Datavault AI said Thursday it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire NYIAX, a move that gives the company control of blockchain-based exchange technology it says will underpin a broader push into institutional trading venues for data and other tokenized real-world assets.
The announcement converts an October 13, 2025 letter of intent into a formal merger agreement and deepens a relationship that already included licensing agreements and a technology alliance announced in March 2025.
The company said NYIAX’s infrastructure will be combined with Datavault AI’s Information Data Exchange and its DataScore, DataValue, and Data Vault AI tools to support tokenization, valuation, and trading across a range of digital and real-world assets.
Datavault AI framed the deal as a way to bring institutional market structure into categories that have historically relied on bilateral deals, especially advertising and proprietary data.
An 8 K filed on March 19 shows the transaction is structured as an all-stock merger. Datavault AI agreed to issue 78,947,368 common shares to NYIAX equity holders at closing, while certain unaccredited investors would receive cash tied to the stock’s five day VWAP instead.
Two NYIAX-nominated directors are also set to join Datavault AI’s board when the deal closes. Based on Datavault AI’s latest share price of about $0.76, the base stock consideration implies a value of roughly $60 million, though that figure is an inference and can move with the stock.
Datavault AI said the combined platform is expected to support several planned marketplaces, including its flagship Information Data Exchange, an International Elements Exchange for tokenized commodities and industrial assets, an American Political Exchange, and NYIAX’s advertising marketplace.
The company also tied the acquisition to its January 28 agreement with Sports Illustrated to explore a sports-focused exchange for athlete name, image, and likeness rights and related digital assets, which it has targeted for a commercial launch in the second half of 2026.
NYIAX has long marketed itself as an exchange built on Nasdaq Financial Framework technology for guaranteed advertising contracts, aiming to bring more standardized pricing, transparency, and operational efficiency to media transactions.
Datavault AI and NYIAX first announced a commercial and IP alliance in March 2025, pitching the combination as a way to turn data and digital rights into more liquid and tradable assets. Thursday’s deal shows Datavault AI is now trying to own that infrastructure outright rather than just partner around it.
Datavault AI shares were last trading near $0.78, down roughly 14% on Thursday, giving the company a market capitalization of about $462 million.
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