The ThreeFold Network is a decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) internet infrastructure project. It provides a global grid of computing, storage, and network capacity owned by the community rather than centralized providers.

1. Project Inception and Vision (2016 – 2017)

  • Founding: ThreeFold was established in 2016 by a team of internet veterans led by Kristof De Spiegeleer.
  • Core Philosophy: The mission was to create a “People’s Internet” that is open-source, neutral, and highly secure.
  • Technical Development: The foundation for the network was the development of Zero-OS, a lightweight operating system that removes the need for human intervention in server management (Self-Healing and Autonomous).

2. Infrastructure Evolution: The Grid Versions

The network has evolved through several iterations to scale its capacity and transition toward a commercial marketplace.

  • Grid v1.0 & v2.0 (2018 – 2019): These early versions focused on testing the “Proof-of-Capacity” model, where users (Farmers) were rewarded for proving their hardware was connected to the grid.
  • Grid v3.0 (2020 – 2025): This era saw the network expand to a global scale, utilizing the Stellar blockchain to manage capacity. At its peak, the grid reached over 80 million GB of capacity across thousands of nodes in more than 20 countries.
  • Grid v4.0 (2026 – Future): Launched in early 2026, this version represents a shift to a “Utilization-based” economy. It introduces a marketplace where users rent “slices” of computing resources directly from Farmers, who set their own pricing.

3. The History of ThreeFold Tokens (TFT, SPORE, AUR)

ThreeFold employs a multi-asset ecosystem to balance rewards for infrastructure providers with predictable pricing for end-users.

The ThreeFold Token (TFT)

  • Launch: TFT was introduced as the primary utility token of the network.
  • Minting Model: Unlike most cryptocurrencies, TFT was never sold in an ICO. It is only “minted” when a Farmer adds active hardware to the grid.
  • Blockchain Rails: Originally built on the Stellar network, TFT later expanded via bridges to Binance Smart Chain (BSC) and the native TF Chain (Substrate).
  • Token Cap: The total supply is strictly capped at 4 billion tokens.

The New v4 Economy: SPORE and AUR

As of February 2026, the network is transitioning to a more commercial economic model.

  • SPORE: The new primary utility and reward token for v4.
    • It is used for paying for grid services and as the payout for Farmers.
    • The network has provided a one-way bridge for users to convert their legacy TFT tokens into SPORE to join the v4 ecosystem.
  • AUR: A gold-backed stablecoin introduced to provide price stability for corporate and enterprise users.
    • This allows users to pay for computing “slices” without being exposed to the volatility of traditional crypto markets.

4. Key Milestones and Timeline

  • 2016: Project founded; initial development of Zero-OS begins.
  • 2018: Early Grid versions launch; first ThreeFold Tokens (TFT) are minted.
  • 2020: Launch of Grid 3.0 on the Stellar blockchain.
  • 2021: Major growth phase, surpassing 80 PB of storage capacity globally.
  • 2024: The community votes to transition from a “Capacity-based” to a “Utilization-based” reward model.
  • Feb 8, 2026: Official termination of minting rewards on the v3 grid; mandatory migration to the v4 marketplace begins.
  • 2026+: Launch of the v4 Marketplace, AUR stablecoin, and options to convert rewards into BTC, ETH, and USDC.

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