Catenaa, Tuesday, May 6, 2025-The Arbitrum Foundation announced it has withdrawn from the Nvidia-backed Ignition AI Accelerator program after Nvidia insisted that it not be mentioned in any public announcements related to crypto. The move follows earlier reports suggesting Nvidia had rejected Arbitrum’s bid to join the accelerator, which would have made the Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain the exclusive Ethereum partner for the program.
The Ignition AI Accelerator, which provides guidance on AI development and cloud credits, was initially set to include Arbitrum as a key participant. However, Nvidia’s change of stance, requesting that its involvement with crypto-related projects remain private, led to Arbitrum’s decision to pull out. A spokesperson for the Arbitrum Foundation called the decision a “sound business decision,” emphasizing the need for long-term commitment in partnerships.
“The request to remove Nvidia’s brand from crypto-related announcements indicated a lack of alignment with Arbitrum’s goals,” the spokesperson said. Nvidia, which has been increasingly involved in AI and blockchain, did not comment on the situation. Other blockchain projects, such as the Aptos Foundation, have moved forward with partnerships in the accelerator.
Arbitrum’s token price rose 1.8% following the announcement. The Ignition Accelerator denied earlier reports that Nvidia had excluded crypto projects, clarifying that Arbitrum had requested to disengage from the partnership.
