AB (formerly Newton Project / NEW) (AB) is a cryptocurrency token native to BNB Smart Chain (BEP-20) that originated as the Newton Project, a blockchain platform launched in 2018.
In February 2025, Newton rebranded to AB without a token migration, retaining the same underlying contract. AB functions as the transaction-fee token for the "AB Core" mainnet and its sidechains, and as the governance token for the associated AB DAO.
AB's most notable distinguishing event is a November 2025 technology-integration agreement with World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a Trump family-linked DeFi project, to deploy its USD1 stablecoin on "AB Chain". WLFI's lawyers later described the arrangement as a limited, non-exclusive integration rather than a full partnership.
Beyond this, AB shows thin on-chain liquidity: a risk indicator places its DEX liquidity-to-market-cap ratio in the riskiest 10% of peer low-cap tokens, alongside roughly 31,200 holders as of 2026-09-02.
AB serves a dual role on the "AB Core" mainnet and its sidechains: it pays transaction fees and functions as the governance token of AB DAO. As the governance token, it gives holders nominal voting rights over community decisions.
AB has a maximum and total supply of 100,000,000,000 tokens, of which approximately 98,823,661,261 (98.8%) were in circulation as of 2026-09-02.
A supply-inflation risk indicator is rated medium, reflecting modest ongoing expansion of supply toward the fixed maximum.
AB originated as the Newton Project, whose token (NEW) launched via a 2018 initial coin offering. A presale in March-April 2018 raised 500 BTC, and a private sale in July 2018 raised 3,500 BTC, per the project's own disclosures. Newton's mainnet launched in December 2018, following a November 2018 testnet.
In February 2025, NEW was rebranded to AB with no token migration — the same contract and mainnet explorer continued unchanged, and NEW trading closed February 18, 2025 ahead of the AB ticker.
AB is deployed as a BEP-20 token on BNB Smart Chain.
AB's own materials also describe a separate "AB Core" mainnet and associated sidechains.
AB's origins trace to the 2018 Newton Project, whose publicly credited founder was Jizhe Xu, Founder and Chairman of the Newton Foundation and previously associated with the Elastos ICO. Other cited 2018-era team members include Li Shubin, Meng Guang, Xia Wu, and Zhang Yu; none are confirmed as still involved after the 2025 rebrand.
Following the rebrand, an OCCRP investigation identified Sui Chenggang ("Jacky Sui") as the project's self-described "initiator" and beneficial owner of the AB Foundation — a role not disclosed in AB's own public materials.
AB is maintained through two entities: an Irish nonprofit chaired by Bertie Ahern, former Taoiseach of Ireland, and the AB Foundation, registered in the Cayman Islands. Boris Tadić, former President of Serbia, is described in AB's materials as "AB Chain Compliance Overseer."
An OCCRP investigation reported that the AB Foundation's beneficial owner, Sui Chenggang, does not appear in AB's own public or corporate disclosures, leaving the project's practical control only partly transparent.
AB is described as governed by "AB DAO," with the AB token granting nominal voting rights over community decisions.
In practice, token-weighted governance would be highly centralized: the ten largest addresses hold 99% of circulating supply. Beneficial ownership of the AB Foundation is also not fully self-disclosed by the project, per an OCCRP investigation, adding a further transparency gap to the nominal DAO structure.
In November 2025, AB DAO announced a technology-integration agreement with World Liberty Financial (WLFI) to deploy its USD1 stablecoin on "AB Chain". WLFI's lawyers later characterized the arrangement as a limited, non-exclusive integration rather than a full partnership.
A June 2025 plan with the "AB Charity Foundation" to build a 300,000 m² blockchain-and-AI resort in Timor-Leste, publicly linked to Bertie Ahern and Boris Tadić, was canceled in November 2025 before reaching implementation. An April 2026 OCCRP investigation into the resort project drew further scrutiny.
AB's on-chain risk indicators show elevated structural risk, led by thin liquidity and extreme holder concentration relative to peer low-cap tokens.
An April 2026 OCCRP investigation additionally raised reputational concerns tied to undisclosed beneficial ownership of the issuing entity.