IOTA and Global Heavyweights Launch TWIN Foundation to Counter Trade War Fallout
In a move that reeks of blockchain-meets-damage-control, IOTA partners with the World Economic Forum and Tony Blair Institute to roll out the TWIN Foundation—a digital trade band-aid for Trump’s tariff chaos.
The initiative aims to leverage DLT for supply chain transparency, because apparently what global commerce needs right now is more tech buzzwords.
Will it work? Unclear. But it’s a slick way to position crypto as the hero in a trade war nobody asked for—while conveniently ignoring that 90% of these projects never ship.
Digital trade needs trust. We’re building the infrastructure to deliver it.Open source. Interoperable. Trusted by design.
Built to connect ecosystems through real-time data — from ports to protocols.
https://t.co/yZhwb2uVKI pic.twitter.com/fzhnqTUQ2U
— TWIN Foundation (@TWINGlobalOrg) May 8, 2025
Notably, the initiative will utilize crypto to “counterbalance” US President Donald Trump’s “inefficient trade policies” and tariff effects. It is “doing the opposite of Trump and connecting the world while making trade more efficient,” an email said.
Furthermore, there is the issue of the fragmentation and inefficiency plaguing international trade. This is particularly the case for developing markets and small exporters. “Global trade is long overdue for modernization,” the partners argue.
Therefore, TWIN aims to provide an open, interoperable, and inclusive foundation for data sharing and collaboration across borders, says the announcement.
Additionally, it will offer a framework for innovators to bring novel digital trade services. It will provide governments with “improved visibility and smarter border management,” while the private sector gets new efficiencies and business models.
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According to the coalition, TWIN is unique due to its decentralized, multi-system capability. Trade ecosystems on TWIN communicate seamlessly with each other, thus creating a globally connected network. This further enables “more collaboration, innovation, and efficiency,” they note.
Furthermore, powered by IOTA’s recent Rebased upgrade, TWIN leverages decentralization and tokenization, as well as standards for Dataspaces like Gaia-X. The MOVE enables IOTA solutions such as Self-Sovereign Identity and Digital Product Passports.
The TWIN Foundation is a collaboration between 6 organizations:
@iota
@TradeMarkAfrica
@InstituteGC
@wef
@GATFnews
@IOExport
Together, we’re building infrastructure for the next era of global trade.More: https://t.co/3EUx6JDBXH
Meanwhile, the TWIN Foundation will manage TWIN’s technical development, operational design, innovation, standardization, infrastructure maintenance, and ecosystem growth.
The announcement highlighted other specific areas it will focus on. First, TWIN technology will be available as an open-source digital infrastructure for the public good, it says.
Moreover, the Foundation will work to develop and implement standards and best practices for distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) and related innovations. It will also seek partnerships with like-minded organizations.
Finally, it will share knowledge and best practices with ecosystem builders to enhance TWIN management and implementation. Also, the Foundation will raise funds and work to recover costs to ensure the financial sustainability of its operations.
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