Major Trade Changes for Good
TL;DR:
The IOTA Foundation and five global partners have officially launched the Twin Foundation. Focused on responsible governance, technical standards and ecosystem growth, the foundation manages the Trade Worldwide Information Network (Twin), a decentralized, open-source infrastructure designed to make global trade more efficient, transparent and comprehensive.
We look forward to announce the formation of Twin FoundationIt was announced today on May 8th. AFCFTA Digital Trade Forum in Lusaka, Zambia. This is a major milestone for Trade global information networks (twin)) Initiatives and leaps in the development of a more comprehensive, efficient and transparent global trade ecosystem – equipped with open source technology and distributed infrastructure.
Why the Twin Foundation?
World trade has long been behind in modernization. Despite technological advances in many sectors, the systems supporting international trade remain fragmented and inefficient, especially in small exporters and developing markets. The Twin was created to change it by providing an open, interoperable and comprehensive foundation for data sharing and collaboration across borders.
In the case of the government, twin offers Visibility has been improved and Smarter border management. In the private sector, the lock is unlocked New efficiency and Business Model. And for innovators, it creates a framework on top of it New Digital Trade Services Can be constructed. To dig deeper into Twin, check out our upcoming blog post, “Introduction to Twin,” scheduled for May 12th.
Today's release of the Twin Foundation cements this mission Governance and Leadership Necessary to make twins permanent Global public goods. It ensures that Twin's infrastructure is responsible for managing, publicly accessible and sustainably expandable. With a commitment to neutral surveillance and transparency, the Foundation is to support global stakeholders and build the next generation of digital trade infrastructure.
Who is behind the Twin Foundation?
The Twin Foundation was founded by six organizations. Trademark Africa, Iota Foundation, World Economic Forum, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation,and Chartered Export and International Trade Institute. Together, these founding partners bring expertise across policy, technology, trade promotion and development, and co-oversee the direction and sustainability of the initiative.
The Twin Foundation will be held today on May 8, 2025. AFCFTA Digital Trade Forum in Lusaka, Zambia – It's the right stage as Africa continues to lead trade and digital transformation. This milestone continues with the signature of Collaboration agreement for February 2024and founding partners subsequently worked intensively to shape the vision, governance and technical foundations of the initiative. The Lusaka launch marks the beginning of the foundation's public phase, with more development and implementation going on in the coming months.
The role of the Twin Foundation
Twin Foundation Steward Twin's open source infrastructure manages technology development, standardization, and ecosystem growth. Focus on the following important areas:
- Non-commercial and open source: Twin Technology will become available as an open source digital infrastructure for public goods, consistent with the Twin Foundation's non-commercial principles.
- Core Infrastructure Administrators: Oversees the technical and operational design, innovation and maintenance of Twin's infrastructure.
- Standards and Best Practices: Development and implementation of standards applicable to distributed ledger technology (DLTS) and alliance innovation.
- Building a network of success: We pursue partnerships with organizations and institutions that are consistent with the Foundation's mission.
- Ecosystem support: Sharing knowledge and best practices with ecosystem builders to improve the implementation and management of your twin ecosystem.
- Sustainable Model: We implement fundraising and cost recovery strategies to ensure that the foundation's operations are financially sustainable.
The solid foundation of the digital future
Creating a Twin Foundation sets a new precedent. A governance-first approach to building digital public infrastructure that transcends boundaries and sectors. For the IOTA Foundation, this is a proud moment. It is proof that scalable, secure, open DLT can become a bedrock for fairer, faster, and more transparent trading.
As we move forward, the Twin Foundation will be committed to enabling global adoption of twins and reshaping the way they trade worldwide.
Stay tuned for more information on how to lead the Foundation's operational rollout.
