Ontology, a decentralized identity and data infrastructure network, announced a strategic transformation of its flagship product, ONTO Wallet, on June 1st. Wallets were originally designed to manage digital identities and assets, but have been repositioned as a foundational layer for artificial intelligence. The move leverages Ontology’s decentralized identity (DID) technology to provide verifiable user consent data to AI-based models, agents, and applications. Participating users earn cryptocurrency rewards in exchange for providing data that helps train and improve AI systems.
From wallet to data gateway
The ONTO wallet has long served as a self-sovereign identity and data management tool within the Ontology ecosystem. The new direction is to transform this into a two-way data bridge. Users will be able to perform AI-related tasks directly through their wallets, and the data they generate or share will be packaged and sold to AI companies. Ontology’s DID framework ensures that data provenance and user consent are cryptographically verifiable. This is an increasingly important capability as AI companies face increased scrutiny of data sourcing and privacy compliance.
This announcement places ONTO Wallet within a growing trend of blockchain projects seeking to monetize user data for AI training while maintaining transparency. Unlike traditional data collection models, Ontology’s approach requires explicit user permission for each data contribution recorded on-chain. This model could be attractive to AI developers who require high-quality, ethically sourced training data.
Market and industry background
The intersection of blockchain and AI will be a crowded space in 2025, with numerous projects offering decentralized computing, data storage, and model training. Ontology’s differentiator lies in its established DID infrastructure, which has been in development since 2017. ONTO Wallet already has a user base that is familiar with managing digital identities, potentially lowering the barrier to entry for data contributions.
However, the success of this pivot will depend on several factors, including the amount and quality of data provided by users, the willingness of AI companies to purchase such data, and the overall regulatory landscape for AI training data. The European Union’s AI law and similar regulations in other jurisdictions increasingly require transparency in data sourcing, which could work in Ontology’s favor.
What this means for users
For existing ONTO wallet users, this migration introduces new utilities. This is a feature that allows you to earn cryptocurrencies by completing AI-related tasks or sharing certain data types. The announcement did not reveal which tasks or data types would be rewarded or the expected rate of return. Ontology indicated that details of its compensation structure and partnership agreements with AI companies will be announced in the coming weeks.
This model is similar to the “data acquisition” concept found in some Web3 projects, but focuses on verifiable data integrity. Users can control what data is shared and revoke access at any time thanks to the underlying DID architecture. This provides a more transparent alternative to traditional data exchange for services for privacy-conscious individuals.
conclusion
Ontology’s decision to evolve ONTO Wallet into an AI data infrastructure marks a significant strategic shift, leveraging years of DID development to address the AI industry’s pressing need for verifiable, ethically sourced training data. The project aims to create a sustainable ecosystem where both data contributors and AI developers benefit by rewarding users with cryptocurrencies. The coming months will reveal whether this approach gains traction among users and enterprise customers alike.
FAQ
Q1: What is the new role of ONTO Wallet in AI?
ONTO Wallet serves as an infrastructure layer that provides verifiable user consent data to AI-based models, agents, and applications. Users can perform AI-related tasks through the wallet and earn cryptocurrency rewards.
Q2: How does Ontology ensure data privacy and consent?
Ontology uses decentralized identity (DID) technology to record user consent on-chain. Each data post is cryptographically verified, and users can control what data is shared and revoke access at any time.
Q3: When will new features be available?
Ontology announced the strategic shift on June 1, 2025, but has not yet provided a specific launch date for the new AI-related capabilities. The company said details of the reward mechanism and AI partnership will be announced in the coming weeks.
