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IXO implements a systems-thinking approach to capture relationships, feedback loops, and interdependencies in real-world systems where actions are intelligently coordinated, financed, verified, and governed.

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What are Cognitive Digital Twins?

Cognitive Digital Twins (CDTs) are digital replicas of real-world entities that can learn from data, adapt, and support intelligent decisions. The IXO architecture implements CDTs through three core components:
  1. AI/ML Models for Cognition: CDTs integrate artificial intelligence to simulate cognition. With runtime learning, a twin can analyze streaming data and update its behavior or predictions autonomously. On IXO, Oracle Twins serve this role – they are AI-powered agent services that evaluate data, perform verifications, and automate intelligent actions within the twin system.
  2. Federated Data Architecture: CDTs draw from distributed data sources in a federated manner. IXO implements a “data matrix” layer of secure data nodes for each twin, allowing data to be shared across a network of stores rather than one silo. This federated design ensures scalability and resilience.
  3. Decentralized Identity Integration: Every twin is anchored by a decentralized identity to establish trust and uniqueness. Each Digital Entity is identified by a W3C Decentralized Identifier (DID).

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Digital Entity Types

IXO distinguishes different types of twins in its architecture:
  • Physical Twins: Correspond to real-world devices and sensors (e.g., IoT-enabled cooking stoves)
  • Cognitive Twins: Model higher-level constructs like Organisations, projects, or processes
  • Oracle Twins: AI agents that provide analytical and decision-making capabilities
  • Twin Systems: Capture the relationships and feedback loops between entities

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Digital Domain Properties

Each physical or conceptual element is represented as a Digital Entity with a digital Domain. The domain infrastructure is implemented on blockchain with the following components:

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Domain Components

  1. Digital Identifier
    Created as a DID for verifiable ownership and uniqueness; can be enhanced with verifiable credentials.
  2. Domain Controllers
    Defined by public keys or blockchain accounts. Only those with permission can update a domain’s data.
  3. Services
    Internet-based services tied to the domain, providing necessary functionalities (e.g., data ingestion endpoints).
  4. Linked Resources
    Digital materials (documents, media) referenced via URIs, often with cryptographic proofs for authenticity.
  5. Accorded Rights
    Object capabilities (UDIDs, zCAPs) specify who can perform what specific actions, on what objects, under what conditions, whilst preserving privacy and security in a decentralized manner.
  6. Linked Claims
    Verified data items that update the domain’s state (e.g., device usage records, fuel delivery confirmations).
  7. Linked Entities
    Builds a network of related domains—such as funders, projects, or oracles—and formalizes their interconnections.
  8. Economic Accounts
    Domains function as economic actors with blockchain accounts, enabling DeFi-related actions (e.g., staking, payments).
  9. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
    Each domain is represented as an NFT, facilitating ownership transfers and interactions with other decentralized ecosystems.

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Data Security and Privacy

IXO implements a federated, end-to-end encrypted data architecture built on the Matrix protocol. Key features include:
  • Sovereign Data Stores: Each digital twin domain has its own secure data store where structured data and real-time streams are recorded
  • End-to-End Encryption: All data is protected with E2EE, ensuring only authorized agents can access the data
  • Interoperable Data Sharing: Data can be securely shared across different servers and Organisations while maintaining encryption
  • Decentralized Storage: Integration with decentralized file storage networks like IPFS for larger files or public datasets

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Trust and Verification

Trust is established through:
  1. Verifiable Claims: Digitally signed data or assertions produced by agents or devices
  2. Oracle Verification: AI and/or human validators evaluate evidence and verify claims
  3. Verifiable Credentials: W3C-standard digital certificates that encapsulate verified claims and outcomes
  4. End-to-End Trust Pipeline: From data origin to verification and credential issuance

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Using Protocols

Manually configuring domains can be intricate, so the IXO platform offers Protocols to streamline the process, and Agentic Oracles to automate steps in the creation of domains. A protocol is a predefined template of properties, relationships, and data models for a specific type of domain, and an Agentic Oracle is an autonomous AI agent that can be configured to perform specific P-Functions—capability classes that are named with P for easier grouping. Expand a class below to see examples.
  • Predicting outcomes
  • Pattern recognition
  • Providing data analysis and insights
  • Personalizing recommendations
  • Pathfinding
  • Performance monitoring
  • Prescribing actions
  • Planning and coordinating actions
  • Process optimisation
  • Proving and verifying claims
  • Protocol adherence
  • Preventing risks and protecting assets
  • Privacy protection
  • Preventing and mitigating operational risk
  • Participating in governance
  • Participation of people and organisations
  • Payment automation
  • Portfolio management
  • Policy enforcement
  • Providing compliance and reporting
  • Problem detection and resolution

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Instantiating Protocols

When developers create an entity from a protocol “class,” it inherits the protocol’s default configurations. These inherited settings can be forked and updated to fit the specific use case, promoting:
  • Rapid deployment of standard domain types
  • Consistent data structures across projects
  • Hierarchical Organisation, allowing child entities to trace back to a parent protocol
Example: Climate Mitigation Project Protocol
A protocol designed for clean cooking initiatives can include:
  • Default data fields (fuel types, reporting standards, usage metrics)
  • Relationships (verification oracles, project developers, funders)
  • Services (data analytics, payment frameworks, governance tools)

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Entity domains

Build and configure digital domains for entities on the IXO Stack.

IXO Stack SDKs

Choose SDK surfaces and package-level paths for your application.