. Support new ecosystem projects, subchains, TNT20 staking
5. Theta Video API enhancements

• Self-serve studio-level NFT DRM support for livestreams and VoD
• Advanced metrics dashboard

H1 2024 will be highlighted by the first release of EdgeCloud, the next generation Theta Edge Network, with cloud-hosted nodes operated by Theta Labs. These nodes will run video and image generative AI models, video and other modeling tasks in preparation for being rolled out to partners and Theta community to operate. Elite Edge Node users will also have the option to run a new “Elite+ Booster” module to perform compute jobs for EdgeCloud if they have staked 500k TFUEL.
The next Theta Hackathon will also go live in Q2, with submission tracks for Metachain, EdgeCloud, and more. Several brand new subchains and their associated TNT20 tokens will also be going live, supported by new metrics and stats available to track the growth of Theta Metachain and ecosystem projects.
Theta Video API will also roll out several advanced features, including a metrics dashboard and the addition of self-serve studio-level NFT DRM, allowing any user to take advantage of the same NFT DRM tools that Decrypt, MetaCannes, and World of Women use for their events.

H2 2024

1. EdgeCloud, next gen edge network, release 2

• Enable partners to setup and run hosted nodes in their own cloud, data centers
• Support for advanced job prioritization and opt-out
• Summary reports / analytics of jobs completed
• Support distributed temporal and persistent storage for compute jobs

2. Fully decentralized Theta Video API for DRM, transcoding and delivery
3. Next gen Theta Web3 Theater integrated into ThetaDrop and partner platforms
4. Extend TDROP use cases to partner marketplaces
In H2 2024 release 2 of EdgeCloud will allow partners and end-users to begin running their own EdgeCloud nodes in data centers or their own individual cloud infrastructure, along with the ability to prioritize particular job types to process and/or opt-out of specific jobs on the network and analytics of jobs completed. This is an intermediate release in preparation for a fully decentralized EdgeCloud model where community operated edge nodes can participate in the hybrid cloud architecture.
Theta Video API will also become more decentralized with a further update that supports standard NFT DRM encoding in a decentralized environment.
Theta Web3 Theater, a new video experience that natively integrates Theta NFT DRM, will also go live on ThetaDrop as well as other partner marketplaces. This will coincide with TDROP’s functionality expanding to Theta partner platforms to increase usage of Theta NFTs throughout the ecosystem.

2025+

EdgeCloud, next gen edge network, release 3

• Deploy first hybrid cloud computing platform built on a fully distributed edge architecture
• Jobs and payload marketplace
• Optimization of jobs supply & demand
• Developer API interface

In 2025 and beyond we’ll continue to drive new applications in the Theta Ecosystem with more to share as we get closer to end of year, but one key facet will be the full release of EdgeCloud, where edge nodes operated by community members will work seamlessly and in tandem with cloud operated infrastructure. An intelligent “coordinator cluster” will route any incoming task to the most optimal node based on type of job, immediacy, performance, cost and other service level parameters. Jobs and payloads will be completed via an open marketplace that allows clients to submit jobs to the EdgeCloud and the amount they are willing to pay nodes to complete them in TFUEL or TNT20 tokens, while nodes running EdgeCloud can choose which jobs they want to complete (or opt to set their node to complete any job submitted). Node operators and clients will also benefit from a Developer API interface that allows them to easily submit or complete jobs programmatically.
The Theta roadmap is always evolving and will continue to be updated along the way as new use cases and products emerge, but this update is the blueprint for what to expect in Theta’s development in the coming year. The network will continue to grow to meet new use cases with the help of the community running Edge Nodes, developing ecosystem projects, and building the future of the network.