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Blockchain Startup Rebrands as DATA Foundation to Focus on AI Data Verification
The company formerly known as Story Protocol has changed its name and direction. It now operates the DATA Network and Trace platform to record licensing and consent for AI training datasets.
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A blockchain startup has rebranded from Story Protocol to DATA Foundation and shifted its work from general intellectual property to AI training data infrastructure. The new DATA Network and its Trace platform are designed to create cryptographic receipts that document the origin, licensing terms, consent status, and payment history of datasets without storing the underlying data.
The company said it is integrating with Kled AI’s human data marketplace and registering 1.1 billion user-contributed records on the network.
The rebrand follows $140 million in cumulative funding led by Andreessen Horowitz’s a16z crypto unit. A spokesperson declined to comment on a reported $2.4 billion valuation. Andrea Muttoni has been named chief executive of the DATA Foundation. Avi Patel, founder of Kled AI, has joined as an advisor and chief data officer.
The underlying data remains in the marketplace and requires a licensed transaction for access. The network also incorporates the Poseidon project, which runs the Numo contributor app that pays users stablecoins for authenticated data submissions. Development is now focused on a fraud-detection protocol to confirm that licensed data is human, original, and legally compliant rather than AI-generated or pirated.
