OVERVIEW
What is IOTA (IOTA)?
IOTA is an open-source blockchain that serves as public digital infrastructure to connect global economies onchain. Built on a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) architecture that integrates the Move VM, IOTA enables smart contracts, digital assets, and digital identity to operate directly on a scalable, permissionless Layer 1. Its modular design supports parallel transaction processing, low transaction costs, and application-level fee sponsorship, providing a streamlined pathway to market adoption. IOTA is already used in live, real-world environments, including a strategic focus on digital trade and supply-chain infrastructure. Through collaborations with governments, global institutions, and industry partners, IOTA supports initiatives that range from digitalized trade documentation, digital product passports, business identity, and asset flows across borders. Flagship deployments such as the Trade Worldwide Information Network (TWIN) embed IOTA into national and cross-border trade systems, enabling shared, verifiable data and coordinated processes across complex networks of public and private actors. The IOTA network is secured by a delegated proof-of-stake model and governed through onchain mechanisms aligned with long-term network sustainability. The $IOTA token is used for network participation, staking, and validator rewards, while onchain activity requires tokens to be paid and burned as fees. Additional mechanisms such as refundable storage deposits and sponsored transactions allow applications to manage costs and abstract blockchain complexity from end users, supporting adoption in regulated and institutional contexts. Founded in 2015, IOTA is one of the longest-running projects in the digital asset space and is guided by the non-profit IOTA Foundation, headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Developed as public digital infrastructure, IOTA focuses on trust, interoperability, and deployment at scale across global economic systems.
