The Linux Foundation has launched the Tokenomics Foundation, a new industry initiative aimed at developing open standards, benchmarks and best practices for measuring the economics, costs and return on investment (ROI) of artificial intelligence (AI). The initiative brings together leading technology companies, financial institutions and enterprise software providers to create a vendor-neutral framework for AI value measurement.
The foundation has been launched with founding members including Accenture, IBM, Oracle, SAP, Lenovo, Broadcom, JPMorganChase, BNY, ServiceNow, GoDaddy, Hitachi, Oracle and several other global technology and enterprise organisations.
Addressing the Growing Cost of AI
The launch comes as enterprises worldwide continue to increase investments in AI infrastructure and services. According to estimates cited by the foundation, AI token consumption is expected to grow 24-fold by 2030, creating increasing pressure on organisations to accurately measure AI costs and demonstrate business returns.
The Tokenomics Foundation aims to help businesses understand not only the cost of AI models but also the broader expenses associated with deploying AI, including computing infrastructure, storage, databases, networking, caching and engineering resources.
Creating Industry Standards for AI Value
According to the Linux Foundation, AI Tokenomics refers to the practice of measuring how AI resources are produced, consumed and translated into business value. Rather than focusing solely on token pricing, the initiative seeks to establish a comprehensive framework that evaluates the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of AI while linking investments to measurable business outcomes.
The foundation’s initial roadmap includes developing common definitions for AI token usage, a reference model for calculating the full cost of AI deployments, standard methodologies for measuring cost per AI request, ROI frameworks, educational programmes, certification standards and improved AI cost reporting specifications.
Supporting Enterprise AI Adoption
The foundation also plans to introduce tools such as the Big-T Framework, which will help organisations classify AI workloads and optimise model selection based on performance and cost efficiency. Another planned initiative focuses on enhancing Token Cost Telemetry through improvements to the FinOps Open Cost and Usage Specification (FOCUS), enabling organisations to better analyse AI spending across cloud environments.
Industry Collaboration
The Tokenomics Foundation will operate through a dedicated Governing Board, Technical Steering Committee and member-led working groups responsible for developing open, vendor-neutral specifications. The inaugural Governing Board convened on July 30, with technical working groups expected to begin drafting industry standards in the coming months.
By creating common frameworks for AI cost measurement and value assessment, the Linux Foundation aims to provide enterprises with greater transparency into AI investments while helping organisations optimise spending, improve operational efficiency and maximise returns as AI adoption continues to accelerate globally.
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