Lightchain AI announced on September 23 that its chat-v2 public beta is live on mainnet, with fees starting at 0.02 LCAI per message. The team describes a service where computing providers claim requests through the blockchain, with cryptographic records linking each answer to the worker that submitted it.
These providers, known as workers, run the AI models that generate responses. Lightchain’s documentation describes its earlier setup as relying on a central dispatcher to assign requests to workers. The new beta replaces that assignment process with eligible workers claiming requests under rules enforced by blockchain contracts, according to the launch announcement.
The announcement outlines a verification feature that lets users check which worker submitted an answer and whether it matches the response committed to the blockchain. This provides a way to trace an answer’s origin and detect changes, rather than verify its factual accuracy.
Messages are priced before submission and charged against a prepaid LCAI balance. The announced payment model allows users to withdraw unused funds, while the existing chat.lightchain.ai service continues operating alongside the beta.
Lightchain also says conversations are end-to-end encrypted. An optional memory feature stores information in the user’s browser and adds it to encrypted prompts when enabled, allowing the model to use those details in its responses.
What Is Lightchain AI, and What Happened After Its Presale?
Lightchain AI is a crypto project developing a Layer-1 blockchain designed to support artificial intelligence applications. Its proposed Proof of Intelligence mechanism is intended to reward participants for performing AI tasks, while its Artificial Intelligence Virtual Machine, or AIVM, is designed to connect those tasks with blockchain applications. LCAI is used for network payments, staking, and governance.
The project began its token presale in November 2024. The sale continued through 15 rounds and a bonus round before LCAI began trading on Uniswap on January 27, 2026, following a reported fundraising total exceeding $21 million.
The token’s launch brought a sharp sell-off. LCAI opened at $0.0074 and fell 80% within minutes as holders sold into the liquidity pool. The blockchain’s mainnet had not yet launched when token trading began.
Lightchain had previously scheduled mainnet for July 31, 2025, but postponed the release on the planned launch date, citing further technical work and recommendations from security auditor CertiK. The team subsequently announced that mainnet went live on May 7, 2026, more than three months after LCAI started trading.
