Akashi Network, mainnet upgrade to expand decentralized AI infrastructure

In the fourth quarter of 2025, Akash Network (AKT) saw a 28% quarter-over-quarter increase in new leases, reaching 34,300 transactions, indicating a rebound in deployment activity. However, despite this recovery, overall infrastructure utilization fell, with GPU usage down 46%. According to a Messari Research report, Akash’s “network revenue” measured in USD declined due to the AKT price drop, but its native revenue increased, suggesting that economic activity on the network remains active.

Akash recently upgraded the mainnet 14, successfully migrating to Cosmos SDK v0.53. This has triggered major changes to the protocol architecture and, by introducing AkashML, simplified decentralized GPU-driven AI applications while expanding the network’s capabilities. These technical advances help strengthen its readiness for future AI and cloud workloads. Messari Research also noted that Akash’s governance efforts are currently focused on protocol upgrades and providing funding for the network’s development.

On the community and ecosystem support front, Akash launched a community contribution program and a student ambassador program to strengthen education and engagement in decentralized computing. Through these initiatives, Akash is reinforcing its role as a global infrastructure network and building a foundation for sustainable growth. Overall, Messari Research’s analysis suggests that Akash is preparing for 2026, aiming to improve network utilization and establish infrastructure that can support growing demand for more AI and cloud workloads.