News linked to both this project and an event.
According to CoinDesk, Iris, an Avalanche ecosystem network founded by former IBM blockchain partner Jules Miller, has officially launched, with Bolivian telecommunications operator VIVA becoming the first carrier to join the network. VIVA utilizes USDi, a USD-backed stablecoin issued by stablecoin infrastructure provider Agora, for transaction settlements via Iris, while maintaining a portion of its operational reserves in USD to mitigate local currency exchange rate volatility, all without requiring the replacement of existing core systems. Operating on an independent Avalanche L1 network, Iris's initial expansion will focus on Latin America, with plans to extend into parts of Africa and Asia. Furthermore, Iris has secured a $43 million funding commitment from Balesia Group, a family office with telecommunications operations across the Americas.
According to Reuters, Meta plans to mass-produce its self-developed data center AI chip "Iris" starting from September, as part of its fourth-generation Meta Training and Inference Accelerators project, to enhance the AI capabilities of platforms such as Facebook and Instagram and reduce reliance on external GPUs such as those from Nvidia and AMD. Internal memos show that Iris completed testing in just 6 weeks with no major defects; Meta plans to deploy 7 gigawatts of computing power this year and increase it to 14 gigawatts by 2027, with its AI infrastructure spending in 2024 potentially reaching up to $145 billion. To secure expansion, the company has signed long-term supply agreements with Samsung Electronics, Sandisk, and Sumitomo Electric to cope with "price increases" and shortages of memory and AI chips.