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Layer 1 blockchain

IOTA ticker IOTA

  • No public-data lookups yet
  • 4 reviewed developments
  • 40 cited sources

Summary

Delegated proof-of-stake layer 1. IOTA holders delegate stake to validators for 24-hour epochs, a validator needs 2 million IOTA of stake to join, and decisions need validators holding more than 2/3 of voting power. Since protocol version 24 (node release v1.21.1, April 2026) validators run Starfish, a successor to Mysticeti that builds a directed acyclic graph of blocks proposed in parallel, separates block headers from erasure-coded transaction data and commits in three message rounds. Executed transaction effects are certified by a quorum and recorded in checkpoints signed by more than 2/3 of the committee. Rewards come from 767,000 newly minted IOTA per epoch plus tips; an underperforming validator loses rewards. The reviewed staking docs describe no slashing of staked principal, and the security page says staked tokens cannot be seized by validators or other participants. 123410242527

Design

System
Layer 1 blockchainRecorded as a proof-of-stake base-layer blockchain, not as a non-block ledger as the package hint suggested. IOTA's original Tangle, where each new transaction approved earlier ones, was replaced on 5 May 2025 by IOTA Rebased: a Move-based object ledger run by a stake-elected validator committee. Consensus (Starfish) orders blocks that validators propose in parallel as a directed acyclic graph, and history is a hash-linked chain of checkpoints signed by more than 2/3 of the committee. Ledger's IOTA page still says IOTA is not a blockchain in the traditional sense.
Settlement family
Its own design
Scarce resource
Stake (proof of stake)
State model
Other
Finality
Other
Who makes blocks
Every validator in the epoch's committee can propose consensus blocks in parallel. IOTA's mainnet page says up to 150 validators. The Foundation reported 67 active validators and 80 committee seats in October 2025; on 27 September 2026 the public RPC endpoint listed in IOTA's docs reported 64 active validators, 63 of them in the committee, with 18 together holding more than 2/3 of voting power.
Fork choice
No longest-chain or heaviest-chain rule. A transaction is final once validators with more than 2/3 of voting power certify its effects, and certified checkpoints form the permanent history. The docs state tolerance for up to one-third of stake being offline or misbehaving; beyond that the quorum rule means the network cannot commit, an inference from the design rather than an observed event.

Qualifications

Tradeoffs

This view follows one way of thinking about design priorities, often called the blockchain trilemma. The design-priorities lesson sets out the counter-view. Read the design-priorities lesson.

Emphasizes
Security and Scalability Contested
Gives up
Operational decentralization and liveness margin. The validator set is capped at 150 and the committee had 63 members at review, 18 validators held more than 2/3 of voting power, a mainnet full node is specified with 64 GB of RAM and a 1 Gbps uplink, and the network cannot commit if more than 1/3 of voting power is unavailable. The IOTA Foundation leads protocol development and may ship urgent security fixes as signed binaries before publishing their source.Security here means safety while more than 2/3 of stake is honest; the reviewed docs describe reward penalties, not seizure of stake. A rule tying each validator's minimum commission to its voting share is meant to slow stake concentration. The Foundation's 2025 review calls the network fully decentralized; with about sixty committee members and 18 validators holding more than 2/3 of voting power at review, that reading is contested. Throughput figures are unclassified Foundation statements.
Full node at home
Demanding 8910IOTA's build-from-source guide lists 64 GB RAM, 8 physical cores (16 vCPUs), a 512 GB NVMe SSD or more depending on pruning, and a 1 Gbps uplink for a mainnet full node. Validators are listed at 128 GB RAM, 24 cores, 4 TB NVMe and 1 Gbps. The default full node configuration prunes old object versions and transactions after one to two epochs, so full history needs archives.
Throughput claims
  • Unclassified: 400,000 tx/s 538Unclassified; do not compare.Stated on IOTA's comparison page as Starfish throughput on a wide-area network; no test date, node count or report is cited.Not stated.The page cites no benchmark. Sui's documentation gives the same 400,000 figure for a 50-node test of Mysticeti, Starfish's predecessor, so the number may not describe Starfish at all. A consensus-engine figure at most, not observed IOTA mainnet load or end-to-end execution; it ignores state growth, contention on shared objects and propagation to full nodes. Not comparable with any other chain's figure.
  • Unclassified: 50,000 tx/s 1628Unclassified; do not compare.Stated in the IOTA Foundation's December 2025 year-end review as 'over 50,000' with about 400 ms average finality; no method, window or load description is given.The Foundation's November 2024 proposal for IOTA Rebased gave '50k+' as the target for its then Mysticeti-based design, before mainnet existed, so the 2025 figure may restate a capacity claim rather than report a measurement. No observed mainnet window or independent measurement was found; do not compare.
Headline figures are not comparable across chains. A theoretical peak is never a like-for-like number.

Scaling layers

Capabilities

Capabilities of IOTA: how each one is provided, or its research status
CapabilityHow it is providedNotes and sources
Account abstractionStructured assessment pendingNot yet assessed for any chain.
Atomic swapsBuilt into the protocolLimited scopeLimited to exchanges on IOTA itself. Kiosk, which IOTA's docs describe as part of the IOTA framework and native to the system, lets an owner list an item at a price that anyone can buy in one transaction under the creator's transfer rules, so the payment and the item move together. Programmable transactions run up to 1,024 commands all-or-nothing, a building block for other exchanges. No protocol-level cross-chain hash-time-locked swap was verified. 1112
Authenticated data publicationUnknownNot yet assessed under the current definitions; the nearest feature found is IOTA Notarization, a Foundation toolkit that stores data or its hash in an on-chain object that is either locked for good or updatable with a version counter. Data kept in the object is chain state, which the current definition does not count, and the toolkit has no off-chain replication or subscriptions for data recorded only by its hash. Absence of another feature was not exhaustively verified. 17
Light clientsBuilt into the protocolLimited scopeConsensus produces what a light client checks: checkpoints are signed by more than 2/3 of the committee, and the last checkpoint of each epoch names the next committee, so a client holding the genesis checkpoint can verify later checkpoints and, through them, transactions and objects. Limits: the command-line light client in IOTA's repository fetches data from a full node and GraphQL endpoint and must sync end-of-epoch checkpoints daily; wallet adoption was not reviewed. 67
Native staking or delegationStructured assessment pendingNot yet assessed for any chain.
On-chain governanceStructured assessment pendingNot yet assessed for any chain.
Parallel executionStructured assessment pendingNot yet assessed for any chain.
Payment or state channelsUnknownNo payment or state channel network anchored to IOTA was found in the reviewed sources.
Programmable spendingNative (protocol or core-team software) Earlier definitionMove contracts govern objects; one transaction can chain up to 1,024 commands; native multisig mixes Ed25519, secp256k1 and secp256r1 keys; and account abstraction lets Move code decide whether a transaction is authorized. 11131426
Protocol-verified messagingStructured assessment pendingNot yet assessed for any chain.
Reversible transfers or recoveryUnknownNot yet assessed under the current definitions; no way for a sender to cancel or reclaim a payment was found, and the other evidence is building blocks. Account abstraction, enabled on mainnet in node release v1.25.0 (June 2026), lets an account's sign-in rule be Move code, which the docs use for key rotation and recovery without changing address, spending limits and time locks, but no recovery or delay module live on mainnet is cited. Native multisig allows up to 10 weighted keys, a plain multisig threshold. Issuers of regulated coins can block addresses; the docs describe no seizure. 13141526
RollupsUnknownAbsence was not verified, so the rule that absence needs a source makes this unknown rather than not present. The earlier review recorded IOTA EVM, which IOTA calls a layer 2, as a sidechain because its own validator committee signs state commitments onto IOTA without fraud or validity proofs in the reviewed docs, and found no other rollup settling to IOTA. 2021
Shielded transfersStructured assessment pendingNot yet assessed for any chain.
Signed partial offersUnknownNot yet assessed under this row's current definition.
Reading these values
How this feature is provided
Built into the protocol, core-team software or independent software says where a feature lives and who can change it. These are implementation layers, not quality: core-team software is not closer to the protocol than independent software.
Structured assessment pending
The shared review has not assessed this feature for any chain yet (Account abstraction, Native staking or delegation, On-chain governance, Parallel execution, Protocol-verified messaging and Shielded transfers). That does not mean it is absent, and a chain’s profile may already describe it.
Unknown
The review has not established this for this chain under the current definition; the note beside it says why. Unknown is not absent and not a low score. A feature reads “Not present” only when a source shows it is absent.
Earlier definition
Payment or state channels, Programmable spending and Rollups keep the earlier definition until the next fact-check. There, “Native” does not separate the protocol from core-team software, “Ecosystem software” does not say who publishes it, and “Partial” does not say which layer.
Reading across rows
The list of capabilities is incomplete. Do not read these rows as a chain leading or lagging overall.

Definitions, schema version and review history

Ecosystem & custody

Ecosystem products for IOTA
Product typeStatusNotes and sources
Automated market makersThinPools Finance (IOTA L1)Pools Finance says it is the first DEX live on IOTA's Move-based layer 1, with liquidity pools and farms; the Foundation's 2025 review lists it as the ecosystem's exchange for spot trading, and the Foundation's mainnet page showcases it. Exchanges on IOTA EVM were not reviewed, and liquidity depth was not measured. 242833 As of Sep 27, 2026.
Issuer-native stablecoinsThinVUSD (Virtue)VUSD is minted on IOTA through Virtue's over-collateralized debt positions backed by IOTA and stIOTA. USDT0 on IOTA L1 is minted against USDT locked in a dedicated Ethereum contract and can move only to and from Ethereum, so it is a bridged representation and is recorded under bridges, not as issuance on IOTA. Circle's USDC list and Tether's supported-protocol list do not include IOTA, so no issuer-native fiat stablecoin was found. 31323435 As of Sep 27, 2026.
Algorithmic stablecoinsUnknownNo algorithmic stablecoin with material usage was verified. VUSD is backed by over-collateralized debt positions, not an algorithmic mechanism, so it is listed with native stablecoins. 32 As of Sep 27, 2026.
BridgesFirst-partyIOTA EVM Bridge (IOTA L1 and IOTA EVM), LayerZero and Stargate (IOTA L1 since December 2025), USDT0 route (Ethereum only)The IOTA Foundation runs the bridge between IOTA L1 and IOTA EVM through the chain's Anchor object. LayerZero lists a Move implementation for IOTA L1 separate from IOTA EVM, and the Foundation announced LayerZero and Stargate transfers to IOTA L1 on 3 December 2025. USDT0's IOTA route connects only to Ethereum. Risk: IOTA EVM funds on L1 are controlled by the EVM chain's validator committee through a shared key, without fraud or validity proofs. LayerZero transfers depend on the verifier and executor set each application configures. USDT0 on IOTA depends on the Ethereum lockbox contract and its operators, and on Tether's USDT on Ethereum. 2122293031 As of Sep 27, 2026.
Block explorersFirst-partyIOTA Explorer (IOTA Foundation), Iotascan, IOTA EVM ExplorerIOTA's docs list the Foundation's explorer for mainnet and a separate explorer for IOTA EVM; Iotascan describes itself as an explorer and analytics platform for IOTA, and its operator was not identified. Listing is not a quality or completeness check; explorer data is provider-indexed. 181936 As of Sep 27, 2026.
Hardware walletsFirst-partyLedger (through IOTA Wallet), Keystone (through IOTA Wallet and Nightly)See custody rows. The Foundation's IOTA Wallet signs layer 1 transactions with the IOTA app on a Ledger device and, since the third quarter of 2025, with Keystone. Ledger's IOTA page points to third-party wallets. Trezor's IOTA page lists only the IOTA EVM sidechain, through MetaMask or Rabby, so Trezor has no layer 1 path. 23273739 As of Sep 27, 2026.

Hardware-wallet custody

Hardware-wallet custody for IOTA
Device makerStatusWhat users can and cannot do
LedgerThrough an intermediaryIOTA Wallet (IOTA Foundation browser extension) with the IOTA app on the Ledger deviceSame as native: NoCan: Install the IOTA device app from Ledger Live's app catalog on Nano S Plus, Nano X, Flex or Stax (Nano S only by manual install)
Can: Import up to 10 Ledger accounts into IOTA Wallet and approve IOTA layer 1 transactions on the device
Can: Connect the Ledger to MetaMask, the only third-party wallet Ledger's own IOTA page names; as an EVM wallet it would reach the IOTA EVM sidechain rather than layer 1 accounts (an inference)
Cannot: Manage IOTA inside Ledger's own wallet app, according to Ledger's IOTA page, which directs users to third-party walletsThe device app is maintained in the IOTA Foundation's GitHub organization, and the status rests on the Foundation's IOTA Wallet, not on the MetaMask path Ledger names. Staking from a Ledger account in IOTA Wallet was not confirmed in the reviewed pages. 233740 As of Sep 27, 2026.
TrezorNone foundSame as native: NoCannot: Manage Move-based IOTA layer 1 accounts: the only network Trezor's IOTA page lists is IOTA EVM
Cannot: Manage IOTA in Trezor Suite, which the page marks as not supporting IOTATrezor's IOTA page lists the IOTA EVM network through MetaMask or Rabby on Safe 3, Safe 5 and Safe 7. IOTA EVM is a separate chain with its own validator committee, so that path reaches IOTA held there, not the layer 1 accounts where most activity, staking included, happens; it does not count as support for this network. 2139 As of Sep 27, 2026.

Public data

iKnow Blockchain has no public-data lookups for IOTA yet. This is a limit of the service, not a statement about the network.

Public-data lookups for IOTA
LookupStatusWhat it covers and its limits
Address or accountNot available yetPublic-data lookups for this chain are not built yet.
Tokens and assetsNot available yetPublic-data lookups for this chain are not built yet.
NFTsNot available yetPublic-data lookups for this chain are not built yet.
TransactionsNot available yetPublic-data lookups for this chain are not built yet.

A lookup covers one address or transaction from one provider. It is never a complete wallet, and an error or private value is reported as unknown, not zero. About public data · Connect your AI

Sourced developments

Developments: Review overdue Reviewed Sep 27, 2026; next review was due Oct 7, 2026, 12:00 UTC.

Publication date · newest first

Topics your AI can explain

Your AI can explain these topics for IOTA through the connection, with sources.

Known gaps

What this profile's review did not establish:

Sources

Oldest dated source check: Source checked Sep 27, 2026 Next check due Oct 27, 2026.

All 40 sources were checked in the last 30 days.

  1. Consensus (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  2. Validator Committee (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  3. Security (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  4. Delegated Proof of Stake (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  5. Comparison (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  6. Checkpoint Verification (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  7. iota-light-client README (external site)iotaledger/iota repository · retrieved
  8. Full Node: Build From Source (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  9. Full Node Configuration (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  10. Validator Node Overview (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  11. Programmable Transaction Blocks (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  12. IOTA Kiosk (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  13. Multisig (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  14. Account Abstraction (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  15. Creating Regulated Coins with Deny Lists on IOTA (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  16. IOTA Rebased: Fast Forward (external site)IOTA Foundation blog · retrieved
  17. Introduction to On Chain Notarization (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  18. Network Overview (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  19. IOTA EVM Networks & Chains (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  20. IOTA EVM Consensus (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  21. IOTA EVM Validators and Access Nodes (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  22. ISC Move Packages (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  23. Importing Wallet from Ledger Device (external site)IOTA Documentation · retrieved
  24. IOTA Mainnet (external site)IOTA Foundation (iota.org) · retrieved
  25. [Mainnet] v1.21.1 (external site)iotaledger/iota releases · retrieved
  26. [Mainnet] v1.25.0 (external site)iotaledger/iota releases · retrieved
  27. Q3 2025 Progress Update (external site)IOTA Foundation blog · retrieved
  28. IOTA 2025 (external site)IOTA Foundation blog · retrieved
  29. IOTA Mainnet Integrates LayerZero and Stargate (external site)IOTA Foundation blog · retrieved
  30. IOTA L1 deployment (external site)LayerZero documentation · retrieved
  31. Developer Guide (external site)USDT0 Docs · retrieved
  32. What is VUSD? (external site)Virtue Docs · retrieved
  33. Pools Finance | DEX on IOTA (external site)Pools Finance · retrieved
  34. USDC contract addresses (external site)Circle · retrieved
  35. Supported protocols (external site)Tether · retrieved
  36. IOTA Explorer - Iotascan (external site)Iotascan · retrieved
  37. IOTA wallet (external site)Ledger · retrieved
  38. Consensus (external site)Sui Documentation · retrieved
  39. Safe & secure IOTA wallet (external site)Trezor · retrieved
  40. ledger-app-iota repository (external site)iotaledger on GitHub · retrieved

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Funding disclosure

Funding disclosures appear here when an upkeep arrangement exists, in the form “Upkeep funded by [name]; verdicts unaffected.” The funder ledger has not been published yet. Neutrality & funding