IOTA is about to flip the switch on Rebased — a landmark Layer-1 upgrade set to deliver blazing speed, real staking rewards, and native Move-based smart contracts.

On May 5, 2025, IOTA will officially transition from its Stardust protocol to IOTA Rebased, a completely overhauled blockchain network built for scale, decentralization, and enterprise-grade utility.

Touted as the project’s most technical upgrade yet, Rebased aims to transform IOTA from a niche protocol into a mainstream-ready, Web3 infrastructure layer.

Core Upgrades Coming to IOTA

Rebased is more than a rebrand — it’s a full-stack evolution. Here’s what’s changing:

• Mysticeti Consensus Protocol: Capable of 50,000+ TPS and finality in under 500 milliseconds, putting IOTA among the fastest L1s on record.
  
• Native Move Smart Contracts (MoveVM): The same tech powering Aptos and Sui is now live on IOTA, enabling secure, composable smart contracts directly on Layer 1.
  
• Zero-Fee UX via IOTA Gas Station: Developers can sponsor gas for users, enabling frictionless onboarding without requiring users to hold IOTA.
  
• Fee-Burning + Dynamic Pricing: Rebased introduces minimal adaptive fees with a burn mechanism for deflationary pressure over time.
  
• DPoS Rollout: The network launches with 50 validator slots, scaling to 150+ as decentralization expands. Validators are elected and permissionless.
  

Staking Comes to IOTA — Finally

For the first time ever, IOTA holders can earn real yield.

• Projected APY: 10%–15%
  
• Mechanism: Delegated staking through the new DPoS validator layer
  
• Goal: Incentivize participation and enhance network security
  

This marks a major shift for the token’s economics, offering long-term holders a reason to stay engaged while boosting protocol-level decentralization.

Community Support and Institutional-Grade Readiness

Rebased was approved via a community governance vote in December 2024 and has since passed extensive audits, validator testing, and infrastructure simulations.

Notable early validators include:
IOTA Foundation, Stakin, DLT Green, Twinstake, Blockscope, Luganodes, Coinage, and others.

The upgrade reflects IOTA’s growing ambition to attract enterprise partners and national platforms, not just crypto-native builders.

Real-World Apps and Enterprise Use Cases

With Rebased, IOTA is laying the foundation for advanced, real-world blockchain applications across industries:

• Stablecoins & tokenization
  
• DeFi with on-chain orderbooks
  
• Digital identity platforms
  
• Supply chain tracking
  
• Trade finance & cross-border settlement
  

By combining scalability, gasless design, and native Move support, IOTA is positioning itself as a true enterprise-grade L1 for Web3 utility.

IOTA Price Check

• Current Price: $0.1727
  
• 24-Hour Gain: +1%
  
• 7-Day Gain: +6%
  
• 30-Day Loss: –6%
  
• 1-Year Loss: –29%
  
• All-Time High: $5.25 (December 2017)
  

Despite the upgrade hype, IOTA still trades nearly 97% below its all-time high, offering potential room for upside if traction grows post-Rebased.

What’s Next for IOTA?

The launch of IOTA Rebased isn’t just a technical event — it’s a strategic reboot. With staking, real smart contracts, and enterprise features now built directly into Layer 1, the project is finally equipped to compete with the likes of Solana, Aptos, and Avalanche.

If the rollout lands smoothly and developer traction follows, IOTA may be looking at its strongest position in years.

“This is IOTA’s comeback moment. The tools are in place — now it’s all about execution.”