IOTA and Global Titans Launch TWIN Foundation: A Game-Changer for International Trade

Hang onto your hats, folks! The IOTA Foundation, along with five powerhouse international organizations, just dropped a bombshell on the global trade scene with the launch of the TWIN Foundation. This isn't just another boring initiative; it's a full-throttle push to revolutionize trade by making it greener, clearer, and more inclusive, all thanks to some slick decentralized tech.

Who's in on this wild ride? None other than the World Economic Forum, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, TradeMark Africa, the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, and the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade. Together, they're steering the ship of the Trade Worldwide Information Network (TWIN), a mind-blowing open-source setup built on IOTA's cutting-edge distributed ledger tech.

This news broke loose on May 8 at the AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum in Lusaka, Zambia, and let me tell you, it's setting the stage for a major showdown with the current wave of protectionist trade vibes, like those U.S. tariffs and economic warfare moves under President Trump. TWIN? It's here to connect, not to divide, global supply chains.

“We're all in on a future where IOTA's the go-to, neutral, open, and unchangeable digital backbone connecting the world,” Dominik Schiener, the co-founder and big boss at IOTA Foundation, spilled in an exclusive chat.

TWIN isn't messing around when it comes to fixing the mess in international trade. It's offering governments a smarter way to handle borders and giving the private sector a shot at new efficiencies and digital wizardry. Think real-time, verifiable data zipping across borders and sectors, powered by cool tech like decentralized IDs, digital product passports, and self-sovereign identity magic.

Real-world Deployments

And guess what? TWIN's not just talk—it's already strutting its stuff worldwide. From the UK's Cabinet Office poultry import pilot from the EU, to a blockchain-powered monitoring hub dubbed the Virtual Watch Tower, and tracking fresh produce between Kenya and the Netherlands through the RESULD project. These aren't just projects; they're proof that digital transparency can cut disruptions, guarantee quality, and play nice with ESG standards.

But TWIN's more than just tech—it's all about governance first. The Foundation's tasked with setting the rules, growing the ecosystem, and keeping the lights on sustainably. It's all about being open, neutral, and financially self-sufficient.

“Our goal's simple: make it easier and cheaper for countries to trade. We're not about political games, but about pushing an economic solution forward,” Schiener declared. With the project gearing up for public rollout, IOTA and its partners aren't just tweaking old systems—they're sketching out the future of trade. Keep your eyes peeled for more expansions and a tech deep-dive coming soon.

“Just this week, we cranked up IOTA with the Rebased protocol,” Schiener added, buzzing with excitement. “Thanks to this upgrade, we're all in that IOTA's the future of digitizing trade and soon, tokenizing billions of assets.”

And for the full scoop, here's the entire Q&A with Dominik Schiener, IOTA's co-founder and the head honcho at the IOTA Foundation:

Crypto News: This initiative's a bold move against nationalist trade policies. Why's the IOTA Foundation jumping into such a hot political arena? How do you ensure you're all about neutral blockchain infrastructure, not pushing a specific global agenda?

Dominik Schiener: Blockchain's whole deal was to tear down borders and barriers, to craft a seamless system without middlemen. We're betting big on a future where IOTA's the go-to, neutral, open, and unchangeable digital backbone connecting the world. Our aim? To make trading between countries easier and cheaper. No political agendas here, just an economic solution. Every country wants to trade more—it's the path to prosperity and global access. There's a trillion-dollar gap in trade finance, and billions wasted on fraud and inefficiency in this outdated, paper-heavy system. TWIN's here to fix it.

CN: TWIN's riding on IOTA's distributed ledger but includes heavy hitters like the WEF and government-tied groups. What's stopping any single entity from calling the shots over the network or its data?

DS: TWIN's run by a Swiss non-profit, the TWIN Foundation, with a governance board packed with global heavyweights, including us. Their job? To guide how the infrastructure grows and evolves. The Foundation's all about open-source development and global expansion for the good of the global economy, not about making a buck. Kenya's just the start—we're aiming to bring dozens of countries on board in the coming years.

CN: Some in the crypto world might see IOTA's ties with the WEF and Tony Blair Institute as cozying up to the "globalist" crowd. Does this partnership compromise IOTA's independence or the open spirit of blockchain tech?

DS: IOTA's always been and will stay independent and impartial. It's a decentralized network, not controlled by anyone. Our mission from day one has been to bring governments, NGOs, and businesses into the fold of permissionless blockchain networks. These partnerships with WEF and the Tony Blair Institute? They're key to making that happen. It's how we're going to get mainstream adoption and bring new users, use cases, and assets on-chain.

CN: TWIN's planning to turn trade documents into NFTs and secure them with digital ID checks. Who's running this digital ID show, and how do you make sure it boosts data sovereignty instead of creating new control or surveillance points? What's stopping a powerful coalition member from snooping on sensitive trade data under the banner of "inclusive" commerce or security?

DS: The system's fully open-source and standardized, running on IOTA's smart contract infrastructure. That means anyone can jump in without asking for permission. No need for anyone to "govern" it—just make it easy to use by integrating it into port and customs systems. All data on TWIN's encrypted and owned by the traders themselves, fully GDPR-compliant and self-sovereign. Data's only shared with third parties if the trader says so—like port authorities, customs, or banks for trade finance. We're leveraging the power of open, permissionless blockchains, self-sovereign identities, and verifiable credentials to create a secure, decentralized space for traders to share data across borders.

CN: IOTA's tech has faced questions about decentralization before, like its earlier reliance on a Coordinator node. Now that critical trade infrastructure might depend on your ledger, how are you tackling any remaining centralization or security worries in the IOTA network? If the system still needs special oversight or could be stopped in an emergency, doesn't that shake trust in this supposedly decentralized trade platform?

DS: Just this week, we upgraded IOTA to the Rebased protocol, making it fully decentralized and ready for prime time, with the MoveVM for programmability on the L1, secured by over 150 validators. Thanks to this upgrade, we and our partners are all in that IOTA's the future of digitizing trade and soon, tokenizing billions of assets.