1. Definition of the Track and Evolution Logic: From Automation Tools to On-Chain Economic Entities

Robotics technology is not a new phenomenon. Over the past decade, industrial robotic arms, warehouse robots, drones, and other automation devices have been deployed at scale in manufacturing, logistics, and other fields. However, these robots are essentially still tools within closed systems—they execute preset instructions but lack the ability for identity recognition, autonomous decision-making, value exchange, and cross-platform collaboration. With AI large models granting machines the ability to "think," and blockchain technology providing identity and settlement infrastructure, a new paradigm is forming: machines are no longer just hardware but autonomous economic entities capable of having on-chain identities, autonomously completing transactions, and participating in real-world production.

The core driving force behind this transformation comes from technological maturity at three levels. First, the breakthrough in embodied intelligence. Large language models and multimodal models enable robots to possess natural language understanding, environmental perception, and task planning capabilities. For example, OpenMind's OM1 operating system integrates perception, memory, reasoning, and action into a unified framework, allowing robots to evolve from "being able to move" to "being able to understand and think." Second, the rise of decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN). Blockchain provides identity authentication (DID), trusted data recording, and automated settlement capabilities for physical devices, allowing machines to participate in market transactions as economic entities. Third, the maturity of stablecoins and Layer 2 solutions. Efficient micropayment infrastructure makes high-frequency small settlements between machines possible, laying a financial foundation for the machine economy.

Forbes' 2026 forecast points out that blockchain will become the trust network for AI, with every significant agency action being recorded in a lightweight ledger to achieve compliance, governance, and accountability. This means that the Web3 Robots track is essentially building a new economic system that allows machines to prove themselves, trust others, create value, and participate in distribution. This system consists of a three-layer architecture: the bottom layer is the operating system that grants intelligence to machines (such as OpenMind OM1), the middle layer is the protocol layer that provides identity and collaboration networks (such as OpenMind FABRIC and peaq), and the top layer is the labor market and tokenization platform aimed at application scenarios (such as Konnex and Virtuals). The synergy of these three layers is reshaping robots from "tools" to "digital citizens."

2. Infrastructure Layer: Co-evolution of Operating Systems, Data, and Networks

The construction of the underlying infrastructure for the Web3 Robots track is advancing synchronously across multiple dimensions, with the most representative being OpenMind's layout at the operating system layer, PrismaX's exploration at the data layer, and peaq's construction at the network layer. These three projects form a complete infrastructure closed loop of "system—data—network," providing a foundation for upper-layer applications to operate.

OpenMind is hailed as the "Android of the robotics field." Its core products include the open-source AI-native robot operating system OM1 and the decentralized collaboration network FABRIC. OM1, licensed under MIT, has received over 2,500 stars on GitHub, attracting more than 500 global contributors and over 7,500 independent developers. Unlike traditional robotic operating systems (ROS) that focus solely on motion control and navigation, OM1 integrates four major modules: perception, memory, reasoning, and action, supporting advanced functions such as natural language interaction, environmental mapping, and object recognition. Currently, OM1 has been adapted by over 10 leading hardware manufacturers, including Unitree, Fourier, UBTECH, and Deep Robotics, covering various forms such as humanoid robots, quadrupedal robots, and robotic arms. The FABRIC protocol builds a decentralized machine collaboration network, assigning on-chain identities (peaq ID) to each robot, supporting skill sharing, task coordination, and USDC micropayment settlements between machines. In February 2026, the FABRIC Protocol (ROBO) was launched on Binance Alpha and Binance Futures, with a 24-hour trading volume exceeding $140 million, and it has subsequently listed on mainstream exchanges such as OKX, Coinbase, and Kraken. The project completed approximately $20 million in financing in August 2025, led by Pantera Capital, with participation from top institutions such as Coinbase Ventures, DCG, and Sequoia China, achieving a latest valuation of around $200 million, and the Kaito Launchpad pre-sale valuation reached $400 million FDV. Current participation points include the Season 1 points program, NFT minting for the FABRIC Identity Network, and GitHub code contributions, with strong expectations for airdrops.

PrismaX is known as the "gold mine" of training data for the physical world. If algorithms are the "brains" of robots, data is the nourishment for that "brain." PrismaX is positioned at the AI robot data layer, addressing the most scarce "physical world interaction data" issue in robot training through human-robot collaboration (RLHF) models. Its platform allows users to remotely control real robotic arms via the web to complete actions, with the system recording operational data and selling it to robot companies for AI training, while users earn points to redeem future tokens. This "Play-to-Train" model creates a data flywheel: more user participation leads to more data, more data trains better models, and better models attract more users. PrismaX recently completed a $11 million seed round of financing, led by top venture capital firm a16z, with participation from Virtuals Protocol. Currently, the ecosystem has over 500 participants completing remote robotic arm operations, with two complete operational robotic arm systems (Unitech Walker "Tommy" and "Bill") launched. Users can earn points through daily check-ins, white paper quizzes, or even paid training ($99), with market expectations for future airdrop distributions. The risk lies in the influx of numerous "haircut studios" potentially diluting point value, and whether remote operation data can truly train commercially viable robots remains a topic of industry debate.

peaq is a Layer-1 network for the machine economy. peaq is a Layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for the machine economy, with core functions including machine identity (peaq IDs), on-chain wallets, access control, and nanosecond-level time synchronization, supporting millions of robots and devices for autonomous transactions. Unlike many DePIN projects that remain in the conceptual stage, peaq has successfully run a real commercial closed loop. Within its ecosystem, the Hong Kong robot farm (Robo-farm) uses automated robots to grow hydroponic vegetables, allowing users to purchase NFTs representing shares in the farm, with the revenue generated from vegetable sales converted into stablecoins and directly distributed on-chain to NFT holders. The first revenue distribution at the end of January 2026 showed a single revenue amount of 3,820 USDT, with an annualized return of about 18%. This "not relying on token inflation but making money from selling vegetables" model makes peaq a typical case of RWA (real-world assets) implementation. In terms of partnerships, peaq has engaged in technical validation collaborations with industrial giants such as Bosch, Mastercard, and Airbus, covering areas like IoT sensor integration, payment gateway integration, and supply chain tracking. The mainnet was launched in 2024, with a current circulating market value of approximately $34.25 million and an FDV of about $78 million, with 50-60 DePIN applications currently running in the ecosystem, connecting over 2 million physical devices. The token $PEAQ is primarily used for gas and staking, with the "Get Real" campaign ongoing, offering a reward pool of 210 million $PEAQ (worth over $100 million), allowing users to earn XP/NP and receive tokens by completing real-world DePIN tasks.

The relationship among these three is akin to a complete production system: PrismaX provides the data "raw materials" to train robots, OpenMind's OM1 provides the "operating system" for robots to run intelligently, and peaq provides the "network and incentive layer" for robots to complete economic settlements. The synergy among the three constitutes a complete infrastructure stack for decentralized embodied intelligence.

3. Financial Layer of the Machine Economy: Tokenization Platforms and Positioning Networks

Once the infrastructure layer addresses the questions of "how machines become intelligent" and "how machines collaborate," the financial layer of the machine economy begins to surface. The core issue this layer addresses is: how to price, trade, and circulate the value of machines? Virtuals Protocol and Geodnet provide answers from different perspectives.

Virtuals Protocol is a tokenization platform for AI agents/robots, allowing community participation in the issuance, staking, and governance of agents. Its core mechanisms include the Pegasus/Unicorn ecosystem, the ACP (Agent Commerce Protocol) market, and Butler tools. The ACP market allows for trustless commercial transactions between AI agents, supporting the entire process of task publishing, verification, and settlement on-chain. In March 2026, Virtuals collaborated with the Ethereum Foundation's dAI team to develop the ERC-8183 standard (Agentic Commerce), introducing work primitives with on-chain custody, evaluator certification, and modular hooks to achieve trustless commercial transactions between agents. Data shows that on-chain revenue among agents on Virtuals has exceeded $3 million (excluding transaction fees), marking the formation of a verifiable economic output entirely created by AI agents at scale. The token $VIRTUAL was launched at the end of 2023, currently valued at around $500 million, and has been listed on mainstream CEXs like Gate.io. The weekly Epoch airdrop system is active, distributing rewards based on veVIRTUAL staking and Butler usage, with 2% going to stakers and 3% to ecosystem participants. At the beginning of 2026, Virtuals also reached a cooperation agreement with OpenMind's FABRIC protocol, enabling robots to receive tasks and conduct on-chain settlements through ACP after obtaining economic identities via FABRIC, achieving deep integration between the machine economy layer and the infrastructure layer.

Geodnet is known as the centimeter-level navigation infrastructure for robots. Geodnet is a decentralized high-precision positioning network built on Solana, providing RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) centimeter-level navigation services for robots, drones, and autonomous driving. Its network consists of globally distributed reference stations, with node operators earning $GEOD tokens by deploying hardware, while users subscribe to services to access positioning data. Geodnet's business model features typical "real revenue" characteristics: 80% of data revenue is used for the buyback and destruction of $GEOD, forming a deflationary mechanism. At the CES exhibition in January 2026, Geodnet showcased the Geoswarm home security drone, which can automatically take off from a compact dock on the roof of a home, patrol using GEODNET's high-precision positioning data, and automatically return and land without human intervention. Additionally, Geodnet has launched consumer-oriented RTK hardware ($150) and RTK measurement receivers ($695), the latter of which won a CES Innovation Award. Geodnet has completed over $15 million in total financing, including rounds led by Multicoin Capital. The token has migrated from Polygon to Solana and is currently tradable on Coinbase. For investors, Geodnet's buyback and destruction mechanism and real hardware sales provide value support, and it is worth noting that its node deployment revenue and staking reward mechanisms are still actively running.

From the financial layer's perspective, Virtuals Protocol addresses the "liquidity" issue of AI agents—allowing the capabilities of agents to be tokenized, traded, and priced; Geodnet addresses the "spatial awareness" issue of robots—enabling machines to accurately locate and navigate in the physical world. Together, they expand the boundaries of the machine economy: the former allows machines to circulate value in the digital world, while the latter makes machine activities in the physical world more precise and reliable.

4. Application Landing Layer: From DePIN Investment to Real-World Assets

The infrastructure layer and financial layer form the "skeleton" and "blood" of the Web3 Robots track, but what truly determines the vitality of the track is whether the application landing layer can create value in the real world. XMAQUINA and Robonomics explore this proposition from different dimensions.

XMAQUINA is a robot investment bank governed by DAO. XMAQUINA is a DePIN project that invests in and tokenizes real humanoid robot companies through DAO governance, allowing token holders to share in the profits of the robot companies. Its core mechanisms include the "robot bank" (Robotics Bank) and the machine economy launchpad. The DAO allocates capital to promising robot companies (such as Apptronik and Figure AI) and manages them through a SubDAO mechanism. In January 2026, XMAQUINA completed its final public auction, with the community investing over $3.25 million in less than 30 minutes, accumulating a total financing of $10 million. The token $DEUS's TGE is expected to activate in January-February 2026, with 33% unlocking at TGE and 67% released linearly. Current participation points include holding $DEUS for governance voting and profit sharing, monitoring DAO proposals and staking mechanisms, and the upcoming Launchpad projects. XMAQUINA's model is essentially a "robot version of an investment fund," lowering the threshold for ordinary investors to participate in early investments in robot companies while achieving decentralized investment decision-making through DAO governance.

Robonomics is the earliest Web3 robot coordination platform. Robonomics is a pioneer in the Web3 robotics field, having launched a testnet as early as 2018, providing robot cloud services and smart contract task allocation functions. Its core capabilities include IoT device integration, sensor data on-chain, and automated task execution. The token $XRT of Robonomics was issued in 2019 and has been listed on exchanges such as Kraken, but it has a small market cap and is considered an "old veteran" project in the track. Compared to new projects, Robonomics' ecosystem is relatively mature but lacks growth momentum, with no recent large-scale airdrops or incentive activities, making it more suitable for long-term investors focused on IoT and robotics integration to hold and observe.

It is worth noting that more innovative models are emerging in the application landing layer. The "Universal Basic Ownership Pilot" project within the peaq ecosystem explores inclusive ownership of machine assets, while the tokenized machine deployment mechanism allows ordinary users to invest in and share in the operational profits of robots. Additionally, the Virtuals ecosystem has seen the emergence of agents like ArAIstotle ($FACY), achieving 382,000 queries, 8,000 users, and $760,000 in tax revenue, with a month-on-month ACP growth of 413 times, demonstrating the immense potential of the AI agent economy.

5. Challenges, Risks, and Future Outlook

Despite the immense imaginative space of the Web3 Robots track, it is still in the early stages of development and faces multiple challenges and risks.

From a technical perspective, the reliability of robot hardware and environmental adaptability remain bottlenecks. As OpenMind founder Jan Liphardt stated, the reliability of key components like dexterous hands is still a challenge; if a mechanical hand with five fingers and 12 degrees of freedom malfunctions after operating for a hundred hours, its practical value will be significantly reduced. Additionally, the gap between simulation tools and real environments, as well as the need for human voice interaction simulation in social robots, require ongoing technical breakthroughs.

From a valuation perspective, some projects face the risk of high valuations with low circulation. Taking OpenMind as an example, the Kaito Launchpad pre-sale valuation reached $400 million FDV, doubling from the previous round's valuation of $200 million, which may overdraw the secondary market space and face selling pressure from early VC unlocks. Investors need to be wary of projects with excessively high "narrative premiums" while actual landing progress falls short of expectations.

From a data quality perspective, data layer projects like PrismaX face the risk of an influx of "haircut studios." If project parties cannot effectively filter high-quality training data, points will lose value, ultimately leading to severe selling pressure during airdrops. Ensuring data quality while incentivizing user participation is a challenge that all data layer projects need to address.

From a competitive landscape perspective, traditional robot manufacturers tend to adopt closed systems (such as Tesla Optimus), similar to Apple's iOS model. Whether open-source "Android models" like OpenMind can survive in the cracks of giants depends on their ability to attract enough mid-tier hardware manufacturers to form an ecosystem synergy.

Looking to the future, the development of the Web3 Robots track will evolve along three main lines: first, standardization. A2A (Agent-to-Agent) communication protocols are becoming the universal language for robots and agents, similar to how HTTP unified the early internet; A2A will become the communication foundation of the autonomous world. Second, real revenue. The case of the peaq robot farm proves that Web3 robot projects can generate real cash flow without relying on token inflation. More projects will explore business models like "Device-as-a-Service" and "Robot-as-an-Asset" in the future. Third, compliance and governance. As robots deeply engage in economic activities, regulatory agencies will require AI decisions to have explainability and traceability. The immutable ledger of blockchain will become a key infrastructure to meet compliance requirements.

6. Conclusion: Participation Strategies and Investment Logic

The Web3 Robots track is at a critical stage of transitioning from concept validation to large-scale application. For investors and ecosystem participants, the current core strategy should be: focus on underlying capability building, track real deployment scale, and seize early participation opportunities.

From an ecological perspective, infrastructure layer projects (OpenMind, peaq) have higher certainty and moats, but valuations may already partially reflect expectations; data layer projects (PrismaX) have high elasticity but come with data quality risks; financial layer projects (Virtuals) and application layer projects (XMAQUINA) are more dependent on ecosystem prosperity and community activity.

Reflecting on the evolution of the mobile phone industry from the "shanzhai phone era" to the "Android/iOS duopoly," the Web3 robotics track may be undergoing a similar early stage. As OpenMind's founder stated, there will not be just one winner in the future, but many strong participants will emerge. For investors focusing on this track, the current period is a window for observation, learning, and selective participation. The future of machines becoming on-chain economic entities is transitioning from science fiction to reality.