VeChain Founder Aims to Revolutionize Tokenization of Eco-Friendly 'Human Behavior' Like Driving Electric Vehicles

As the concept of real-world assets gained prominence in the crypto industry, Sunny Lu, founder and CEO of VeChain, couldn't help but smile, reflecting on the company's early adoption of this approach back in 2017. At that time, VeChain was involved in various projects, including a dairy traceability initiative in China, collaborating with Walmart China on food safety, and tokenizing carbon credits in 2018 with BYD, as the company transitioned from a regional car brand to a global giant. Lu acknowledged that VeChain was ahead of its time, having defined a category that traditional finance giants like BlackRock are now incorporating into their brand. Now, VeChain is poised for its next significant move. At Consensus Toronto, Lu will deliver a keynote titled 'Real Decentralization for Mass Adoption,' outlining VeChain's new strategy for scaling real-world assets and expanding blockchain use beyond the crypto-native community. This roadmap involves transforming human behavior into a tokenizable asset, bridging the usability gap in crypto with AI agents and NFT-based staking. VeChain aims to make everyday actions like recycling or driving electric vehicles measurable and valuable on-chain by linking real-world behavior to blockchain rewards through tools like VeBetterDAO and Tesla integrations. This creates a new class of tokenized assets, making sustainability measurable and incentivized on-chain. Lu refers to this concept as 'tokenizing human behavior,' which VeChain first explored in 2019 through its partnership with BYD, tracking electric vehicle mileage to generate carbon credits. However, real-world value is meaningless if people cannot access it. Crypto remains intimidating for most users, and Lu believes AI is the solution. VeChain is integrating an AI agent into its VeBetterDAO ecosystem, starting with a character named 'BMO,' a virtual assistant that can guide users through staking, app interaction, and eventually optimize their token strategies across the VeChain network. People do not want to memorize seed phrases; they want to use familiar login credentials like Tesla or Google IDs. VeChain's upcoming integrations will allow users to log in with social credentials or Tesla accounts, enabling EV charging data to flow automatically into smart contracts and generate carbon credit rewards without user intervention. VeChain is removing friction from every part of the stack, making it more accessible and user-friendly. To enable broad protocol-level participation, VeChain is rethinking staking. Users will soon be able to mint NFTs that represent their staked assets and delegate them directly to node operators without giving up custody. Block rewards will go directly from the protocol to the user, with no middleman, making it more secure, compliant, and easier for the average user. This system, part of the VeChain Renaissance upgrade, aims to boost staking participation by lowering technical barriers while preserving decentralization. Lu's keynote at Consensus in Toronto marks a personal milestone: ten years since he first presented VeChain in New York. This time, he will showcase real traction from VeChain's AI and sustainability initiatives. Mugshot, a DeFi app that rewards users for reusing their coffee mugs, is approaching one million users, while another project, EVEarn, which integrates Tesla's API to convert EV charging data into on-chain rewards, boasts a 98% retention rate. For Lu, the future of crypto will not be determined by hype cycles or flashy tokens but by usability, with the ultimate goal of achieving mass adoption through real decentralization.