Vana Foundation Managing Director Art Abal: Data is context, users should regain data sovereignty and unlock value

ChainCatcher News: At the recent “Build and Scale in 2026” forum held in Hong Kong, Art Abal, Managing Director of Vana Foundation, delivered a speech on the theme “Why Data Is Critical to Building AI.” He systematically explained the core value of data as “context” in an AI-driven era, and how users can regain control of their data sovereignty and unlock its potential economic value through decentralized technologies.

Art Abal pointed out that the current AI ecosystem is facing serious data monopolization issues. The vast majority of consumers rely solely on a single general AI assistant and rarely use other major models, leading to centralization of data and context. Meanwhile, large tech companies have continued to restrict API access, terminate free services, and plan to charge fees, effectively depriving users of control over their data and its contextual value.

In response, Vana has proposed a comprehensive solution. First, by developing tools that enable users to truly own their data; second, establishing protocols to achieve cross-platform data portability; and finally, building an ecosystem encompassing applications, data DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations), and services to unlock the deep value of data.

He summarized that in the AI era, data equals context, and context is the key to differentiation. Vana’s mission is to return control over data, context, and its economic value to every user through decentralized protocols and ecosystems, thereby building a more open and fair data value internet.