Is it worth getting involved in Sahara AI's new project?
Let's start with the conclusion: it's worth a try, but don't go all in! Control your position within what you can accept, and maintain a steady mindset. Over the past few days, I've gone through a lot of information, and Sahara AI's IDO on Buidlpad does indeed have some substance. Below, I'll briefly discuss why it's worth paying attention to, as well as the pitfalls and opportunities of participation.
Why is Sahara AI a bit appealing?
Buidlpad's 'Ace Effect'
Buidlpad has been quite popular recently; the first project Solayer directly achieved a return of 970%, which is explosive. As the second-phase project, Sahara AI is not lacking in heat, especially with 100% TGE unlock, allowing direct trading of tokens upon receipt, maximizing liquidity. Moreover, market rumors suggest that this project is likely to be listed on Binance Launchpool, and historically, projects on Launchpool often experience a surge in the short term.The valuation is relatively reasonable.
The FDV (fully diluted valuation) of this IDO is $600 million, which sounds quite high, but considering Sahara AI's funding background: the Series A valuation was $400 million with a raise of $43 million, resulting in only a 50% premium, with no lock-up, which is still quite reasonable. Behind it are big names like Polychain, Binance Labs, Sequoia, and Samsung, indicating a solid fundamental backing.The heat of the AI + blockchain track
Sahara AI focuses on decentralized AI, addressing hardcore issues like data sovereignty and model rights confirmation. The AI sector is already hot, and the addition of blockchain provides a bit of a 'Web3 freedom' buff. The product matrix (to be discussed in detail later) covers data, models, and AI agents, targeting the needs of users, developers, and enterprises, showing significant ambition.
What pitfalls should be avoided?
KYC is a big hassle.
This new project requires KYC, and the regional restrictions are quite strict. In the last Solayer new project, brothers using Nigerian KYC were basically banned, a painful lesson! KYC in European regions is relatively stable, but specific rules will need to wait for the official announcement on June 8 before proceeding. Those looking to invest more should prepare reliable KYC identification in advance, rather than scrambling at the last minute.High FDV, risks must be weighed.
A $600 million FDV is not low in the current market; if the market sentiment is poor, there may be pressure in the secondary market. The short-term speculative space depends on the support of Binance Launchpool, but the long-term value will still need to be assessed based on Sahara AI's ecological implementation.Community first, but don't expect to get rich.
Buidlpad emphasizes 'fair distribution', with all tokens given to community users, without VC lock-up, which is a good intention. However, the allocation ratio is only 1.4167%, with a minimum subscription amount of $50 and a maximum of $3000, limiting the amount retail investors can receive. It's unrealistic to expect to get rich overnight from this.
How to participate in a new project?
Time is tight, and tasks are heavy; brothers, remember the following key nodes (time is in UTC+8):
June 8, 15:00 - June 11, 14:59: KYC registration, prepare your identification information.
June 10, 03:00 - June 11, 14:59: Subscription registration, confirm how much you want to invest ($50-$3000).
Before June 14, 15:00: Qualification review, the official will screen out non-compliant KYC.
June 14, 15:00 - June 15, 14:59: Official investment period, fundraising phase.
Before June 18, 15:00: Settlement and refunds, receiving tokens or returning excess funds.
The first new project is Solayer, which has a very high gold content, with the potential for basic tenfold profits. Solayer ($LAYER) is a significant re-staking protocol based on the Solana blockchain, focusing on enhancing the security and performance of the Solana ecosystem through innovative methods, while also providing users with additional earning opportunities. In simple terms, it allows users holding SOL to support DApps and network security on Solana by staking SOL or liquid staking tokens (LSTs), in exchange for $sSOL (Solayer's liquid staking token), and they can also use these tokens in DeFi, such as lending and providing liquidity, making it a classic case of 'one fish, multiple eats'.
The core highlight is its InfiniSVM technology, a hardware-accelerated blockchain engine that claims to achieve one million transactions per second (TPS) and 100 Gbps throughput using high-performance computing technologies like RDMA and InfiniBand, with almost zero latency, being hailed as the 'super engine' of the Solana ecosystem. Additionally, Solayer has launched $sUSD (a yield-bearing stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, backed by US Treasury bonds) and the Emerald Card (a non-custodial crypto debit card), directly bridging on-chain assets with real-world consumption scenarios, maximizing practicality. On the team side, Solayer's founder has a solid background in cryptography and distributed systems, with an advisory team including top figures from the Solana ecosystem. The project is set to launch in 2024, with key milestones like the mainnet protocol and the $sUSD stablecoin already in place, securing $22 million from major institutions like Binance Labs and Polychain Capital, with an initial FDV (fully diluted valuation) of $350 million, which is not low.
