Dimitra Moves Forward With MANTRA Partnership Despite Token Crash, Citing Regulatory Strength
Despite a sharp plunge in MANTRA’s OM token earlier this year, agri-tech company Dimitra is forging ahead with its strategic collaboration with the Layer 1 blockchain platform. CEO Jon Trask cited MANTRA’s regulatory status—specifically its Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) license—as a key factor in the decision to continue.
Dimitra, which focuses on bringing blockchain solutions to the agricultural sector, has partnered with MANTRA to onboard real-world agricultural assets onto the blockchain, starting with two pilot programs: cacao farming in Brazil and carbon credit issuance in Mexico. Speaking at Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas, Trask said the goal is to eventually tokenize $1 billion worth of agricultural assets on MANTRA’s platform.
For now, the scale is modest. In Brazil’s southern Roraima region—known as the “cocoa pole”—just 25 out of 374 smallholder farmers are participating. But Trask emphasized the potential for “indefinite” expansion with sufficient capital and investor engagement.
The initiative will allow OM token holders to directly fund regenerative farming projects, with blockchain technology providing traceability and transparency. According to Trask, annual returns for investors could range from 10–30%, based on early modeling, though he cautioned that agriculture brings risks such as droughts and pest outbreaks.
The integration of Dimitra’s pilot programs with MANTRA is still in progress, but Trask said the first investment opportunities could launch within the next few months.
The timing of the partnership raised questions, given OM’s 90% flash crash in April, which sent the token plunging from $8.47 to around $0.34. Trask acknowledged that the crash prompted a temporary pause in the deal’s progression.
“We made the deal many months ago,” he told CoinDesk. “When the crash happened, we reassessed—but ultimately the fundamentals of the partnership remained solid.”
Those fundamentals included MANTRA’s strong development team, a credible roadmap for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, and its regulatory standing. Trask pointed specifically to MANTRA’s VASP license from Dubai’s VARA, which the platform secured earlier this year, as a significant vote of confidence.
MANTRA has already made waves in the Middle East’s tokenization landscape, helping to bring $500 million worth of UAE real estate on-chain for a Dubai-based real estate group.
“Tokenizing agriculture isn’t just about innovation,” said John Patrick Mullin, CEO of MANTRA, in a press release. “It’s about delivering practical solutions to real-world supply chain problems. Dimitra’s focus on transparency and traceability aligns perfectly with what MANTRA Chain was built to support.”
