Story Protocol, once a blockchain network designed to manage intellectual property rights, has officially rebranded as the DATA Foundation and is pivoting to become a backbone for AI training data infrastructure. The shift includes the launch of an on-chain data provenance registry called Trace and an integration with licensed dataset marketplace Kled. As part of the transformation, the project's native IP token is undergoing a 1:1 migration to the new DATA ticker.
The rebrand comes after a challenging period for the original IP token, which hit an all-time high of $14.78 last September but has since collapsed by nearly 98%. DATA was recently trading at $0.349, a 14% bounce in 24 hours, but still only 25% above its all-time low of $0.275 earlier this month. Data Foundation CEO Andrea Muttoni acknowledged the struggles, stating that 2025 "wasn't wasted" and provided crucial signals, especially from an AI data processing project called Poseidon that raised $15 million from a16z.
"The form of IP pulling hardest was AI training data," Muttoni explained. "Labs have effectively run out of internet to scrape. What remains is either expensive and bespoke, or legally risky and undocumented." He said the foundation aims to fill the gap by connecting data sourcing, processing, and verification in one place. Trace will allow data providers to register datasets on-chain, creating immutable records of origin and licensing, while the Kled integration gives AI firms access to verified, commercially safe training data.
The pivot addresses mounting legal pressures on AI developers, who increasingly face lawsuits over training data provenance. By providing a transparent audit trail, the DATA Foundation hopes to reduce legal exposure and unlock ethically sourced data for enterprises. Holders of IP tokens will automatically receive DATA tokens with no action required on their part, making the transition seamless. Muttoni added that the project is now focused on "scaling and execution" with launch partners already validating product-market fit.
