Mergers & Acquisitions Lead

Beyond the buzzwords: how blockchain is making AI accountable for India's next builders. At TechSparks 2025, Devika Mittal, of Ava Labs, explains how open infrastructure and developer support are turning India into a global leader in blockchain-enabled AI systems. "Blockchain doesn't fix your AI. What blockchain does is make your AI credible and auditable." Devika Mittal's declaration at TechSparks 2025 cut through the hype surrounding two of technology's most discussed innovations. Speaking at YourStory's flagship event in Bengaluru, the regional head of Ava Labs made a compelling case for why blockchain matters in an AI-driven future, and how India's 2,100 blockchain startups are positioned to lead this convergence. In a fireside chat with Shivani Muthanna, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at YourStory, Mittal explored the intersection of AI and blockchain under the theme 'AI x blockchain: Empowering India's Next Builders'. The conversation revealed how open infrastructure and targeted developer support are transforming India's tech ecosystem, from crypto speculation to solving real-world problems. The trust question in AI systems. Can your data be trusted? Can it be auditable? These questions framed Mittal's central argument. As AI systems increasingly decide whether farmers receive loans or patients get medical diagnoses, the ability to trace and verify every piece of data becomes critical. "When AI systems are scaling now, when we have these large language models, there's a lot of discussion about these kinds of black boxes of data," Mittal said. "We're talking about data hallucinations, loops. We just don't understand where the data is coming from." Blockchain provides the answer through immutability. "You can't change data once it's there," she explained. This foundational characteristic means that in critical sectors like healthcare, finance, and agriculture, blockchain can secure AI's data pipeline by preventing tampering and ensuring every decision can be traced from input to inference. Avalanche's infrastructure play. Ava Labs operates at this intersection, providing what Mittal called an "infrastructure layer" for building scalable blockchains. Think AWS, but for distributed ledgers. Unlike Ethereum, which can be slow and costly, Avalanche allows developers to launch custom blockchains on demand at low cost. "We just let you build these strong, auditable AI networks," Mittal said. Teams can spin up networks handling millions of transactions per second without prohibitive fees. This open, cloud-like model is designed to let India's startups innovate at scale. "Avalanche is all open source," she noted. "You can build anything you want." From ideation to commercialization. Mittal revealed that Ava Labs has fundamentally changed its approach to supporting India's developer community. Instead of distributing a few large grants, the company now nurtures builders across their entire journey. "We take the builder from day one to commercialization," she explained. The firm organizes university bootcamps, sending developer teams to train students on blockchain development. A mini-grant program distributes small seed funds in quick checks to early projects. Promising teams then enter the CodeBase incubator, receiving marketing support, go-to-market strategy, and venture capital introductions. "Sometimes engineers might have brilliant engineering skills, but they might not know how to talk to a VC," Mittal acknowledged. The comprehensive support system essentially holds developers' hands from ideation through scale, allowing engineering talent to focus on building rather than fundraising alone. Real impact on the ground. The session highlighted concrete pilots demonstrating blockchain's practical applications. In Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, a former Maoist-affected area, 700,000 land titles now sit on Avalanche. Every future land sale or transfer must be recorded on the public chain, making title history tamper-proof. "If someone buys or sells land, it will be recorded on a public network," Mittal said. "Nobody can change it without detection." A large grain-handling firm is building a blockchain-based loan platform where farmers' stored grain automatically moves into escrow for loan issuance and returns upon repayment. Universities are issuing diplomas on blockchain, making degrees instantly verifiable anywhere. These projects illustrate how distributed ledger technology can enhance trust in land records, agricultural finance, and education credentialing before AI is fully integrated. Beyond crypto speculation. Indian developers are moving past cryptocurrency trading, Mittal said. Teams are building infrastructure and AI tools, not just decentralized exchanges. Examples include protocols enabling AI agents to pay each other per query, and startups tracking whiskey authenticity on the chain. "We're moving beyond the crypto hardcore," she said. "That's what shows you that the industry is maturing in India." This diversification into enterprise software, supply chain systems, and decentralized identity solutions reflects India's deep developer pool and rising startup ecosystem. The regulatory landscape. On policy, Mittal acknowledged uncertainty but saw opportunity. India is not anti-blockchain, she argued, only wary of cryptocurrency abuse. She discussed the US Genesis Act, which officially recognizes stablecoins as legitimate instruments. This change could unleash blockchain-based remittances to India. Funds moving between India's diaspora and home country through stablecoins could cut typical 5-10% fees to near 0.5%. "Hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars," could start flowing on chain through lower-cost corridors, Mittal said. She warned that India will likely remain cautious on speculative tokens like meme coins, viewing such wariness as prudent for protecting retail investors. The panel closed on accountability. Blockchain doesn't improve AI algorithms, Mittal reiterated, but it makes AI systems transparent and auditable. By anchoring AI inputs to verifiable records, developers can ensure model decisions are explainable. In a decentralized data economy, better datasets can be matched to the right models, giving rise to secondary markets for high-quality data. Indian innovators can solve homegrown challenges with trusted AI-blockchain solutions and potentially export them globally. "India's developers are building for the world," Mittal said, combining local use cases with technology that scales. In keeping with TechSparks' AI and deeptech theme, the session delivered a clear message: an infrastructure of open blockchains could empower the next generation of indian builders to lead on secure, data-driven innovation.

Japan's $2 trillion payment network embraces blockchain through partnership with Avalanche. In a major move toward digital transformation, Tokyo-based payment infrastructure leader TIS Inc. has teamed up with Ava Labs, the developer behind Avalanche (AVAX), to launch a new blockchain platform aimed at modernizing Japan's financial backbone. The collaboration marks a shift in how traditional institutions are approaching blockchain - not as a disruptor, but as a tool to fortify and streamline existing financial systems. The initiative introduces a Multi-Token Platform built through AvaCloud, Avalanche's enterprise-grade blockchain service. It is designed to enable banks, corporations, and government agencies to issue, exchange, and manage digital currencies and tokenized assets - all in compliance with Japan's strict Payment Services Act. From traditional payments to tokenized infrastructure. TIS, best known for running PAYCIERGE, the processing system behind nearly half of Japan's credit card transactions, is taking a bold step into blockchain. The company manages close to ¥300 trillion (about $2 trillion) in annual payments and now aims to merge that scale with decentralized efficiency. By using Avalanche technology, TIS hopes to transition from a purely centralized payments model to one that integrates tokenization and instant settlement - a key step toward a more fluid and transparent financial ecosystem. The platform's architecture can reportedly handle around 50,000 transactions per second, catering to the demanding standards of Japan's banking sector. AVAX price outlook: weak momentum near $20. At the time of writing, Avalanche (AVAX) is trading at around $19.58, showing a 2% decline over the past 24 hours. The token has struggled to stay above the $20 support mark, facing consistent rejection near $21. Technical indicators on the hourly chart highlight growing bearish pressure - the RSI has fallen below 45, indicating weakening buyer momentum, while the MACD shows a bearish crossover. If AVAX fails to hold above $19.50, it could slide toward the $18.80 support area. However, reclaiming $20.50 could restore short-term bullish confidence as November approaches. Modernizing finance without disruption. Executives from Ava Labs describe the collaboration as a turning point for Japan's enterprise blockchain adoption. "Japan's financial institutions aren't looking to replace their systems - they're looking to evolve them," said John Nahas, head of business development at Ava Labs. This approach reflects a broader trend in Asia, where traditional financial firms are experimenting with blockchain to increase efficiency while maintaining regulatory integrity. For Japan - one of the world's most tightly regulated financial environments - the TIS-Ava Labs partnership represents a model for modernization without upheaval. A blueprint for the future of digital finance. The platform's scope extends far beyond payments. Nick Mussallem, CEO of AvaCloud, believes it could serve as the foundation for a new digital finance infrastructure that supports real-time transactions, embedded finance applications, and even CBDC pilots in the coming years. If successful, the initiative could position Japan as a leader in regulated blockchain ecosystems - blending high-performance technology with institutional reliability. Global expansion plans. TIS Executive Director Isao Otokita confirmed that the company is already looking beyond domestic use cases. The long-term goal is to make Japan's blockchain-based financial architecture exportable, allowing banks and corporations worldwide to connect through a shared digital framework. "Our goal is to build a financial infrastructure born in Japan that can be adopted globally," Otokita said. With its vast payments network and Avalanche's advanced blockchain tools, TIS is laying the groundwork for a future where digital currencies, stablecoins, and tokenized assets move seamlessly through Japan's financial arteries - and perhaps soon, the world's. The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Coindoo.com does not endorse or recommend any specific investment strategy or cryptocurrency. Always conduct your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

$ 316b giant signs mou with AVA Labs to develop blockchain-based fund solutions.