Hello Hedera Foundation and Hedera Council

The Hedera ecosystem is evolving with new leadership and a cohesive brand identity. With this change, the HBAR Foundation is now Hedera Foundation, led by Charles Adkins, focusing on tokenization, DeFi, AI, and community-driven innovation. Hedera Council, formerly the Hedera Governing Council, welcomes Tom Sylvester as President and Mance Harmon as Chair-Elect, with its focus remaining on decentralized governance and enterprise adoption.

While these two entities remain independent, this moment represents a renewed sense of purpose and direction. This transformation is accompanied by a refreshed brand identity reflecting core values of trust and transparency. Each entity now distinctly supports the role of Hedera as the trust layer of the digital economy. The Hedera brand and marketing channels remain unchanged and serve as the primary home for information and resources about the network, technology, use cases, developer resources, and more. 

Explore the new vision at Hedera Foundation here and Hedera Council here. Read more in the blog announcement.

AI Studio is Here

Hedera is proud to unveil AI Studio, a modular, open-source toolkit for building transparent, high-performance AI applications and autonomous agents on the Hedera network.

Developed in collaboration with Hashgraph Online DAO, Eliza Labs, Hashgraph, and Hedera Foundation, it includes low-code tools, real-time observability, and built-in compliance to ensure every AI interaction is verifiable and auditable. With predictable costs, carbon-negative infrastructure, and a focus on trust and transparency, AI Studio provides a strong foundation for enterprise-ready AI.

Key Features Include:

• ElizaOS Plugin: Natural language interface for real-time network interaction.
• Hedera Agent Kit: LangChain-compatible SDK for agent deployment.
• OpenConvAI (HCS-10): Secure protocol for agent communication.
• MCP Server: Framework for agent interaction with external systems.

To start building intelligent systems you can trust, discover AI Studio here and read the blog here. 

Hedera Takes Consensus 2025

Hedera was at Consensus 2025 in Toronto and connected with so many new and familiar faces. The team kicked off the conference with the launch of AI Studio, and the response was overwhelming, with strong interest from developers and enterprises eager to explore how Hedera is advancing decentralization and verifiability.

On Day 1, Ty Smith, Senior Product Manager at Hashgraph, led the session Unlocking the Future of AI & Web3 with Hedera, discussing why Hedera is the trust layer of AI in the new era of computing. On Day 2, Eric Piscini, CEO at Hashgraph, joined Nasdaq TradeTalks live to share how Hashgraph is enabling scalable, compliant solutions for modern businesses with HashSphere, a new private network in beta powered by Hedera technology. On the final day, Dr. Leemon Baird joined the 'Consensus AI Summit' for the panel From Memecoin Mania to Real Results: AI Agents are Growing Up, where he emphasized the importance of decentralization not only in systems but also among the people building them.

Throughout the week, Hedera also highlighted three exciting #BuiltOnHedera projects:

• Kiloscribe - Decentralized storage and retrieval of inscribed on-graph files
• Hgraph - Blazing fast GraphQL API for the Hedera network
• Saucerswap - DEX offering a full suite of DeFi services

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Consensus 2025 – looking forward to seeing you next year in Miami!

Meet Hedera Contract Builder

Hedera Contract Builder is a powerful new tool that simplifies deploying Solidity smart contracts on Hedera. Whether you are new to smart contracts or an experienced developer, the Contract Builder lets you go from idea to deployment in seconds, all within your browser. Contract Builder is open source and was built in collaboration with Kabila to support the next wave of Web3 innovation on Hedera.

Key Features:

• No Setup Required: Start coding immediately with no downloads or installations.
• Fast Iteration: Quickly test, refine, and deploy your contract logic.
• Familiar Templates: Use popular ERC standards and explore HTS-specific features.
• Community Driven: Build, share, and collaborate to grow the Hedera developer ecosystem.

Ready to get started? Explore Hedera Contract Builder here and read the launch article here.

AI Agents Hackathon Demo Day

From May 20 to 21, top teams from the AI Agents Hackathon pitched their projects live, presenting to judges, mentors, investors, and Hedera Foundation. The event began with a high-stakes livestream hosted by Genfinity on X, where the finalists showcased how agentic AI can thrive on decentralized infrastructure.

Projects were scored on presentation quality, technical achievement, user experience, and future potential, with Demo Day accounting for 15 percent of the final evaluation. The pitches highlighted real-world use cases and bold ideas that push the boundaries of AI and Web3.

Final results are coming soon as judging wraps up. Rewatch Demo Day 1 here and Demo Day 2 here.

Hedera Moderators and Ambassadors Program

Applications are officially open for the Hedera Moderators and Ambassadors Programs. These initiatives empower passionate leaders to build strong local and online communities while contributing to the growth of the Hedera ecosystem.

Hedera Moderators Program focuses on guiding healthy discussions across platforms like Discord, X, and Reddit, and Hedera Ambassadors Program launches first in Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, with a focus on technical education and community-led events.

Learn more about Hedera Moderators program here, and Hedera Ambassadors program here.

Hedera In The Headlines

Cointelegraph: "‘Everything is lining up’ — Tokenization is having its breakout moment" Hashgraph CEO, Eric Piscini, shares his insights on the reasoning behind the recent surge in traction of major tokenization initiatives. Read here. 

Benzinga Crypto: “Hedera's Charles Adkins: Streaming Micro-Payments Could Transform How Creators Monetize Social Media” Hedera Foundation CEO, Charles Adkins, emphasized blockchain's capacity to enforce trust and transparency in areas such as AI and SocialFi. Read here.

CoinDesk: “Leemon Baird on Hedera’s Technical Gambit and AI’s Future” Hedera and Hashgraph Co-Founder, Dr. Leemon Baird, shares his insights on today’s technology landscape and the future of AI in a new interview. Read here.

OMFIF: "Decentralised finance is not all block and white" Hedera Chief Policy Officer, Nilmini Rubin and Global Policy Director, Isadora Arredondo, explore what decentralization and permissioning actually mean. Read here.

Hedera: "Building the Trust Layer of the Digital World". Built for speed, security, and sustainability, Hedera is trusted by global enterprises and web3 projects. Watch here.

Upcoming Hedera Events

• June 6, Da Nang, Vietnam: Pioneering the Future of AI and Blockchain Economies. Register here. 

• June 10, Paris: Proof of Talk. Register here.

• July 4 - 6, Cannes, France: ETHGlobal Cannes. Register here.

• July 8-9, Paris: RAISE Summit. Register here.

• July 9 - 11, Berlin: WeAreDevelopers World Congress. Register here.

Stay up to date on the latest events here.

Join the Hedera community!