Author: 137Labs
Robots are evolving from closed systems into on-chain economic entities. With the maturation of AI, automation, and Web3 infrastructure, robots are beginning to possess identity, incentives, and settlement capabilities, participating in real-world production and collaboration. This article systematically reviews the development background of the Web3 Robots sector and summarizes representative projects such as OpenMind, Konnex, peaq, Virtuals, Geodnet, and XMAQUINA, covering robot operating systems, decentralized physical labor markets, machine economy Layer 1, AI agent tokenization, and DePIN infrastructure. This helps readers quickly understand the current state, participation methods, and potential opportunities of this emerging sector.
Robots, once merely mechanical constructs in science fiction, have moved from laboratories to production lines, logistics centers, and service industries with the widespread adoption of Web2 architecture platforms and smart devices. Over the past decade, while machines have achieved partial automation, they remain constrained by closed platforms and centralized control. All of this is gradually changing with the emergence of Web3.
Robots are no longer just simple hardware; they are economic agents on the blockchain. The data they generate, the actions they perform, and the value they produce can all be recorded, incentivized, and traded. The combination of AI and robotics redefines the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds.
Below are some representative projects in this field or those frequently mentioned in community discussions, which participate in building the future of the robotics economy from different perspectives.
OpenMind
OpenMind is hailed as the "Android of robotics," developing OM1—the first fully open-source AI-native robot operating system (MIT License, GitHub 2.5k+ stars, 500+ global contributors). It supports mainstream hardware such as humanoids, quadrupeds, robotic arms, and mobile chassis, providing full-stack capabilities including localization, mapping, planning, remote monitoring, and human-robot takeover.
Its FABRIC layer is a decentralized AI control protocol that enables large-scale robot collaboration, trust networks, ZK auditing, machine authentication, and micro-payment incentives (in cooperation with Circle and others), allowing robots to share knowledge, coordinate tasks, and form a shared intelligent network.
Funding : In August 2025, the company completed a seed + Series A funding round of approximately $20 million, led by Pantera Capital, with participation from top institutions including Coinbase Ventures, Digital Currency Group, Ribbit, Sequoia China (now HongShan), and Primitive Ventures. The funds will be used to expand the engineering team, deploy the OM1 robot dog pilot program (10 units to be launched in September 2025 for testing in homes, schools, and public settings), and advance the FABRIC network.
Token issuance/TGE : There is no official TGE yet. Tokens (such as OMND) are expected to be launched in Q1-Q2 of 2026 (based on investor lineup and roadmap speculation).
Current participation points (extremely popular, highly recommended): Season 1 points program is active; earn points by contributing spatial data to train robot navigation AI; FABRIC Identity Network on Base is online, allowing you to mint identity NFTs and earn exclusive badges; the waitlist has over 150k applicants; free Mint OpenMind NFTs (requires a small amount of ETH); contribute to GitHub, participate in OM1 Beta testing, and follow Epoch/Season tasks on Discord/Twitter ( @openmind_agi ); join the waitlist on the official website openmind.org to accumulate points, with great potential for airdrops.
Konnex
Konnex is a Web3-native, permissionless decentralized marketplace for robotic intelligence and physical labor. It allows autonomous robots to sign contracts, trade AI intelligence, and settle transactions in stablecoins, aiming to create an "autonomous system GDP." Core technologies include Proof-of-Physical-Work (sensor data audit credentials → automatic payment), Universal Task Language (JSON universal task format breaking down vendor barriers), and Market-Priced AI Intelligence (validators compete for KPIs, with top models receiving royalties). Applications cover decentralized logistics, robotic kitchens, smart agriculture, and more, aiming to unlock a $25 trillion physical labor economy.
Team: CEO Jon Ollwerther (15+ years of robotics experience, 5 exits, over $100 million in funding, “40 Under 40”), advisors include drone swarm pioneers, etc.
Funding: In January 2026, the company completed a $15M strategic round, led/participated by Cogitent Ventures, Leland Ventures, Liquid Capital, Covey, M77 Ventures, and Block Maven LLC. The funds will be used for platform expansion, hardware integration, and the development of new verification protocols.
Token issuance/TGE: No tokens have been launched yet. The Konnex Points system is now open, and AirDrop has officially started.
Current participation point (most popular and ongoing): Airdrop is integrated via hub.konnex.world . Connect your wallet to complete Mandatory Quests to unlock more tasks → earn Konnex Points (with promotions such as x1.2x bonus); the cost is almost zero, and the community Daily Tasks are ongoing; it is strongly recommended to participate in the quests immediately to accumulate points; white paper konnex.world/wp ; follow up with updates on Twitter @konnex_world .
peaq (PEAQ)
PeaQ is a Layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for the machine economy, providing machine identities (peaq IDs), on-chain wallets, access control, and nanosecond-level time synchronization (Universal Machine Time), supporting autonomous transactions by millions of bots and devices. Features include tokenized robo-farm (such as the Hong Kong vertical farm pilot) and a Robotics SDK, enabling bots to autonomously earn money and distribute revenue; it already has 60+ real-world machine applications.
Funding: Total over $40M+ (including a $15M round in 2024, led by Animoca Brands, Borderless Capital, etc.).
Token issuance/TGE: Completed, mainnet active, market capitalization around $50-60M (fluctuating).
Current participation points: The Get Real campaign is ongoing (Season 2+, reward pool 210M $PEAQ, valued at approximately $100M+), where you earn XP/NP and claim tokens by completing real-world DePIN tasks and quests; there are still active leaderboards and claim windows, so it is recommended to visit the Peaq Get-Real Portal to check in/interact; in addition, there are Universal Basic Ownership Pilot and tokenized machine deployment opportunities.
Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL)
Virtuals is an AI agent/bot tokenization launchpad that supports on-chain coordination and proxy monetization, suitable for gaming, entertainment, and bot scenarios. A key feature is its Pegasus/Unicorn ecosystem, allowing community participation in proxy launches, and the Butler tool supports staking and ACP Score ranking.
Funding: Multiple seed/IDO rounds, community-driven.
TGE: Launched at the end of 2023, it is mature, currently priced at around $0.8-1.0, with a market capitalization of $500M+, and is available on a highly liquid CEX (such as Gate.io ).
Current participation points: The weekly Epoch airdrop system is active (based on veVIRTUAL staking and Butler usage), with 2% going to stakers and 3% to ecosystem participants; Virgen Points farming earns points through tasks/holding; ecosystem agent launches often distribute 5% of tokens to the community; Epoch is still running, and it is recommended to connect your base wallet to app.virtuals.io to participate in the leaderboard and staking.
Geodnet (GEOD)
Geodnet is the world's largest decentralized RTK centimeter-level positioning network (based on Solana), providing high-precision navigation for robots, drones, and autonomous driving. A key feature is its real-money buyback and burning of data revenue (80% of data revenue is used for GEOD buyback).
Funding: Total $15M+ (multiple rounds from 2023-2025, including one led by Multicoin Capital).
Issuance of tokens/TGE: Completed, migration from Polygon to Solana (Migration Bonus has ended).
Current participation points: Node operators/data providers can continue to earn rewards; staking and mining reward mechanisms are active; pay attention to offline events; there are no new large airdrops, but buybacks are beneficial for holding; check node deployment on the official website geodnet.com .
XMAQUINA (DEUS)
XMAQUINA is a DePIN project where a DAO governs tokenized autonomous/humanoid robots, providing private humanoid robot companies with liquidity exposure and revenue sharing. Its key features include a "Robotics Bank" + Machine Economy Launchpad, where the DAO allocates capital to robotics companies (such as Apptronik and Figure AI) through a SubDAO mechanism.
Funding: $10.31M+ (3 rounds, including Genesis Auction).
TGE issuance: Public sale to be completed by the end of 2025 to the beginning of 2026 (in partnership with Virtuals, price $0.06), with transferability expected to be activated in January-February 2026; 33% TGE unlocked, 67% linear vesting.
Current participation points: DEUS holders participate in governance, voting, and revenue sharing; pay attention to DAO proposals, staking/revenue sharing; Launchpad is coming soon, and you can join the DAO or participate in the SubDAO through the official website xmaquina.io .
Robonomics (XRT)
Robonomics is one of the earliest Web3 robot/IoT coordination platforms (2018 beta), providing robot cloud services and smart contract task allocation. It features mature IoT integration.
Funding: Early-stage ICO.
TGE (Treasury Token): Listed on Kraken and other tokens in 2019, with a relatively small market capitalization.
Current participation point: network usage/staking, suitable for long-term holding; no large airdrops in the near future.
Other noteworthy projects include IoTeX (IOTX) (a mature IoT platform, listed on Binance), Auki (AUKI) (spatial computing), and Codec Flow, among other small-cap DePIN projects. The RootData Robot sector features many emerging projects still in testnet, with participation primarily through Discord/testnet platforms.
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The robotics industry didn't emerge out of thin air; it's a result of the gradual maturation of automation, AI, and Web3 infrastructure. On-chain identity, incentives, and settlement mechanisms offer new possibilities for machines to participate in economic activities.
At this stage, the project is still primarily focused on building underlying capabilities, and large-scale real-world applications are still in their early stages. The token serves more as an ecosystem launch tool, and its long-term value depends on actual deployment and usage.
Whether robots will become an important part of Web3 remains to be seen. However, starting in 2024, this field has moved from a concept to a stage where it can be continuously observed.
We will continue to track the project progress, TGE status, and actual implementation in this field, and will update and supplement as necessary.
