ThreeFold: hosting a node of a decentralised internet

ThreeFold has an ambitious idea: replace part of the big data centres with thousands of small servers hosted by individuals and businesses. Those who host these servers, the ‘farmers’, are paid in tokens. In 2026, the project overhauled its model with Mycelium and a new token, SPORE. Here is how it works and what to know before getting started.

ThreeFold in brief

ThreeFold is a decentralised internet project. Its network, the ThreeFold Grid, brings together servers called 3Nodes that provide compute, storage and network capacity. Instead of renting a server from a big cloud provider, a user can deploy their applications on these nodes spread around the world.

• The farmer buys or builds a node, plugs it in at home and leaves it running permanently.
• The TFT token (ThreeFold Token), issued on the Stellar blockchain, was long used to reward this capacity.
• Nodes can be certified, like the Titan sold within the ecosystem, or self-built (DIY).

What changed in 2025 and 2026

The minting vote

The community approved, with about 75% of votes cast, a reform of minting: minimum uptime of 95% for DIY nodes and 98% for certified nodes, half of usage revenue paid to the farmer, an end to minting on Stellar once 1 billion TFT is reached, and an end to TFT burning. ThreeFold said the implementation timeline would be communicated later.

Mycelium and the SPORE token

At the end of 2025, ThreeFold announced Project Mycelium (version 4 of the grid), which turns node capacity into pay-per-use services. According to the announcement published in March 2026 on the ThreeFold forum:

• a new token, SPORE (10 billion units maximum), rewards capacity rentals;
• farmers who registered their nodes on Mycelium before the deadline receive a floor reward in SPORE, backdated to 1 January 2026;
• once the marketplace launches, rental revenue is split: 80% for the farmer, 10% burned, 10% for the protocol;
• SPORE was fixed at $0.01 until 30 June 2026, after which its price floated freely;
• nodes stay on version 3 until the switch to Mycelium OS is announced, with 14 days' notice.

How much can a node earn?

There is no reliable, stable answer. Income depends on:

• the node's capacity (processors, memory, storage);
• its uptime: below 95% or 98%, rewards can be reduced or suspended;
• the real demand for rentals on the still-young Mycelium marketplace;
• the price of TFT and SPORE, which can vary sharply.

On the cost side, a small node continuously draws a few tens of watts, more for a more powerful server. At electricity prices in Belgium or Germany, this consumption weighs far more than in countries where a kWh is cheap.

The risks

• A changing business model: an investment calculated under the old rules may no longer pay off under the new ones.
• Token risk: TFT and SPORE only have value as long as there is demand.
• Technical risk: a node that crashes, disconnects or loses its network card sees its rewards fall. Connection and hardware stability are essential.
• Liquidity risk: a thinly traded token can be hard to sell at the displayed price.

Who is it for?

ThreeFold mainly suits people interested in technology, who believe in the decentralised internet project and have cheap electricity or surplus solar power. Like Helium or Ambios, it is a school of decentralised networks (DePIN) before it is an income.

Where to find these services

• ThreeFoldThe project's official website
• ThreeFold forumAnnouncements on rewards, Mycelium and SPORE
• ThreeFold manualDocumentation for installing and running a node

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This article is educational and is not personal investment, tax or legal advice. Figures change: check them with the sources cited or a licensed professional before deciding. Read the full disclaimer.