Los Angeles-based Sahara AI has introduced the Data Services Platform (DSP), which compensates users with cryptocurrency for completing data annotation tasks such as image labeling, audio transcription, or evaluating AI-generated text.
Data Services Platform is now LIVE!
No whitelists. Real crypto rewards. From $SAHARA to various partner tokens, there’s so many new ways to contribute to AI and earn!
To celebrate, we’re going live tomorrow with an AMA to answer all your burning questions.
📅 Jul 23, 5pm PDT pic.twitter.com/5tqL0TAjea
— Sahara AI 🔆 (@SaharaLabsAI) July 22, 2025
DSP aims to transform the often low-paid and routine work of training artificial intelligence into a decentralized gig economy.
Companies, research labs, and crypto projects frequently post tasks, which users complete for cryptocurrency rewards. DSP has adopted this principle, focusing on data annotation payments.
This model ensures high-quality information and guards against misuse through automatic checks, reputation ratings, and the requirement to stake tokens for participation.
Payment types on DSP include:
- Enterprise Tasks — payment in SAHARA tokens for data annotation for large clients;
- Dual-Reward Tasks — payment in SAHARA and assets from ecosystem partners;
- Community Tasks — no immediate payment, but a share in datasets and passive income from their sale or use is provided.
Quality control for completed tasks involves:
- trap questions, which also identify users attempting to manipulate the system through multiple accounts;
- AI models to detect fraudsters;
- reputation systems and bans.
In August 2024, the blockchain and artificial intelligence startup Sahara AI raised $43 million.
In July 2025, the Chinese project DeepSeek began hiring interns for medical data annotation to enhance AI applications in hospitals.