{"id":"marcus-graichen","title":"Marcus Graichen","content":"**Marcus Graichen**, also known by his online alias \"mog\" or \"mogmachine\", is the founder of [Hippius](https://iq.wiki/wiki/hippius) and Taostats, a widely used analytics platform for the [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) network, and Corcel, a company focused on building user-facing AI applications. Graichen is based in London, United Kingdom, and speaks English, French, and Swahili. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr) [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-cDgaej45rQVvIFaW)​\n\n## Education\n\nGraichen has a background in digital media and production. He earned a Master of Arts by Project in Digital Media from the University of Portsmouth. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr) He also holds a Bachelor of Arts with 1st Class Honours in Multimedia Arts and Production from the SAE Institute. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-cDgaej45rQVvIFaW)\n\n## Career\n\nGraichen's career began in the late 1990s in the media and entertainment industry before transitioning into academia and eventually full-stack software development and entrepreneurship. He has over a decade of professional experience as a software developer and product architect, which served as a basis for working with [digital assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/digital-assets). [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-cDgaej45rQVvIFaW)​\n\n### Early Career and Mog Machine Ltd.\n\nFrom 1998 to 2000, Graichen served as the Head of Imaging at The Motion Picture Company, a post-production house. Following this, he moved into academia, working as a Lecturer in Digital Media at the University of Portsmouth from 2000 to 2005. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr) He also taught courses on PHP, MySQL, and 3D at the SAE Institute. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-cDgaej45rQVvIFaW)​\n\nIn 2003, Graichen founded his own firm, Mog Machine Ltd., where he serves as Technical Director. The company provides full-stack web development and product architecture services. Through Mog Machine, Graichen has worked with a range of clients, from startups to major organizations, including the BBC and the Bank of England. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr) Concurrently, he held senior technology roles, including program lead positions at a CTO level for publications such as The Gentleman’s Journal and KiteSista, and as a Senior Developer and Product Architect for Super Being Labs. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-cDgaej45rQVvIFaW)​\n\n### Transition to Decentralized AI\n\nAround 2017, Graichen developed a technical interest in [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency), which eventually led him to the [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) network. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr) His focus shifted towards building infrastructure and applications for decentralized AI. In January 2022, he co-founded Blockmachine, a development and incubation firm that would serve as the parent entity for several of his subsequent projects in the Bittensor ecosystem. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Xym1cXLhr4jzcylg) This marked his formal entry into building for decentralized networks, which culminated in the founding of Taostats and Corcel. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr)​\n\n## Ventures in the Bittensor Ecosystem\n\nGraichen has founded and co-founded several key projects within the [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) ecosystem, with a focus on improving accessibility, transparency, and building practical applications on the network.\n\n### Taostats\n\nGraichen founded Taostats in late 2022, with the project being formally established in January 2023. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Xym1cXLhr4jzcylg) [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr) Taostats.io is a data analytics and network explorer platform for [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao). It provides real-time data, validator statistics, subnet performance insights, and other analytics that are critical for network participants.\n\nThe platform originated from complex personal spreadsheets Graichen created to track his own validator performance and [staking](https://iq.wiki/wiki/staking) delegations on the network. After sharing them with community members who found them useful, he developed the spreadsheets into a public-facing website. The goal was to demystify the network's activity and make it more transparent and accessible. In an interview, Graichen stated, \"My goal was always to demystify the network. Early on, [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) was incredibly opaque. If we wanted real adoption, we needed to show people, not just tell them, what was happening on-chain. That's why I built Taostats.\" [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr)​\n\nTaostats became one of the first and most widely used user-facing applications in the [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) ecosystem. It also operates as a core part of the network's infrastructure as the architect of Subnet 8, which is dedicated to data scraping, processing, and serving analytics for the network itself. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Xym1cXLhr4jzcylg)​\n\n### Corcel\n\nIn January 2023, Graichen also founded Corcel, a venture aimed at building user-friendly products and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) on top of the [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) network. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr) The project was initially named BitAPAI, reflecting its early goal of providing simple API access to Bittensor's different AI subnets. It was later rebranded to Corcel to signify a broader ambition of creating a suite of end-user products. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr)​\n\nCorcel's product offerings include:\n\n* **Corcel API:** Provides developers with access to various AI models on the [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) network, including for language and image generation.\n* **Corcel Chat:** A free-to-use conversational AI application that functions as a decentralized alternative to services like ChatGPT. It leverages [Bittensor's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) text-generation subnets.\n* **Image Studio:** An application for AI-powered image generation and manipulation that utilizes Bittensor's image-generation capabilities.\n\nGraichen has also stated plans to integrate vision capabilities into the Corcel Chat product in the future. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr)​\n\n### Other Ventures\n\nIn addition to his primary projects, Graichen has co-founded other ventures aimed at expanding the capabilities of the [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) ecosystem:\n\n* **Blockmachine (January 2022):** A development and incubation firm that serves as a venture studio for building infrastructure and applications on decentralized networks, with a primary focus on Bittensor. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Xym1cXLhr4jzcylg)\n* **Hippius (June 2023):** Co-founded to build decentralized AI solutions focused on leveraging AI for creative and generative tasks for artists and designers. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Xym1cXLhr4jzcylg)\n* **Vidaio (February 2024):** Co-founded to develop AI-powered video generation, transcription, and editing tools within the Bittensor framework. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Xym1cXLhr4jzcylg)\n\n## Contributions and Philosophy\n\nGraichen is a prominent figure in the [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) community, recognized for both his technical contributions and his role as an educator and advocate for decentralized AI.\n\n### Role in the Bittensor Community\n\nGraichen is considered a key early builder in the [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) ecosystem. His development of Taostats provided the community with its first robust tool for monitoring and understanding the network's incentive mechanisms and overall health. He was instrumental in creating one of the network's pioneering subnets, Subnet 8 (the Taostats Subnet), which focuses on providing on-chain analytics as a decentralized service. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Xym1cXLhr4jzcylg)​\n\nThrough his social media presence and public speaking, he frequently explains complex technical concepts related to Bittensor to a broader audience. He is also an active contributor to open-source software, maintaining repositories for tools related to the ecosystem, including `bittensor-delegates`. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-cDgaej45rQVvIFaW)​\n\n### Views on Artificial Intelligence\n\nGraichen is a proponent of open, community-driven AI as a counterbalance to the dominance of centralized technology companies. He believes decentralized networks can foster competition and innovation. \"I absolutely believe that a decentralized, open-source set of tools can be a serious competitor to something like ChatGPT,\" he stated in a 2026 interview. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr)​\n\nHe views [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) primarily as a decentralized network for AI, rather than a [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) product. According to him, the use of a token (TAO) and a [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) is a necessary technical solution to the problem of creating a global, permissionless incentive mechanism for machine learning models. On this topic, he commented, \"We're moving from a world where intelligence is a siloed, proprietary asset to one where it's a globally accessible, permissionless commodity. Bittensor is the protocol for that transition.\" [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Xym1cXLhr4jzcylg) [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr)​\n\n### Technical Skills\n\nGraichen's work involves a broad range of technical skills. His areas of expertise include distributed systems, data architecture, machine learning model deployment, and API-driven data platforms. He primarily programs in Python for AI and backend systems, JavaScript/TypeScript for frontend development, and Rust for performance-critical components. His technical experience also includes frameworks like PyTorch and blockchain technologies such as Substrate and [Polkadot](https://iq.wiki/wiki/polkadot). [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Xym1cXLhr4jzcylg) [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-cDgaej45rQVvIFaW)​\n\n## Public Engagements\n\nAs a public figure in the decentralized AI space, Graichen participates in industry events and interviews. In 2026, he was a speaker at the Exploit Summit, where his talk was slated to cover the economic models of [Bittensor's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) subnets and the future of decentralized AI as a commodity. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Xym1cXLhr4jzcylg)​\n\nIn a March 2026 interview with Martech.org, he discussed his professional journey, the motivations behind founding Taostats, and his long-term vision for decentralized AI. He predicted that the next phase of development would focus on building sustainable economies on decentralized intelligence networks. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-pGsKDD3WEkECN7Mr)​\n\n## Interviews\n\n### Early Builder Perspective on Bittensor’s Evolution #01\n\nIn an interview published on March 26, 2026, on the YouTube channel JM Crypto, Marcus Graichen discussed the development of the [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) ecosystem based on his experience as founder of TaoStats and an early participant in the network.\n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=D31hDaD4tZ4)\n\nGraichen stated that his involvement with [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) began in late 2022, influenced by validator yield opportunities and interest in decentralized artificial intelligence systems. He explained that his background in web development contributed to the creation of TaoStats, a platform designed to aggregate and present network data in a structured format.\n\nHe described the transition from the “Nakamoto” phase to the “Finney” network upgrade, which introduced validator limits and delegation mechanisms. According to Graichen, these changes altered participation conditions and redefined how [validators](https://iq.wiki/wiki/validator) operated within the network.\n\nGraichen also addressed the design of incentive mechanisms within [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao). He noted that earlier models relied on synthetic activity for evaluation, which created conditions for manipulation. He referenced subsequent adjustments, including market-based emission models and the introduction of mechanisms such as Tau Flow, which link emissions to token flow dynamics.\n\nHe further outlined the expansion of subnets within the ecosystem, describing their role in providing services such as inference, storage, and data-related operations. He indicated that these subnets operate with varying approaches to sustainability, with some incorporating revenue-generating activities alongside token-based incentives.\n\nRegarding future developments, Graichen indicated that subnet teams are expected to adopt more formal organizational structures, with increased attention to business operations and revenue generation. He characterized [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) as an infrastructure layer supporting multiple independent projects within the broader decentralized AI sector. [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-dIu4d9yayiV4UyYr) \n\n### **Marcus Graichen on dTAO and Structural Changes in Bittensor #02**\n\nIn an interview published on February 25, 2025, on the Ventura Labs YouTube channel, Marcus Graichen (also known as MOG) discussed the structure and development of the [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) ecosystem following the introduction of dTAO.\n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=GiNV3fNWrpY)\n\nGraichen described dTAO as a change in the mechanism used to determine subnet emissions. Control over emissions shifted toward token holders, allowing market activity to influence subnet valuation. He noted that this change coincided with an increase in subnet registrations and the removal of prior limits on the number of active subnets.\n\nHe also addressed the structure of [Bittensor’s](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) data environment. According to Graichen, the network differs from conventional [blockchains](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) because it requires tracking interactions between validators, miners, and subnet participants across multiple states. Each subnet maintains a set of participants whose performance and incentives must be recorded over time, increasing the complexity of indexing and data retrieval. This context is associated with the use of tools such as Taostats, which provide indexed access to network data.\n\nThe interview further outlined changes in validator participation. Graichen explained that mechanisms such as child-key delegation allow validators to allocate stake without directly operating infrastructure. This model alters how validators interact with subnets and reduces reliance on earlier practices such as weight copying. He indicated that incentive structures are evolving toward models that assign value based on network participation rather than repeated allocation strategies.\n\nIn discussing market behavior, Graichen referenced volatility observed during the initial phase following dTAO implementation. He attributed part of this activity to an emission imbalance affecting the ALPHA token during early stages. According to his account, this contributed to short-term price fluctuations within a low-liquidity environment.\n\nGraichen also referred to different subnet categories, including those focused on AI inference and compute-related services. These subnets process external requests and interact with broader computational workloads, reflecting one direction of subnet implementation within the network.\n\nRegarding participant behavior, Graichen stated that the network includes a range of activities, from short-term trading strategies to longer-term development efforts. He indicated that the structure of incentives allows for both, while noting that ongoing development is associated with participants building applications and services on top of the network.\n\nOverall, Graichen described [Bittensor](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bittensor-tao) as a system undergoing structural adjustments following the introduction of dTAO, with changes affecting emission distribution, validator roles, subnet design, and participant activity. [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-NzDhwjIfr77fVNg8) \n\n​","summary":"Marcus 'mog' Graichen is a British developer and entrepreneur known as a key builder in the Bittensor ecosystem. 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