Palo Alto, United States, October 12, 2026, Chainwire
Trace, a registry for rights-cleared AI training data, is set to enhance the Sui and Walrus platforms, providing AI labs with a significant supply of verifiable training data.
In a strategic partnership, the Sui Foundation and the DATA Foundation announced that the DATA Network, along with the Trace registry, will integrate into the Sui technology stack. This collaboration aims to offer a live supply of rights-cleared AI training data, essential for next-generation AI model development.
The Importance of Rights-Cleared Data
The demand for high-quality, real-world data for AI has escalated as existing datasets from the open internet have largely been exhausted. New requirements necessitate that data comes from consented sources, with strict provenance to meet regulatory standards like the EU AI Act. Different data types are increasingly sourced from individuals, such as a nurse’s notes, video recordings, or customer service interactions.
To address these needs, Trace was launched by the DATA Foundation as an onchain registry for AI training data. It serves to record the origins of each data contribution, ensures rights management, and facilitates payments to contributors. Since its inception, Trace has amassed over 250 million contributions and processes more than three million receipts daily, partnering with applications like Kled, which is generating an extensive opt-in human data marketplace.
Why Integrate with Sui and Walrus?
Sui offers a unique programmable object model, enabling the efficient management of datasets and licenses similar to token handling. Its capability to process independent transactions rapidly makes it suitable for managing vast amounts of data registrations daily. Meanwhile, Walrus serves as the default storage solution, optimized for large files while ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive data.
This collaboration aims to improve data provenance, providing robust tamper-evidence guarantees. With Trace’s integration, it allows secure storage of the original data file, which can be referenced for verification against any subsequent processing performed.
The partnership’s establishment is further solidified by a significant financial commitment, with the Sui Foundation investing $30 million into the DATA Network—marking the largest strategic investment in the network so far.
Future Developments and Protocol Upgrades
The DATA Network will transition to operate under the Sui protocol while its independent chain will be decommissioned. The $DATA token will continue to represent the DATA protocol on the Sui platform, ensuring existing holder rights remain unchanged. Alongside this transition, Walrus will become integral to the applications developed by the DATA Foundation.
Adeniyi Abiodun, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Mysten Labs, commented on the necessity for secure and consent-based data sourcing for AI development, emphasizing that the Sui and Walrus platforms are ideally positioned to meet these demands.
Furthermore, SY Lee, Chairman of Poseidon and CEO of PIP Labs, highlighted the significance of consent and provenance in the next generation of AI data sourcing, which the Trace system is designed to support.
Andrea Muttoni, CEO of the DATA Foundation, echoed these sentiments, noting that the Trace system enhances the traceability and auditability of training data, which are crucial for AI safety and quality assurance.
The current DATA Network will continue its operations until the integration is finalized, with a detailed transition timeline to be communicated in advance of the upgrade.
About the Organizations
The DATA Foundation focuses on securing and managing the data required for advanced AI models. Through the Trace registry, it tracks the provenance of contributions and ensures compliance with data usage standards. The organization, previously known as Story Foundation, has pivoted towards AI training data services since mid-2026.
Sui is a next-generation Layer 1 blockchain designed for versatility in financial and AI applications. It offers an object-centric model that enhances asset programmability and verification, facilitating the development of high-performance applications.
Walrus is a data platform that caters specifically to the needs of AI, supporting data mobility, access control, and verifiability essential for responsible AI deployment.
