Tech company unveils eerie new way to map human behavior: 'We're tokenizing the invisible ones'

Crypto is an industry known to overpromise and underdeliver, but one startup says that it has the receipts to back up its next big idea.

At Consensus 2025 in Toronto, blockchain company VeChain debuted its latest innovation: technology aimed at "tokenizing human behavior,' according to a CoinDesk report prior to the event, which took place from May 14-16.

This idea is to reward everyday sustainable habits, like driving an electric vehicle or recycling a plastic bottle, to earn you real digital rewards.

"We're not just tokenizing big assets," VeChain CEO Sunny Lu told CoinDesk. "We're tokenizing the invisible ones that didn't have market value before."

It may sound like sci-fi, but VeChain has been building toward this since 2017, long before real-world asset tokenization was a mainstream buzzword. Their early work included projects like tracing food safety in China and turning EV mileage into carbon credits.

Now, the company is scaling up. VeChain's system links real-world actions to blockchain-based incentives through tools like VeBetterDAO and integrations with Tesla. For example, EV charging data could automatically generate on-chain carbon credits, with no extra effort from the user.

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VeChain is also launching an AI assistant named BMO to make participation easier. Instead of navigating complex crypto processes, users will be able to log in using familiar credentials, like Google or Tesla accounts, and let the bot walk them through staking and other tasks.

This move comes at a critical time. Despite growing interest in "green" blockchain projects, crypto mining still consumes huge amounts of energy, most of it from dirty fuels, and strains local power grids. VeChain's model flips that dynamic by using blockchain to encourage cleaner behaviors.

There are other companies in the space following suit, like Canada's DMG Blockchain Solutions. It recently announced a series of eco-friendly initiatives, like energy-efficient hydro mining tools.

Still, critics note that these systems must go further to tackle the sector's energy use and pollution. Crypto's environmental and social impact — from carbon pollution to electricity costs to grid strain — remains a major challenge.