What is Render (RNDR)?

Digital content production - especially in the areas of 3D modeling, animation and visual effects - requires more and more processing power. Traditionally, such projects require powerful and expensive hardware or the use of costly centralized render farms to complete. This can be a significant barrier, especially for independent artists and small-scale studios.

On the other hand, millions of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) around the world are often sitting idle on personal computers or workstations, leaving this potential largely untapped. This is where Render Network comes in. The answer to the question of "what is Render Network" can be summarized as a decentralized rendering network that offers unused GPU power to content producers. Also, it is mentioned as "GPU render blockchain". Thanks to the transparency and reliability offered by blockchain technology, a GPU rental marketplace is created within the network.

At the center of this system is the Render Token (RENDER), formerly known as RNDR. Users pay for renders on the network with the RENDER token, while Node Operators who provide GPU power earn RENDER tokens for their services. In other words, a win/win structure has been created for both the party using and providing the processing power. In short, the question of what is Render and what is RNDR Coin can be answered as follows: It is the crypto asset that enables the Render Network to work and enables the transfer of value within the network. Let's take a look at how this innovative system emerged and how it has evolved over time...

Definition and Origin of Render

Render Network was developed to solve one of the biggest pain points for digital content creators: Access to the intense computing power required for high-quality 3D rendering. At this point, the answer to the question “What does Render Token do?” becomes clear. The RENDER token is used to access and pay for computing power on this network.

The system brings together rendering power from different locations through a decentralized structure. Users, called “Creators”, send their rendering needs to the network. These jobs are processed by “Node Operators” around the world, people who connect their idle GPUs to the network. Management of the rendering process is enabled by blockchain technology and smart contracts. Thanks to this structure, transactions are both transparent and reliable.

When we look at the history of Render Network, we see that it is directly linked to a company called OTOY. Render Network was actually born as an initiative of OTOY Inc. Founded in 2008, OTOY had already established a strong foothold in the industry with its cloud-based rendering solutions offering cinema-quality 3D graphics. The foundations of Render Network were laid in 2009 by Jules Urbach, CEO of OTOY. The goal was quite clear: To bring together those who need GPU power and those who can provide this power on a decentralized platform.

One of the major milestones of the project came in 2017. That year, the Render Token was officially introduced and the system was commissioned. With this development, a direct link was established between content producers (artists, studios, developers) and GPU owners. This made access to high processing power much easier and more affordable.

This system is especially advantageous for those working in fields such as animation, cinema and gaming, while also providing a vital resource for today's rapidly rising artificial intelligence projects. Traditional cloud-based rendering solutions are not always cost-effective. In such cases, Render Network stands out as a more flexible and scalable alternative.

The History of Rendering: Key Milestones

Render Network's journey from idea to decentralized, global network has involved many critical steps over the years. Here are the notable milestones in this journey:

• 2009 - Formation of the vision: The foundations of Render Network were laid by Jules Urbach, CEO of OTOY Inc. The goal was to create a decentralized rendering network to provide content creators with high processing power at an affordable cost.
• 2016 - Establishment of the project: The Render Token project was founded in 2016 under the leadership of Jules Urbach. The goal was to build a peer-to-peer GPU rental network.
• 2017 - Project launch and first token sale: Render Token (RNDR) was officially announced in 2017. The first public token sale took place between October 6-12. The price per token was $0.25 and a total of 4.65 million RNDRs were sold. The project's whitepaper was published on August 28, 2017.
• 2018 - Private sale and beta process: A private token sale was organized between January and May 2018. In the same period, tests were conducted with the first users through the test network called “RNDR Beta Testnet”. In this process, node operators and content producers directly contributed to the development of the system. The total supply was announced as 536,870,912 RNDR.
• 2019 - Genesis mainnet launch: On June 24, 2019, the project moved from the Ethereum testnet Ropsten to the mainnet. This was an important milestone for real transactions to start running on the network.
• 2020 - Active use of the mainnet: As of April 27, 2020, Render Network's mainnet officially went live. Content creators can now rent GPU power with the RNDR token. At this time, the network was still being tested by early users. Also in March 2020, 4.5 million RNDR tokens were planned to be purchased on the Probit exchange.
• 2021 - NFT and Metaverse connections strengthened: Render Network's vision has always encompassed the NFT, GameFi and Metaverse. Especially with artists like Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) and Raoul Marks working on the Render Network, this connection became even more visible. Render became an important tool that provided the necessary infrastructure for the production of virtual worlds and digital art.
• 2023 - Solana transition and network restructuring: On January 20, 2023, the Render Network Foundation was established. This foundation was created to sustain the Render protocol and grow the community. In March 2023, the community approved the migration of the Render Network from Ethereum to the Solana network. This was a critical step to increase transaction speeds and integrate more easily with DePIN projects. The ERC-20-based RNDR token converted to the SPL-based RENDER token, and the new token was launched on November 2, 2023. In the same year, the roadmap and whitepaper were updated, the Discourse platform was launched for community interaction, and the 2023 Grant Program was launched.
• 2024 - AI-powered rendering solutions come to the forefront: From 2023, rapidly growing AI interest and GPU demand created a new opportunity for the Render Network. The network started to offer infrastructure for users who wanted to train AI models or produce AI-based graphics. These developments contributed to the positioning of the RENDER token as an “AI rendering coin”. In March 2024, the RNDR price saw historic highs in the range of $13.53-13.57. This rise was attributed to the AI narrative and the growing need for GPUs. In the same period, mechanisms such as BME (Burn and Mint Equilibrium) and RFC (Request For Compute) increased the scalability and efficiency of the network. The coin is trading at $4 as of April 2025.

Why is Render valuable?

The value of Render Network lies not only in the technology it offers, but also in the fundamental problems it solves and the innovative approaches it brings to content production.

Access to decentralized, affordable and fast rendering power

Traditional rendering solutions often suffer from high hardware costs, long processing times and limited access. Render Network brings together idle GPUs from around the world to create a decentralized rendering pool. This structure allows content creators to access the processing power they need on-demand, more affordably and flexibly. This allows artists and studios to complete projects faster and more efficiently without investing in expensive hardware.

Industry diversity and high utilization potential

Render Network can be used not only by 3D artists, but also by filmmakers, game developers, architects, VR/AR projects, scientific researchers and many more. Render's infrastructure is also vital for Web3-oriented applications such as NFT production and metaverse projects. This wide range of uses directly increases the value of the RENDER token within the network.

Passive income opportunity for GPU owners

Render Network provides economic benefits not only for content creators but also for users who provide technical infrastructure. Individuals with powerful GPUs become “Node Operators” by connecting their hardware to the network and are rewarded with RENDER tokens for their transactions. This not only utilizes idle resources efficiently, but also creates a passive income model for participants.

Two-sided economic model

Render Network's GRPU rendering blockchain-based marketplace structure directly connects content creators and GPU providers. This system eliminates the need for hardware investment for creators, while enabling node operators to generate revenue. A transparent payment infrastructure governed by smart contracts ensures a secure and fair environment. The Render network also protects creators' intellectual property with digital rights management features.

Increased performance with Solana migration

The transition from Ethereum to the Solana network was a strategic move to improve the scalability and transaction efficiency of the Render Network. Solana offers lower transaction fees and faster speeds, allowing rendering to run more smoothly. This transition was important for Render to reach a wider user base and support growing use cases more efficiently.

Continuous development and rising role in AI

Render Network stands out not only for the infrastructure it provides, but also for its ability to adapt quickly to changing technology trends. The increasing demand for GPUs in artificial intelligence (AI) has further expanded the use cases for Render. Render has started to play an active role in this growing market, supporting processes such as training AI models and processing AI-generated visual content.

RENDER coin use cases

The RENDER token, one of the basic building blocks of the Render Network, enables many functions within the network. Working as both a payment instrument and a reward mechanism, the token is also critical to the governance and sustainability of the system.

• Payment Instrument: Creators pay for renders using the RENDER token or Render Credits, which are bought for fiat.
• Reward Mechanism: Node operators who perform rendering operations are rewarded with RENDER tokens for their work.
• Proof-of-Render System: The entire process is carried out transparently, with data being broken down into small chunks, encrypted and verified on the blockchain. Once the job is complete, the output is confirmed and the operator is paid.
• BME (Burn and Mint Equilibrium): A quantity of tokens is burned in each transaction, after which new tokens are minted and distributed to operators. This stabilizing structure regulates the total supply of tokens, creating a potential deflationary model.
• Governance: RENDER is also the governance token of the Render DAO. Token holders contribute to the development of the network by voting on Render Network Proposals (RNP). Voting rights are determined by the amount of tokens held.

The total supply of RENDER is limited to 536,870,912 tokens. The majority of tokens are held in escrow accounts, while the remainder is reserved for sales and network reserves. The Burn and Mint system works continuously to stabilize token circulation.

Who is the Founder of Render?

Jules Urbach, founder and CEO of OTOY Inc. is the man behind Render Network. Globally recognized in the fields of computer graphics, streaming technologies, 3D rendering and cloud computing, Urbach is a technology leader with over 25 years of experience and more than 70 patents. The core vision of Render Network was directly shaped by his foresight and guidance.

Founded in 2008, OTOY is known for its GPU-based cloud graphics technologies and has created innovative, Oscar-winning projects in the motion picture industry. Jules Urbach initiated the idea for Render Network in 2009 and realized this vision in 2016 with the Render Token project. He has been at the center of OTOY's entire development process, both drawing its technology roadmap and setting its strategic direction.

Prior to OTOY, he developed the web's first 3D video game platform, partnering with global companies such as Disney, Warner Bros, Nickelodeon, Microsoft, Hasbro and AT&T. This demonstrates his deep expertise in content technologies.

Jules Urbach's vision of decentralized rendering is inspired by books about the future such as “Life After Television” and the idea of a fully immersive, interactive 3D digital universe. According to him, the blockchain-based Render Network could play a key role in realizing this vision. His goal is to make the metaverse and the future of digital content production more accessible, fair and scalable.

The development of the Render Network has been driven not only by Urbach's leadership, but also by a strong team and an impressive advisory board. The advisory board includes key figures from the worlds of media, technology and Web3. These include:

• Ari Emanuel (co-founder and co-CEO of WME/Endeavor),
• J.J. Abrams (President and CEO of Bad Robot Productions),
• Beeple (NFT artist Mike Winkelmann),
• Brendan Eich (creator of JavaScript and co-founder of the BAT token).

OTOY has already expanded the Render Network's potential use cases by signing deals with major media companies such as Disney, HBO, Facebook and Unity. The company's OctaneRender software is described as the world's first and fastest GPU-accelerated, physically correct rendering engine. Simply put, this software allows you to produce realistic visuals much faster using the graphics card in your computer. OctaneRender has been used in productions such as HBO's Westworld, Netflix's The Crown and Altered Carbon.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

We have brought together the most frequently asked questions about Render Network. From the operation of the project to the use of RENDER token, you can find answers to the most frequently asked questions in this section:

• What is Render Token (RENDER) and what does it do? The RENDER token is the native cryptocurrency of the Render Network. Within the network, content creators pay for renders, while users who provide GPU power are rewarded with this token. The Render Network aggregates unused GPUs from around the world to provide decentralized and cost-effective rendering power to creators. With this system, creators can avoid high hardware costs, while GPU owners can monetize their idle resources. RENDER simplifies access to the computational power needed for projects in areas such as gaming, media, VR/AR, NFT and metaverse.
• How to use RNDR token for rendering? Users who want to render join the Render Network as a Creator. Renders are submitted in ORBX format using OctaneRender or a supported plugin. The required amount of RENDER is calculated by the system according to the submitted render job. The user selects and pays for a render tier according to the complexity of the job. The payment can be made with RENDER tokens (or Render Credits in fiat). However, node operators are only paid in RENDER tokens. Once the render job is submitted to the network, an appropriate node operator completes the transaction. During the process, the progress can be tracked via OctaneRender. Once the job is completed and approved by the user, the payment is transferred to the operator.
• When was the Render Network established? The idea phase of the Render Network was started in 2009 by Jules Urbach. The project was officially launched in 2016. The first public RNDR token sale took place on October 6-12, 2017. In 2018, a private sale and beta testing process was conducted. On June 24, 2019, the “Genesis” mainnet was launched on the Ethereum mainnet. So, when did Render coin launch? The coin waited for the mainnet launch. As of April 27, 2020, the Render network became generally available.
• Is the RNDR token suitable for investment? The positives of Render include increased GPU demand, support for growing areas such as AI and the metaverse, scalability, and BME (token supply stabilization system). Possible risks include market volatility, technical issues, regulations and competition. So every investor should do their own research and consult an expert if necessary.
• Which platforms can the RENDER token be used on? RENDER is used on the Render Network to pay for rendering jobs and provide GPU power. Participation and operation in the network requires the OctaneRender software developed by OTOY. The token is traded on many centralized and decentralized exchanges such as Coinbase, Kraken, KuCoin, HTX. RENDER tokens can be securely stored in hardware wallets such as Ledger Nano S or X. Render Credits, which can be purchased with fiat money, are also available, but only for rendering services; operators are paid with the RENDER token.
• What did the transition to Solana bring to Render Network? In March 2023, after a community vote, the Render network switched from Ethereum to Solana. With this transition, the RENDER token was upgraded from the ERC-20 standard to the SPL token standard. The goals included faster transactions, lower transaction fees, and easier integration with DePIN projects. In addition, Solana's compatibility with NFT and metaverse technologies offered a significant advantage for Render's future growth. The new token was launched on November 2, 2023, at the same time the whitepaper was updated, new platforms for community engagement were introduced, and a grant program was launched.

For more on Render Network and Web3-based creative economy projects, be sure to follow our JR Kripto Guide series!