What is Auton?
What is Auton?
Auton is the derivatives layer for decentralized compute. Instead of paying volatile spot rates to centralized providers, Auton lets you lock in forward prices, reserve GPU capacity, and route inference through an open gateway — all settled on-chain.
Compute derivatives on-chain, not corporate contracts.
How it works
You browse forward contracts on the marketplace. You lock in a rate with USDC and receive tokenized compute balance. Point any OpenAI-compatible client at the Auton gateway — your balance deducts per token as inference runs. Providers stake $AUTO to back SLAs. Settlements flow in USDC. No intermediary deciding your price or revoking your access.
Two tiers
| Tier | Model | Cost | Where it runs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Futures | DeepSeek Forward | $0.14/M locked | Auton gateway | Hedge volatility through July 2026; gateway-ready |
| Futures | Llama Forward | $0.18/M locked | Auton gateway | Multi-model tier; capacity guarantee eligible |
| Capacity | Q3 GPU Commitment | $0.95/M locked | Native providers | SLA-backed GPU hours; verifier staking required |
Credits and the $AUTO token
Forward balances are purchased with USDC at the locked rate shown on each contract. You don't need $AUTO to use Auton as a consumer.
- Buy tokenized compute capacity at today's locked rate before spot moves
- Providers earn 70% of settlement value in USDC (80% if they stake $AUTO)
- Liquidity participants earn fees from on-chain derivatives markets
$AUTO is the protocol token — futures collateral, verifier staking, and treasury buyback. Network revenue automatically buys it back and burns half; the other half goes to stakers in USDC.
See The $AUTO Token for the full breakdown.
The stack
- Marketplace — browse and purchase forward contracts and capacity commitments
- Gateway — OpenRouter-compatible proxy; balances deduct per token
- Backend API — Express + Supabase for auth, keys, staking, and usage logs
- On-chain — Solana wallet signatures, Streamflow staking, and on-chain settlement
Why?
Centralized cloud providers lock you into spot pricing, opaque SLAs, and revocable API keys. Auton is the alternative — transparent, on-chain, and owned by the community.
Anyone can hedge compute costs, guarantee capacity, provide liquidity, or contribute GPU supply and start earning.