Palo Alto-based blockchain startup Story Protocol has rebranded as DATA Foundation and pivoted its operations to building infrastructure for verifying AI training data. The move follows $140 million in funding led by a16z crypto.
The company, now operating the DATA Network, aims to provide cryptographic records of data provenance, licensing and consent for artificial intelligence developers. It has integrated with Kled AI’s marketplace, registering over a billion user-contributed records.
Avi Patel, founder of Kled AI, has joined as advisor and chief data officer. Andrea Muttoni has taken over as CEO of the DATA Foundation.
The firm is launching the Trace platform to issue unalterable receipts for datasets. Patel said the system records content hashes, consent terms and payment proof without exposing the data itself.
Development also includes fraud-detection tools to confirm data is human-generated and legally compliant. The shift addresses growing legal scrutiny faced by AI companies over training data sources.
