What could affect AKT's future price?

TLDR

Akash Network (AKT) is poised for potential price movements driven by its innovative AI services and network upgrades. Key catalysts include:

• Product Launch – The introduction of AkashML, a managed AI inference service, could significantly boost demand and usage of AKT in the short term.
• Network Upgrades – The recent Mainnet 14 upgrade enhances transaction throughput, which may attract more users and developers, impacting price positively in the medium term.
• Market Dynamics – The transition to a services network and the growing interest in decentralized AI solutions could create bullish momentum, especially as the AI sector expands.

Deep Dive

1. Product Launch of AkashML (Bullish Short-Term)

• Overview: Akash Network recently launched AkashML, a fully managed AI inference service that operates on decentralized GPUs. This service is designed to reduce deployment costs for large language models (LLMs) by up to 85% and offers OpenAI-compatible APIs. New users receive $100 in AI token credits to experiment with the service. This launch is expected to attract developers and enterprises looking for cost-effective AI solutions.
• What this means: The introduction of AkashML could lead to a surge in demand for AKT as users engage with the platform. Historical precedents, such as the price increases seen by other tokens following significant product launches (e.g., Chainlink's price surge after the introduction of its decentralized oracles), suggest that AKT could see a similar bullish response, potentially pushing prices above the current level of $0.5163.

2. Recent Network Upgrades (Bullish Impact)

• Overview: The Akash Network completed its Mainnet 14 upgrade on October 28, 2025, migrating to Cosmos SDK v0.53. This upgrade aims to improve transaction throughput and prepare for future integrations with AI and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN). The transition from container-only deployments to full Virtual Machine (VM) support is also a significant step towards attracting enterprise clients.
• What this means: Enhanced transaction speeds and capabilities could lead to increased user adoption and higher transaction volumes. For instance, if transaction volumes increase by 50% due to improved performance, this could create upward pressure on AKT's price, especially if the market perceives these upgrades as a competitive advantage in the growing decentralized cloud space.

3. Transition to a Services Network (Mixed Impact)

• Overview: Akash is shifting from a resource network to a services network, aiming to become a "supercloud" that leverages spare computing power for AI workloads. This strategic pivot includes plans for confidential computing, set to launch in Q1 2026, which will encrypt data during processing, enhancing security for enterprise applications.
• What this means: While this transition could attract new users and increase the utility of AKT, it also introduces risks. The success of this strategy depends on market acceptance and competition from established cloud providers. If Akash can capture even a small percentage of the cloud market, it could significantly boost AKT's price. However, if the transition faces challenges, it could lead to price stagnation or decline.

Conclusion

The future price of AKT will likely hinge on the successful adoption of its new AI services and the impact of recent network upgrades. As Akash Network positions itself within the rapidly evolving AI landscape, will it be able to compete effectively against established players, or will it struggle to gain traction in a crowded market?