[PRESS RELEASE – Georgetown, Cayman Islands, December 16th, 2024

During the testnet phase, over 1.3m users contributed more than 6.5m data points to train user-owned AI models. On mainnet, DataDAOs will leverage the $VANA token to enable users to collectively own, monetize and govern their personal data for a stake in the booming AI economy.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 16 2024 — Vana, the pioneering network for user-owned data, today announced the launch of its mainnet and native $VANA token. The launch marks a significant milestone in breaking through the data wall that’s limiting AI development while preserving privacy and giving users a stake in the value their data generates.

Developed by Open Data Labs — a San Francisco-based research and technology company born out of the MIT Media Lab — the Vana network is an EVM-compatible blockchain that enables users to maintain ownership and control over their personal data while allowing that data to be used for AI model training through privacy-preserving technologies.

The mainnet launch follows Vana’s successful testnet phase, which saw over 1.3 million users contributing over 6.5m data points to DataDAOs, processing approximately 1.7 million transactions daily. The testnet demonstrated that programmable data ownership is not just possible, but critical at this point in AI development, says Anna Kazlauskas, CEO of Open Data Labs and inventor of Vana:

“Today’s mainnet launch marks a fundamental shift in how data is owned and monetized in the AI era. Users have always legally owned their data, but platforms have captured all the economic value — and most users don’t even realize their data is legally theirs!

“Vana lays the groundwork for a new kind of data economy – one where