TLDR:
- IOTA’s TWIN network is operational in Kenya and UK, processing millions of real trade transactions daily.
- The ADAPT initiative aims to connect 1.5 billion Africans by 2035, reducing border clearance from 14 days to hours.
- Each trade consignment generates 26 transactions on IOTA Mainnet, with 1% of global trade creating 650M yearly.
- IOTA token economics burn fees and lock tokens in storage deposits, creating deflationary pressure with usage.
IOTA has pivoted from speculative cryptocurrency markets to build infrastructure for the $35 trillion global trade sector.
Co-founder Dominik Schiener announced the strategic shift, revealing that IOTA aims to solve inefficiencies in international trade through digital identities, tokenized assets, and trade finance solutions.
The IOTA-based TWIN network is already operational in Kenya and the United Kingdom, processing real cross-border transactions.
TWIN Network Demonstrates Real-World Adoption
The Trade Worldwide Information Network represents IOTA’s production-ready application for digitizing trade documentation.
Schiener explained that IOTA has “moved beyond the speculative side of crypto to pursue a focused strategy: bringing the real world onchain through trusted, regulated, and scalable infrastructure.” The platform targets real economic systems rather than competing in saturated cryptocurrency niches.
Kenya has implemented TWIN within its trade system, beginning with flower exports that process 7 million stems daily. The deployment will expand to all commodities by early 2026. The United Kingdom Cabinet Office is testing TWIN to improve UK-EU freight operations.
Between 2024 and 2025, the system tracked over 2,000 poultry consignments from Poland to the UK.
Border agencies gained real-time visibility into shipment movements through this pilot program. TWIN integrated fully with the IOTA Mainnet in January 2026.
Physical goods crossing international borders now generate verifiable transactions on the public ledger. Each consignment creates approximately 26 transactions on the network, including load records, document attachments, and event updates.
The platform addresses critical inefficiencies where 4 billion trade documents circulate daily through paper-based systems.
Africa Digital Access Initiative Targets Continental Scale
The Africa Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade initiative marks IOTA’s largest implementation project.
ADAPT launched through partnerships with the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, World Economic Forum, and Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Schiener stated that IOTA’s mission is to serve as “the single source of truth for the global economy.”
The program aims to connect 1.5 billion people across Africa by 2035. ADAPT could reduce border clearance times from 14 days to several hours. Cross-border payment fees may drop by over 50% through the digital infrastructure.
IOTA projects that TWIN will operate in more than 30 countries by 2030. This expansion creates network effects that require participation for global supply chain competitiveness.
Banks and traders currently lose $2-5 billion annually to forged documents under existing systems.
The IOTA token economics support this expansion through deflationary mechanisms. All network activity burns IOTA tokens, permanently reducing supply.
Creating digital assets requires locking tokens in storage deposits that remain removed from circulation while assets exist on-chain.
Token holders can stake their holdings to secure the network and earn approximately 11% annual percentage yield.
The platform now supports applications tokenizing real-world assets within the $20 trillion annual commodities market and $40-50 trillion trade receivables sector.
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