IOTA Asset Information
This page explains the stable background behind ReguMetric's IOTA intelligence. IOTA changed substantially with the Rebased mainnet upgrade in 2025 and the Starfish consensus upgrade in 2026, so this page focuses on the network that operates today rather than legacy descriptions.
The native token used for transactions, fees, staking and economic activity on IOTA Mainnet.
A decentralized Move-based Layer 1 using an object-centric ledger, delegated proof of stake and DAG-based technology.
A non-profit foundation based in Germany that develops and supports IOTA technology and ecosystem adoption.
What Is IOTA?
Native Asset
IOTA is the native asset of IOTA Mainnet. It is used to pay network fees and can be delegated to validators through staking.
Programmable Layer 1
The current mainnet includes Move smart contracts directly at Layer 1, allowing developers to create programmable on-chain assets and applications.
Real-World Focus
IOTA emphasizes applications such as global trade, tokenization, digital identity, verifiable records, payments and decentralized finance.
The Rebased IOTA Network
Major 2025 Upgrade
On May 5, 2025, IOTA transitioned from its previous Stardust protocol to the Rebased network. Existing assets were migrated into the new architecture.
Delegated Proof of Stake
Token holders can delegate IOTA to validators. Validators participate in transaction processing and consensus, while eligible stakers can receive protocol rewards.
MoveVM
IOTA uses the Move virtual machine on its Layer 1. Move is designed around digital assets as programmable objects and supports smart-contract development.
Transaction Fees
The current network uses low gas fees. This differs from older IOTA descriptions that emphasized a completely feeless base network.
How IOTA Reaches Consensus
Starfish
Starfish became the IOTA Mainnet consensus mechanism in April 2026. It is designed to maintain progress and recover naturally when network communication is delayed or disrupted.
Validators
Validators help process transactions and secure consensus. Delegated stake contributes to validator voting power within IOTA's proof-of-stake system.
DAG Architecture
IOTA retains a directed-acyclic-graph approach that supports parallel processing rather than relying only on a simple linear sequence of blocks.
IOTA Tokenomics
Rebased Supply
At Rebased genesis, 4.6 billion IOTA tokens were migrated from the previous Stardust network. Current circulating supply can change as the protocol issues staking rewards.
Staking Rewards
The protocol issues IOTA rewards to support validator and staker participation. Token holders can delegate while retaining self-custody.
Fee Burning
Transaction fees include a burn mechanism intended to offset part of protocol issuance. Storage deposits also tie token use to ledger resources.
History & Evolution
IOTA was founded and began developing distributed-ledger technology aimed at scalable digital infrastructure.
The IOTA Foundation was established in Germany as a non-profit foundation supporting development and adoption of the technology.
The Stardust upgrade changed IOTA's tokenomics and expanded the ecosystem's path toward programmability.
IOTA Rebased launched, introducing a decentralized delegated-proof-of-stake Layer 1, Move smart contracts, fees, staking and an object-centric ledger model.
Starfish consensus went live on mainnet, strengthening IOTA's consensus behavior under real-world network disruptions.
What IOTA Is Used For
Global Trade & Supply Chains
IOTA technology is being developed for trusted trade data, digital documents and supply-chain infrastructure.
Tokenization
The network supports representing real-world and digital assets on-chain with programmable ownership and behavior.
Digital Identity
IOTA Identity supports decentralized identifiers and verifiable credentials for privacy-conscious digital interactions.
Smart Contracts
Move smart contracts on Layer 1 provide programmable logic for applications and assets.
IOTA EVM
IOTA also supports an EVM Layer 2 for Ethereum-compatible applications, separate from the Move-based mainnet execution environment.
Notarization & Audit Trails
IOTA's technology stack includes tools for creating verifiable records and histories that can support compliance and data integrity.
Terms New Investors Will See
Move
A smart-contract programming language designed around digital assets and programmable objects.
Object-Centric Ledger
A model where on-chain assets and state can be represented as objects with ownership and programmable behavior.
DPoS
Delegated Proof of Stake: token holders delegate stake to validators that participate in securing the network.
DAG
Directed Acyclic Graph: a data structure that can allow network activity to be organized and processed in parallel.
Gas
The fee paid for computational and storage resources when executing transactions.
Starfish
IOTA's current mainnet consensus protocol, designed for resilient operation even when network communication is imperfect.
Official Research Resources
IOTA
Current network, ecosystem and product information.
Open IOTA →
IOTA Mainnet
Official overview of the current Move-based Layer 1.
Open Mainnet overview →
IOTA Tokenomics
Official explanation of fees, staking, issuance and network economics.
Open Tokenomics →
IOTA Staking
Official explanation of delegated proof of stake and staking mechanics.
Open Staking →
IOTA Blog
Official network upgrades, ecosystem developments and technical announcements.
Open IOTA Blog →
Return to ReguMetric Intelligence
Use the IOTA cockpit for current scoring, evidence, market conditions and monitored intelligence.
Open IOTA Intelligence →
Why This Background Matters
Older articles can describe an IOTA architecture that no longer matches today's network. Knowing that current IOTA is a Move-based, delegated-proof-of-stake Layer 1 with Starfish consensus, transaction fees, staking and programmable assets helps users interpret ReguMetric's current network, institutional, regulatory and market evidence in the right technical context.