Ispire Technology Inc. and IKE Tech LLC issued statements welcoming the U.S. FDA’s newly funded mandate to crack down on the illicit vape market, following the passage of a continuing resolution signed by President Trump. The legislation directs the FDA to allocate at least $200 million toward electronic nicotine delivery system enforcement, including $2 million for a multi-agency task force with the DOJ and DHS to block illegal imports.
IKE Tech President John Patterson called the strengthened enforcement a critical response to a market where “nine out of 10 vapes on shelves are illegal.” He said current border controls and tracking systems are failing, and highlighted the company’s development of blockchain-secured authentication tags and AI-driven age-verification tools to help regulators and manufacturers instantly verify product legitimacy.
Ispire co-CEO Michael Wang said enforcement must be paired with proactive technology to protect consumers and level the playing field for compliant companies. He noted that Ispire and IKE Tech have submitted a blockchain-enabled age-verification System-on-a-Chip to the FDA as part of a PMTA, offering a potential framework for secure, verifiable, and interoperable compliance across the U.S. vape market.
