Eigen Labs Brings Mac-Powered Darkbloom AI Network to OpenRouter

Eigen Labs, the team behind Ethereum restaking protocol EigenLayer, introduced Darkbloom on April 15 as a public-alpha experiment that turns idle Apple Silicon Macs into distributed AI inference nodes. The network runs models with Apple's MLX framework and uses encrypted transport, confidential virtual machines and hardware verification to shield prompts from coordinators and computer owners. Its OpenAI-compatible interface targets developers seeking cheaper, less centralized inference without rewriting applications, while giving Mac owners a way to monetize hardware they already possess.

On Aug. 21, Darkbloom became a paid inference provider on OpenRouter. Eigen Labs said about 250 machines were online, serving 4.5 billion tokens and generating $102,000 in annual recurring revenue, while advertising average owner earnings of $120 to $200 a month. Real-world results were much lower: an M1 Max MacBook Pro earned $1.4456 over 38.7 hours, implying roughly $16 a month versus Darkbloom's $75 calculator estimate. The gap underscores weak utilization and uncertain demand during the network's alpha stage.