Compiled by: Blockchain in plain language
Last October, Virtuals introduced the concept of AI agent tokenization. It was a bold move, but frankly, most people didn’t care. At that time, the concept was still too early. But what about now? Virtuals has achieved 50x and 100x returns in many agencies, and suddenly, everyone has started to pay attention.
However, the question is, have you seen those 50x to 100x returns? If you want to achieve similar outsized returns, you must stay ahead of others; you need a solid argument and patience to position yourself in front of the many people starting to pay attention.
If you join now, you might see returns of 5x to 10x, which is still good, but far from the 50x to 100x returns obtained by early adopters. It's always easier to look back in hindsight, isn't it?
You might ask, is it too late to join now? No, it’s not too late yet. But you need to have a strategy. The 'alpha' strategies from two months ago are no longer the best strategies. The ecosystem of Virtuals has become very crowded, and those easily accessible opportunities have long been snatched up.
So what should we do now? First, don’t limit yourself to one ecosystem. Base to Solana, Virtuals to ai16z—these are not the most important; both ecosystems have opportunities. It’s not about 'serving one team' or attacking others; it’s about positioning yourself for good opportunities, wherever they may arise.
For example, myself, I keep an eye on agents across Base, Solana, and elsewhere. Of course, I have a preference for Virtuals (I often post in support of them), but I maintain an open mind. The key is to stay flexible and seek value, rather than blindly loyal.
How to find potential agents
The elements of a successful agent mainly lie in its uniqueness and practicality. Without practicality, agent tokens will experience a brief hype cycle and then lose attention, just like 95% of 'memecoins'.
A successful agent needs to provide unique products that offer concrete and practical value. It's even better if the team knows how to attract attention:
They can build engaging legends or stories around agents.
They are able to rapidly and continuously roll out new features.
They actively meet the needs and requests of the community.
When these elements come together, agents find product-market fit (PMF). Teams that continue to execute and innovate after finding PMF, like @aixbt_agent, can lead their niche markets and become pillars of the ecosystem.
Currently, the narrative and practicality that are attracting attention on X include: posts that provide and deliver investment returns. There is a high demand for agents that offer signals and insights for trading.
Examples: @aixbt_agent: The gold standard agent focused on Alpha.
Other notable Alpha agents:
1. Investing in DAOs
A DAO managed by human or AI agents in a hedge fund style, using its funds for investments.
Examples:
The @daosdotworld ecosystem on Base
The @Vader_AI_, @wai_combinator, @sekoia_virtuals, and @aixCB_Vc on Virtuals
The @daosdotfun ecosystem on Solana
The power of investing in DAOs lies in the fact that they provide:
Endorsements of high-quality agents.
Distribution channels for portfolio projects.
Early and discounted OTC trading rounds that often lead to outsized returns.
For more information on investing in DAOs, please delve into:
2. On-chain transactions
On-chain transactions are a topic highly popular among the crypto community on X, as we love to see the journey of someone turning $1,000 into $1 million. It's not just about money; it’s about witnessing the motivation of someone working hard and succeeding.
The first wave of trading agents can effectively leverage this momentum to drive portfolio growth, showcasing their frameworks and strategies in real-time. This is an early theme, and under this incentive, some exciting participants have already emerged.
Examples:
@Gekko_Agent: A self-improving trading agent on Virtuals that delivers results using @getaxal's infrastructure.
@BigTonyXBT: Built on Cod3x, focusing on executing trades of major currencies autonomously.
@ProjectPlutus_: With a whimsical token symbol $PPCOIN, this agent combines real-time analytics with automated DCA execution.
I expect on-chain trading agents to become a focus in Q1/Q2 2025.
Focus on developer practicality
As the ecosystem continues to evolve, the demand for tools from developers is becoming increasingly important.
Examples:
@soleng_agent: Monitor pull requests (indicating that agent tools can monitor and track code changes submitted by team members), conduct preliminary reviews, and serve as AI judges for hackathons.
@h4ck_terminal: A white-hat agent focused on bounty tasks and vulnerability checking.
@CertaiK_Agent: Specializes in security audits for agents.
More information about AI hackathons:
3. Privacy and confidentiality (TEE)
Led by @marvin_tong and @PhalaNetwork on Solana, Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) have enabled fully autonomous agents.
Examples:
'Fraud-proof ICO' agent @aipool_tee
@sporedotfun: A TEE agent with hereditary traits passed on to descendants.
Neural network experiments like @deepwormxyz.
Currently, there are no TEE agents on Virtuals; the first one will definitely skyrocket in value.
4. Strategies beyond narrative
If you can transcend the masses and predict future narratives, you can secure returns of over 100 times for yourself. This is how I entered early in Virtuals when its market cap was below $30 million. I believe the emerging narratives for 2025 include:
DeFi agents
NSFW agents
Robotics
Data
Gamification of agents
Swarm/Collective Intelligence
Infrastructure
In my articles and posts, I have outlined the projects and strategies within these narratives. If you have been following along, you may have already seen some of these projects yield returns of 5x to 20x.
If you are a newcomer, if you have just discovered AI agents or my content, take some time to browse my dynamics, Do Your Own Research.
Or you could choose to relax during the holidays and not participate to avoid risks.