KEYTAKEAWAYS
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IoTeX shifts into “Chapter Three,” evolving from IoT blockchain to powering the real-world AI economy through verifiable data, contextual intelligence, and programmability.
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With modular tools like ioID, QuickSilver, and Realm, IoTeX tackles AI’s data challenges, enabling trusted, transparent AI agents in mobility, energy, and smart cities.
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Expansion in Japan and partnerships like U-Power highlight IoTeX’s role in AI-driven DePIN, transforming industries from EVs to healthcare with blockchain-secured data.
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On August 22, 2025, in an exclusive interview with CoinRank, Andrew, Head of Growth for IoTeX in the Asia-Pacific region, described how the company is entering a new chapter of its development. Since its founding in 2017, IoTeX has been known as a blockchain project designed for the Internet of Things (IoT).
Over time, it grew into a leading platform in the Web3 and DePIN space. Now, it is aiming higher. Andrew explained that IoTeX is transforming from a Layer 1 blockchain for IoT into an open blockchain platform that will power the real-world AI economy. This new direction, he said, is built on years of experience in connecting devices, securing data, and creating trust systems, but it goes further by addressing the fundamental challenges of AI integration in the physical world.
A Modular and Trustworthy Data Stack
Andrew emphasized that IoTeX’s unique value comes from its ability to create a trustworthy data pipeline. He explained that modern AI faces a major problem: most real-world data is fragmented, private, or unreliable. To solve this, IoTeX has developed four modular products that work together as part of its open stack. At the base is its Layer 1 blockchain, which serves as a decentralized trust layer, anchoring data and making it tamper-proof. On top of this sits the ioID system, which provides verifiable identities for devices, sensors, and even AI agents. “AI cannot be trusted unless the origin of its data is trusted,” Andrew noted, highlighting the importance of this foundation.
The stack also includes QuickSilver, which Andrew described as an AI-native operating system and API layer. QuickSilver aggregates real-time data from Web2 APIs, blockchains, and DePIN sources, and makes it usable for AI. “It acts like a bridge,” he said, “linking raw verified data with the insights that AI can generate.” The final piece is Realm, the contextual knowledge space, which provides AI with domain-specific memory and awareness. By giving AI a better understanding of real-world context, Realm helps reduce bias and improve fairness in decision-making. Together, these components form a system that allows developers to build AI agents capable of observing, reasoning, and acting in the physical world in a transparent and blockchain-native way.
Entering the “Chapter 3”: Real-World AI Economy
This transformation is what Andrew calls IoTeX’s “Chapter Three.” He described it as a bold vision to build the real-world AI economy, where AI does not only exist in the cloud but interacts directly with infrastructure and real-time data. “AI needs to move beyond screens and servers,” he said. “It must be able to engage with the real world, whether in energy, mobility, or city management.” He predicted that the global AI market, valued at around $377 billion in 2025, could surpass $2 trillion within the next decade. IoTeX’s goal is to provide the trusted foundation that this new market will require.
To achieve this, IoTeX has structured its approach around three principles. The first is verifiability: all outputs of AI must be based on trusted inputs, which is why verifiable machine identities are essential. The second is programmability: AI agents should be able to interact directly with smart contracts, turning physical actions into programmable outcomes and enabling machine-to-machine commerce.
The third is contextual intelligence: AI must be able to understand the complexity of real-world situations, not just text or numbers. Realm is designed to give AI this contextual awareness. “These three pillars make AI more transparent, more accountable, and more deeply connected to real-world truth,” Andrew explained.
Expansion in Japan and the Role of WebX
Japan has become a key focus of IoTeX’s expansion strategy. This year, the company took part in WebX, Japan’s largest Web3 conference, marking its official entry into the market. Andrew described the event as a milestone: “It allows us to connect with Japanese businesses, developers, and policymakers, and to show that we are more than a blockchain project. We want to be the trusted data backbone for real-world AI in Japan.”
He pointed out that Japan’s strong ecosystems in robotics, automotive, and energy provide natural opportunities for collaboration. In mobility, IoTeX can work with companies like Toyota and Honda to provide trusted data for electric vehicles, battery swapping, and fleet management.
In energy, IoTeX can support peer-to-peer trading and real-time grid monitoring, aligning with Japan’s push for renewable energy and resilient infrastructure. In smart cities, IoTeX’s QuickSilver and Realm can power AI agents with contextual sensor data, helping optimize traffic, reduce waste, and support disaster response under the national “Society 5.0” strategy.
Proof of Concept: U-Power and QuickSilver
Andrew also gave concrete examples of IoTeX’s technology being applied in practice. He highlighted a new partnership with U-Power, a NASDAQ-listed company building large-scale EV battery swapping networks in Asia Pacific. IoTeX signed a memorandum of understanding with U-Power to integrate blockchain verification into this system, monetizing real EV usage data and enabling autonomous transactions between machines. “This is not just theory,” Andrew said. “It is a real case of machine-to-machine commerce in the mobility and energy sectors.”
Another milestone is the release of QuickSilver, which Andrew described as an operating system designed to address AI’s dependency on high-quality data. By aggregating and verifying data from multiple sources, QuickSilver ensures that AI systems can work with trustworthy information, making automation and new business models possible.
Tackling AI’s Data Challenges
When asked about the biggest challenge for AI, Andrew did not hesitate. “It all comes down to data,” he said. “Just like human health depends on what we eat, AI performance depends on the quality of the data it consumes.”
He explained that IoTeX addresses this challenge from four angles. QuickSilver makes data more available by connecting siloed sources. The blockchain ensures quality and integrity by anchoring and verifying data. Realm reduces bias by supplying domain-specific knowledge and diverse datasets. The ioID system protects privacy and gives users clear ownership and control of their data. Together, these measures create what Andrew called “the soil in which AI can grow reliably.”
Looking Ahead: AI and DePIN Reshaping Industries
Looking to the future, Andrew believes that the combination of DePIN and AI will reshape entire industries. In healthcare, wearable devices and real-time patient data can enable continuous monitoring and proactive treatment. In finance, trusted data can drive AI-powered trading systems that are faster, more reliable, and better at capturing market signals.
In mobility, energy, and smart cities, real-time data and AI decision-making can optimize traffic, improve energy efficiency, reduce waste, and strengthen disaster response.
“Our final goal,” Andrew concluded, “is to turn raw real-world data into actionable intelligence, and to make sure that every action is based on truth, trust, and transparency. IoTeX is building the open stack that will make this possible.”
