Crypto BioCredits: DNA-Based Tokens Open New Market for Human Genetic Data

A new project called BioLedger launched the world’s first Crypto BioCredits — blockchain tokens directly tied to human genetic data. Unlike basic health data platforms, BioLedger allows individuals to tokenize snippets of their own DNA data and offer it on an open marketplace to medical researchers, biotech companies, and pharmaceutical developers.

Here’s how it works: individuals upload their genome sequences (or partial sequences) to a secure, zero-knowledge encryption system. Each verified DNA dataset mints an NFT (BioCredit) representing unique, non-replicable genetic markers — such as rare disease markers, ancestral sequences, or population-specific variants.

Researchers or companies can bid for access, but smart contracts strictly define usage rights, time limits, and compensation. Holders can opt to receive royalties if their data contributes to profitable medical discoveries or drug development.

This decentralized approach aims to disrupt the $10 billion genomic data market, which has long been dominated by a handful of private companies that collect, store, and sell DNA data — often without properly compensating the individuals behind it.

Privacy advocates remain skeptical, warning that even with encryption, monetizing personal genetic data could open the door to misuse or discrimination. Still, BioLedger insists that users hold all the power and decide exactly how their data is shared, priced, or restricted.

With over 15,000 users already uploading datasets in the pilot phase, BioLedger may ignite a new era where our very biology becomes a digital, tradable asset on the blockchain.