Introducing the WAKE Alpha Test: Crowdsourcing Maritime Intelligence
- Team WAKE
- Jul 11
- 2 min read
We’re excited to announce the alpha test of WAKE a decentralized network for crowdsourcing maritime intelligence.
WAKE was born out of a simple observation: global shipping data is siloed, expensive, and often inaccessible to the people who need it most. From small coastal communities to independent researchers and NGOs, access to maritime traffic data shouldn’t be limited by costly proprietary systems.
WAKE changes that by creating an open, community-powered network of AIS (Automatic Identification System) receivers. Anyone can contribute by running a small, low-cost node and in return, they earn the WAKE token for helping map the movement of ships around the world.
Why We’re Doing an Alpha Test
The WAKE alpha test is a critical step in validating the core assumptions behind the project. Our goals are to:
1. Test Decentralized Coverage
We want to prove that it's possible to build meaningful AIS coverage without relying on centralized infrastructure. By leveraging off-the-shelf hardware and open-source tools, we aim to show that a grassroots network can rival — or even outperform — traditional providers in certain regions.
2. Validate Hardware + Software Setup
We’re working with early contributors to test a variety of receiver setups: Raspberry Pis, laptops, solar-powered enclosures, and SDR dongles. The alpha will help us refine installation guides, software stability, and data reliability under different conditions.
3. Evaluate the Token Incentive Model
WAKE rewards participants with tokens for contributing data. In the alpha, we’ll simulate these incentives to test how well the system encourages uptime, good coverage, and high-quality signal processing.
4. Build the Community Backbone
The alpha isn’t just technical — it's about people. We’re onboarding hobbyists, tech tinkerers, crypto users, sailors, and coastal observers who share a belief that maritime data should be public. This early group will help shape the future of WAKE as co-creators, not just users.
5. Validate the Validation Layer
One of WAKE’s core innovations is how it authenticates data. Instead of trusting a single source, WAKE verifies AIS signals through multiple independent receivers, geographic triangulation, and cryptographic signing. This allows us to detect spoofed signals, reduce noise, and build a public ledger of trustworthy maritime intelligence, a major upgrade over black-box data providers.
6. Generate Real-World Insights
As the network grows, we’ll begin visualizing the data to understand traffic patterns, identify blind spots, and explore real-world applications, from tracking dark ships to improving port operations and environmental monitoring.
We believe maritime data should be a public good. With WAKE, we’re building the infrastructure to make that vision real.
Join us on this journey and help make the oceans legible to everyone.