robotaxis

Waymo is preparing to launch in two more markets. The company announced today that it will expand into both Denver and Seattle. It will begin testing with humans behind the wheel this week, bringing up to a dozen vehicles to each location, according to CNBC. The rollout will include a mix of the brand’s fully electric Jaguar iPace and Geely Zeekr autonomous vehicles.

“We will begin driving manually before validating our technology and operations for fully autonomous services in the future,” a representative told CNBC.

This has been a busy year for the Alphabet-owned Waymo, which said in January that it planned to introduce its autonomous vehicles to ten new cities during 2025. The company partnered with Uber for its Atlanta launch in June and also rolled out a teen account option in July. Waymo received permits to begin testing its cars in New York City last month.

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Toyota Blockchain Lab and Avalanche have teamed up in Japan to build blockchain-powered robotaxis. The two companies are designing the Mobility Orchestration Network (MON), a proof-of-concept that uses Avalanche’s multichain technology and Interchain Messaging (ICM).

According to their research, the mission is to build a reliable and efficient system that supports self-driving robotaxi fleets and transforms the way people think about vehicle financing, insurance, and tracking.

This initiative is rooted in the Mobility Orchestration Network (MON), a proof-of-concept that leverages Avalanche’s multichain and Interchain Messaging (ICM) technology. The MON is designed to manage everything from vehicle financing and insurance to ride-sharing and carbon credit tracking, all while making ownership transfers in secondary markets a breeze.

Understanding Mobility, Source: Toyota-Blockchain-Lab

Building Blockchain-Powered Robotaxi Models

Toyota and Avalanche believe robotaxis could become the most disruptive use case for blockchain within transportation. Roi Hirata, head of Japan at Ava Labs, explained that on-chain fundraising and leasing models could empower anyone to launch a robotaxi service.

He stated, “The payments, the leasing, you can actually start your own robotaxi services by raising funds on-chain, with some kind of security token system.”

This design allows investors to manage their fleets entirely on-chain, tracking performance and ownership records without relying on intermediaries. Hence, blockchain becomes the backbone of the business model.

Industry Barriers and Wider Opportunities

Despite progress, the vision requires regulators and manufacturers to align. Hirata noted that manufacturers are the toughest group to onboard. He emphasized, “There’s always an official record in different countries, different formats. So having that and the manufacturer working together on a blockchain is the most key task that we have to tackle.”

Besides robotaxis, the MON highlights blockchain’s potential to tokenize mobility itself. Vehicle tracking remains complex, but blockchain could streamline it through decentralized applications and standardized records. Consequently, investors are eyeing tokenized mobility as a future growth market.

Additionally, Avalanche is expanding real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. Grove, backed by Steakhouse Financial, aims to tokenize $250 million worth of RWAs on Avalanche with Janus Henderson, a $373 billion asset manager.

Meanwhile, Avalanche just confirmed on X that the Foundation network has now processed over four billion transactions.

Toyota and Avalanche are testing robotaxis and also pushing blockchain into real mobility markets, where adoption could change transportation forever.

Also Read: SonicStrategy Secures $40M Boost Toward Nasdaq Listing Ambitions

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Waymo’s next stops for its robotaxis are Denver and Seattle

Toyota and Avalanche to Build Blockchain Robotaxis in Japan

Building Blockchain-Powered Robotaxi Models

Industry Barriers and Wider Opportunities