CERE Network
Cere Network is a Polkadot/Substrate-based decentralized data cloud platform combining tamper-proof storage (DDC), decentralized CDN, NFT tooling (Freeport), and developer SDKs. It serves Web3 game developers, music artists, dApp developers, and content publishers via a community-led, self-serve go-to-market.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What CERE Network does
Cere Network operates a decentralized data cloud and blockchain protocol built on Polkadot/Substrate, designed for Web3 and AI data workloads. The platform combines the Cere Decentralized Data Cloud (DDC) for tamper-proof storage, a Decentralized CDN (dCDN) for content delivery, and a Polkadot/Substrate-based blockchain secured by Nominated Proof-of-Stake (NPoS) consensus where validators also serve as data cluster inspectors. Surrounding products include Freeport (NFT minting platform), Cere Wallet, NFT Commerce SDK, Game SDK, CerePlay (Web3 gaming showcase), DaVinci (Web3 music platform), and the Real Time Experience Builder (RXB) for AI-driven personalization. Cross-chain reach is delivered via Hyperbridge for Polkadot-Ethereum transfers and LayerZero (Stargate, Interport Finance) for EVM interoperability, while NFTs minted through Freeport are issued as ERC-1155 tokens on Polygon.
Cere's customer base is horizontally distributed across Web3 game developers, music artists and content creators, Web3/dApp developers, and content publishers and media brands, with additional open-source community contributors participating through the Extended Developer Program. Go-to-market is community-led rather than sales-led: distribution runs through self-serve developer tooling, GitHub repositories, Discord/Telegram channels, the docs.cere.network portal, white-label NFT marketplace deployments, and on-chain General Assemblies streamed via the dCDN. There is no public price list, no disclosed SaaS contract structure, and no named enterprise customer logos in the source material.
Revenue mechanics are protocol-level rather than subscription-based. The Cere Treasury captures a portion of on-chain transaction fees and a share of slashing proceeds from misbehaving validators; DDC bucket creation and storage consume CERE-denominated fees from developer wallets; and Freeport-enabled NFT marketplaces generate transaction-based royalty and commission potential. The operating entity is Cerebellum Network, Inc., a Delaware corporation, with a Cere Network Swiss Association providing regulatory backing for the DAO. The company is private, 11-50 employees, founded in 2019, and has raised approximately $60 million across multiple rounds through 2022, though no revenue, valuation, or post-2022 funding figures are disclosed. Two 2026 federal RICO lawsuits allege a $157 million CERE token pump-and-dump scheme involving CEO Fred Jin, materially impacting brand and trust signals.
CERE Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CERE Network
- Legal name
- Cerebellum Network Inc.
- Website
- https://cere.network
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cere Network is a Polkadot/Substrate-based decentralized data cloud platform combining tamper-proof storage (DDC), decentralized CDN, NFT tooling (Freeport), and developer SDKs. It serves Web3 game developers, music artists, dApp developers, and content publishers via a community-led, self-serve go-to-market.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CERE Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Decentralized Cloud Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Decentralized Storage, Compute & Networking (IPFS/Filecoin, compute markets, DePIN) (FSAPAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- DePIN Orchestration, Scheduling & Middleware (resource discovery, job scheduling, workload orchestration) (FSAPALAK)
Keywords
Where CERE Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
CERE Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Protocol Transaction Fees: A portion of each block's transaction fees on the Cere blockchain is routed to the Cere Treasury, with the remainder paid to the block author — recurring protocol-level revenue captured on-chain.
- Slashing Proceeds: When validators or their nominators are slashed for misbehavior (offline, equivocation, etc.), a portion of the slashed CERE is sent to the Treasury, providing an event-driven revenue stream tied to network security enforcement.
- DDC Storage & Bucket Fees: Creating a bucket on the DDC requires a Cere blockchain transaction and consumes a portion of the wallet balance to pay associated fees; users must also maintain a positive CERE balance and DDC deposit to operate the ddc-client — usage-based revenue from developer/enterprise DDC usage.
- NFT Marketplace & Royalty Activity (Freeport): Freeport-enabled marketplaces (used by DaVinci and white-label deployments) support fixed-price sales, auctions and NFT royalty management, with NFTs minted as ERC-1155 tokens on Polygon — transaction-based commission/royalty revenue potential.
- Developer Bounty & Grant Distribution (EDP): Cere pays technical and social bounties in $CERE tokens via the Extended Developer Program (and Cere Grants programs) to attract developers — a token-denominated incentive outflow that supports network growth.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels8 records
CERE Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cere Network provides a decentralized data and finance cloud for enterprises, built on a Polkadot/Substrate-based blockchain and combining a Decentralized Data Cloud (DDC) for storage, a Decentralized CDN (dCDN), NFT infrastructure (Freeport) and developer SDKs (DDC SDK, Game SDK, NFT Commerce SDK, Media SDK). Customers use it to store and stream content, build Web3 dApps, run serverless games via CerePlay, and distribute digital collectibles through DaVinci and white-label NFT marketplaces.
Product overview
Cere Network is a unified platform-plus-modules architecture built around the Cere Decentralized Data Cloud (DDC) and the Cere Blockchain Protocol (a Polkadot/Substrate chain). The core platform comprises the Cere Decentralized Data Cloud (DDC) — a blockchain-based, tamper-proof storage and CDN solution — and the Cere Blockchain Protocol, which uses Nominated Proof-of-Stake (NPoS) for security and is governed by the $CERE token via the Cere DAO on OpenGov 1.0. Surrounding this core are several modules and products: Cere Freeport (NFT minting), Cere Wallet (asset management in standalone or embedded mode), the dCDN (decentralized content delivery), the NFT Marketplace, CerePlay (Web3 gaming showcase), DaVinci (Web3 music platform), Cere Explorer, Cerestats, Polkassembly governance portal, Staking Dashboard, and RXB (AI/ML-driven Real Time Experience Builder). Developer-facing tools include the DDC SDK (JavaScript and Go), NFT Commerce SDK (Web/Android/iOS/React Native), Game SDK (@cere/games-sdk), and Media SDK. Cross-chain interoperability is provided via Cere Bridge (now deprecated in favor of Hyperbridge and LayerZero integrations through Stargate bridge and Interport Finance). Enterprise-grade adoption is enabled through Decentralized Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DaVinci: Web3 music platform for artists to engage fans and monetize content through digital collectibles and decentralized streaming.
- CerePlay
- Freeport
- Cere Wallet
- Cere Marketplace
- Cere Decentralized Data Cloud (DDC)
- Cere Decentralized Content Delivery Network (dCDN)
Products and services
- Cere Decentralized Data Cloud (DDC) Blockchain-based, time-capsuled and tamper-proof decentralized storage layer that combines storage and CDN clusters with developer-chosen geographic cluster location, replication levels, encryption, and private/public data sharing; on-chain bucket orchestration via smart contracts.
- Cere Blockchain Protocol Polkadot/Substrate-based blockchain secured by Nominated Proof-of-Stake (NPoS) with BABE block production and GRANDPA finality, governed by the $CERE token via the Cere DAO on OpenGov 1.0. Validators double as data cluster inspectors for DDC integrity and payment operations.
- Decentralized CDN (dCDN) Decentralized alternative to centralized CDN services such as AWS and Cloudflare; streams media and game assets directly to users who own the content rights, reducing cost and overhead.
- Cere Freeport NFT minting platform providing a prepackaged set of open-source smart contracts and services for minting and listing NFTs in fixed-price sales or auctions, managing NFT royalties, and storing NFT assets securely and encrypted on DDC.
- Cere Wallet Wallet application for managing NFTs, visualizing unlocked content, managing crypto assets and making payments directly to content creators; integrates with Cere Identity, Freeport NFT experiences, marketplaces, the DDC and Cere Blockchain, available as a standalone app or embedded IFRAME widget.
- CerePlay Web3 gaming showcase for game developers demonstrating decentralized leaderboards, Web3 rewards, user activation and secondary marketplaces; features a decentralized leaderboard where user achievements and rewards are decoupled from core game development and operations.
- DaVinci Web3 music engagement platform for artists to offer exclusive access, digital collectibles, distribution, fan retention and gamified interactions with creator ownership; includes decentralized streaming, AI-gamified digital collectibles, gated exclusive access and personalized fan deliveries.
- Cere NFT Marketplace Out-of-the-box marketplace solution that lets creators and developers offer digital assets to their community, enabling exclusive digital art exhibits, behind-the-scenes content and in-game marketplaces.
- DDC SDK Developer kit in JavaScript and Go that lets developers create applications interacting with the Cere Decentralized Data Cloud, including content-addressable storage, file storage, key-value storage, smart-contract client and DDC-client modules.
- Game SDK JavaScript library (NPM package @cere/games-sdk) for integrating Cere Network into games; enables game data storage in DDC, serverless game hosting in the CerePlay portal, UI customization via Web Components/Shadow DOM, wallet connection, and player score/leaderboard management.
- NFT Commerce SDK SDK for Web, Android, iOS and React Native that enables webshops to offer curated NFT experiences (exclusive content, event tickets, memberships); mints NFTs as ERC-1155 tokens on Polygon and serves content from Cere DDC, with decryption via RXB engagement templates.
- Media SDK JavaScript plugin that enables websites to stream content directly from Cere DDC; used by DaVinci to store and deliver media content.
- Real Time Experience Builder (RXB) AI/ML-driven experience layer that produces personalized engagement templates and enables smart, data-driven user engagements that evolve with each interaction; lets developers, marketers and data analysts analyze user behavior and improve marketing funnels.
- Cere Staking Dashboard Self-serve staking dashboard at staking.cere.network for CERE holders to natively stake on the network, with overview, staking activities and validators tabs (sortable by commission rate, excluding inactive/blocked validators).
Quantifiable outcome
- First Decentralized Data Cluster (Dragon 1) launched and used to host the inaugural Cere DAO General Assembly recording streamed via dCDN (March 8, 2024).
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CERE Network
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
CERE Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability2 records
Feature10 records
CERE Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and other.
- HyperbridgecoreHyperbridge is Cere's primary bridging partner after the legacy Cere Bridge was deprecated following a Polkadot runtime upgrade. Users bridge $CERE between Ethereum and Cere Mainnet via app.hyperbridge.network, integrating Cere into the broader Polkadot ecosystem.
- LayerZerocoreLayerZero integration enables $CERE to move across EVM networks via the Stargate bridge and Interport Finance. It expands Cere's cross-chain footprint beyond Polkadot and Ethereum.
- StargatesecondaryStargate, built on LayerZero, is referenced as a destination for bridging $CERE across EVM networks, providing liquidity access for Cere token holders.
- Interport FinancesecondaryInterport Finance (app.interport.fi) is referenced as a LayerZero-based bridge UI for moving $CERE across EVM chains, complementing Hyperbridge and Stargate.
- KuCoinsecondaryKuCoin is the centralized exchange prominently linked from Cere's homepage via a 'how to buy CERE on KuCoin' button, providing token liquidity for $CERE.
- PolygoncoreCere's NFT Commerce SDK mints NFTs as ERC-1155 tokens on the Polygon blockchain while storing content on the Cere DDC, making Polygon the canonical chain for Freeport-minted NFT assets.
- Polkadot / SubstratecoreCere Network is built on the Polkadot / Substrate framework, with validators running the Polkadot binary and Cere recently completing a runtime upgrade to the latest Polkadot version (which underpins the move to Hyperbridge).
- PolkassemblycorePolkassembly (cere.polkassembly.io) is the platform Cere uses for on-chain governance, allowing $CERE holders to view and vote on proposals. Cere's own DAO is described as 'inspired by top decentralized projects like MakerDAO and Uniswap'.
- Polkadot/Substrate Portal (Polkadot.js)coreCere exposes the standard Polkadot/Substrate Portal at explorer.cere.network for staking, governance (council, treasury, democracy), and payouts interaction.
- DaVinci (internal showcase platform)coreDaVinci is Cere's flagship Web3 music engagement product, built on top of the Cere stack (Freeport, Cere Wallet, Marketplace, Media SDK, DDC) and presented as the canonical showcase for content publishers on Cere.
- Gotbit Ltd.otherPer the federal RICO complaint, Gotbit Ltd. allegedly conducted wash trading on behalf of Cere Network insiders; its founder was later convicted in Operation Token Mirrors. Listed here solely because the source material describes a (now-contested) commercial relationship.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CERE Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Filecoin: Decentralized storage network built by Protocol Labs that competes directly with Cere's DDC for blockchain-based data storage workloads, with IPFS underneath and similar storage-provider / token-incentive economics.
- Arweave: Permanent, decentralized data storage protocol with a one-time-fee model — competes with Cere DDC for permanent and censorship-resistant storage of Web3/AI datasets and NFT content.
- Crust Network: Polkadot-based decentralized storage and CDN layer (similar architectural lineage to Cere), competing head-to-head with Cere for Substrate-native decentralized storage and content delivery workloads.
- Storj: Decentralized cloud object storage provider competing with Cere DDC for S3-compatible enterprise and developer storage use cases, with similar claims of cost-efficiency and end-to-end encryption.
- Akash Network: Decentralized cloud computing marketplace (Cosmos-based) that overlaps with Cere's positioning as a decentralized alternative to hyperscaler infrastructure, though focused on compute rather than storage/CDN.
- Livepeer: Decentralized video transcoding and CDN network whose core use case (streaming media and game assets directly to rights-holding users) closely mirrors Cere dCDN's value proposition.
- Sia: Decentralized storage network with file-contract-based economics, competing with Cere DDC for censorship-resistant, encrypted cloud storage workloads.
Emerging players
- The Graph: Decentralized indexing and data API protocol — adjacent to Cere DDC in Web3 data infrastructure, with partial overlap on serving on-chain and NFT data to developers at scale.
- Pinata: IPFS-based pinning service and NFT storage provider that overlaps with Cere DDC for NFT asset storage and retrieval, especially via Freeport-style minting flows.
Broad incumbents
- Cloudflare: Centralized CDN and edge-compute incumbent that Cere dCDN is explicitly positioned against ('an alternative to centralized CDN services such as AWS and Cloudflare').
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CERE Network social profiles
Digital presenceCERE Network compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
CERE Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CERE Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
CERE Network subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
CERE Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors35 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CERE Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CERE Network
What does CERE Network do?
Cere Network provides a decentralized data and finance cloud for enterprises, built on a Polkadot/Substrate-based blockchain and combining a Decentralized Data Cloud (DDC) for storage, a Decentralized CDN (dCDN), NFT infrastructure (Freeport) and developer SDKs (DDC SDK, Game SDK, NFT Commerce SDK, Media SDK). Customers use it to store and stream content, build Web3 dApps, run serverless games via CerePlay, and distribute digital collectibles through DaVinci and white-label NFT marketplaces.
Is CERE Network a public or private company?
CERE Network is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was CERE Network founded?
CERE Network was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CERE Network based?
CERE Network is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does CERE Network make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Protocol Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are slashing Proceeds, DDC Storage & Bucket Fees, NFT Marketplace & Royalty Activity (Freeport) and developer Bounty & Grant Distribution (EDP).
Who are CERE Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Filecoin, Arweave, Crust Network, Storj, Akash Network, Livepeer and Sia. Emerging players are The Graph and Pinata. Cloudflare is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does CERE Network have an API?
Yes. Cere offers multiple developer-facing APIs and SDKs: (1) Cere Wallet API — a REST application built on the NestJS framework that supports the Cere Wallet Client API, with Dev, Stage, and Prod deployments (https://api.wallet.cere.io/). (2) DDC SDK — developer kits for JavaScript and Go enabling interaction with the Decentralized Data Cloud (content-addressable storage, file storage, key-value storage, smart-contract client, ddc-client). (3) NFT Commerce SDK — Web, Android, iOS, and React Native SDKs that let webshops offer NFT-based experiences (exclusive content, event tickets, memberships); requires an API Key for secure communication with the Cere API. (4) Media SDK — JavaScript plugin that streams content from DDC. (5) Game SDK — NPM package (@cere/games-sdk) for integrating Cere infrastructure and DDC interactions into games. Developer documentation is at docs.cere.network.
What industry is CERE Network in?
CERE Network's product category is Decentralized Cloud Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPAAAK, Decentralized Storage, Compute & Networking (IPFS/Filecoin, compute markets, DePIN), with a secondary code of FSAPALAK, DePIN Orchestration, Scheduling & Middleware (resource discovery, job scheduling, workload orchestration). Its NAICS code is 518210 and its SIC code is 6200.