# What Is BoAT?
## BoAT - Blockchain of AI Things Most cryptocurrency wallets on the market today are designed for human users, typically built with high-level languages like Java and running on powerful servers, computers, or smartphones. These wallets are feature-rich and robust but come with a critical flaw: they’re ill-suited for resource-constrained embedded hardware. Machines, particularly IoT devices, often rely on mid-to-low-performance embedded systems that simply can’t run these Java-based applications. As a result, existing human-centric wallet solutions fall short of meeting the needs of the emerging *Physical AI Agent* market, creating an urgent demand for a new approach. That’s where BoAT comes in. BoAT is a lightweight, multi-chain *Machine Wallet* purpose-built for Physical AI Agents, designed to bridge this technological gap. Developed in C, leveraging an open-source embedded framework, BoAT harnesses the efficiency and flexibility of C to ensure stable performance on resource-limited devices. Through strategic partnerships with leading IoT chip and module manufacturers, BoAT empowers a vast array of smart IoT devices to integrate *Machine Wallet* functionality quickly and cost-effectively. But BoAT goes beyond basic payments—it provides access to Web3 services like *DID (Decentralized Identity)*, key management, and trusted data on-chain, effectively handing machines a passport to the decentralized digital world. ## BoAT's Core Features Below are major features BoAT provides for smart machines: * Provision, store and retrieve crypto keys * Automatically generate C APIs from smart contract ABIs (for EVM) * Sign data with device-unique key * Sign transaction with device-unique key * Call smart contracts * Transfer tokens * Utilize TEE (Trusted Execution Environment), SE (Secure Element) and other secure enclaves to enhance the security * Support multiple blockchains * Support/pre-integrated with mainstream IoT chips and modules * Support multiple accounts To keep concise and best fit machine usage, BoAT intentionally excludes some features like transaction history retrieval and interactive password input box, which are rarely/unlikely used by machines. Always remember BoAT is a wallet extremely optimized for machines. ## BoAT’s Core Strengths: Neutrality and Openness BoAT’s design philosophy is rooted in *neutrality and openness*. It doesn’t tie itself to a single hardware provider or blockchain ecosystem. Instead, it serves as a universal bridge, linking the physical and digital worlds and unlocking boundless possibilities for the machine economy. * *Southbound Compatibility*: BoAT supports a wide range of mainstream IoT chips and modules, ensuring seamless integration across diverse hardware ecosystems. * *Northbound Interoperability*: BoAT works with multiple leading blockchain platforms, offering cross-chain capabilities that allow machines to operate flexibly across different networks, breaking down technological silos. BoAT is NOT a blockchain, but a ferry connecting the physical world and digital world. ## BoAT's Operation Mode BoAT can be integrated into smart machines either as a machine wallet, or as a data prover. In Machine Wallet Mode (aka. Direct Operation Mode), BoAT works as a crypto wallet for machines, just like Metamask and Phantom for humans. By integratin BoAT, IoT devices can directly access blockchain nodes and smart contracts. Through BoAT-Engine API, IoT devices (smart machines) can transfer tokens ownered by themselves, query smart contracts or initiate transactions to smart contracts. In this mode, smart machines can access blockchain in the same way as humans. In Data Prover Mode (aka. Indirect Operation Mode), BoAT accomodates machines that can not otherwise directly access the blockchain node, due to various possible reasons such as network connectivity restriction and unmatched cryptographic algorithm capability. In this mode, IoT device calls BoAT-Edge APIs to generate data proof (i.e., sign the data with the device's unique cryptographic key) and sends the data proof to BoAT IoT Oracle. BoAT IoT Oracle validates the data and relays the validated data to on-chain smart contracts. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://boat.gitbook.io/boat-docs/boat-philosophy/what-is-boat.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.