Article source: On-Chain View
Author: Haotian
Why should we not miss this AI Agent narrative craze? Many still think AI Agents are just a brief hot trend like 'AI + DePIN, AI computing power/inference aggregation platforms, AI MEME.' But I want to say that they are all manifestations of AI + Crypto merging at different stages, ultimately driving the arrival of the main upward wave of the bull market. Next, I will share my thoughts point by point:
1) Overall, the narrative logic of AI + Crypto becoming the main upward wave of this bull market will not change, as the training of AGI large models and the future in-depth development of multimodal AI industries will have an increasing demand for traditional resources such as computing power, storage, and data. This means the AI industry will be very competitive and brutal, and monopolization will be inevitable, which will inevitably lead to an 'externalization' of the innovation needs of some small and medium-sized enterprises.
AI will bring 'incremental' fundamentals to the Crypto field, and the Crypto world can precisely accommodate this wave of overflowing resource demand.
For instance, LLM training requires inexpensive computing power to integrate idle resources; also, some vertical applications in medical and supply chain finance require privacy, and Crypto's ZK + distributed governance framework will become the key underlying structure; furthermore, distributed inference requires many scenario-optimized algorithm matches and an incentive framework that can record the inference process, which is precisely what Crypto Tokenomics excels at. Therefore, from a macro perspective, AI + Crypto is indeed an irreversible inevitability.
2) However, AI + DePIN has seen a wave of excitement that seems to have cooled off. Many VC-heavy investments in distributed aggregation computing power, algorithms, and inference AI projects have not made much of a splash. Recently, AI + MEME, represented by GOAT and others, has shown the market's new vitality driven by community culture, followed closely by the AI Agent token issuance craze, giving the market new hope for large-scale application of AI through Crypto.
At first glance, the narrative of AI transitions from DePIN to aggregation computing inference service platforms to MEME, and finally landing on AI Agents seems illogical, each step seemingly disproving the feasibility of AI + Crypto?
However, I believe that AI + DePIN is laying the foundational infra; distributed computing/inference platforms are constructing computing power and algorithm incentive networks; AI + MEME is accelerating market education and dissemination of AI applications through secondary wealth effects; and AI Agents represent the final application landing and user outreach.
Based on this logic, it is not difficult to see that the AI + DePIN and computing inference aggregation networks aim to construct AI + Crypto scenarios that are too large and heavy. They attempt to accommodate external demand that has not been fully competitive or mature in the internet field, and in the Crypto field, it will naturally seem like a chicken rib and meaningless in the short term.
But what if we reversed the order of developing infra construction and application token issuance + MEME dissemination?
First, let the lightweight AI Agents with real landing scenarios and needs develop in the Crypto field. During this process, high-quality Agents can connect with the MEME community to provide support. When the potential of these AI asset issuances and AI MEME primitives is strong enough, wouldn't it be much more reliable to tackle the AI + Crypto infrastructure?
In other words, transitioning from developing 'fat protocols' to 'lean applications,' using lightweight and quickly iteratable lean applications to sound the charge, and then using MEME culture crafted around vertical scenes to drive secondary market user FOMO, and finally developing technically grand visions that are long and difficult to implement, such logic makes sense, right?
3) So, let's focus on the narrative of AI Agents. AI Agents refer to AI intelligent services that can make autonomous decisions and automatically execute tasks, with the main goal of improving human-machine collaboration efficiency through personalized scene customization and automated processes.
Common AI Agents have been widely applied in various scenarios including code development, creative content generation, research assistance, personal financial planning, and professional consulting (such as legal, medical).
At this point, some may wonder, haven't these AI Agents already been scaled in the web2 field for a long time? Their business models, such as SaaS subscriptions, API call billing, and value-added services, are all operating normally. Why must they issue tokens in the web3 circle to create a bubble? Where is the promised application of value?
In my opinion, they are not in conflict. The development of AI Agents in a pure web2 environment is not ideal, which is the premise for many Agents to come to web3 to issue tokens. Moreover, the value sedimentation in Crypto must go through a bubble-blowing process, and DeFi, NFTs, inscriptions, GameFi, MEMEs, etc., are no exception; they all went through a FOMO period of 'asset issuance stories.'
This seemingly nihilistic bubble period in finance, while making the industry appear 'chaotic' in the short term, will attract funds and users that will settle down and inject momentum into the subsequent development of the industry.
NFTs may seem like a form of digital art nihilism, but they have genuinely caused ETH to deflate. The ornamental art of inscriptions may seem void, but it helped miners get through the shutdown hurdle before halving. Similarly, the wave of AI Agent token issuance may appear full of speculative hype in the short term, but it will bring a broader incremental user base and funds into the Crypto circle. Looking from a longer perspective, these short-term nihilistic FOMO narratives will certainly settle into corresponding value, and we must not miss the opportunity due to prejudice.
4) Finally, I want to say that AI Agents are important for ordinary retail investors and equally important for project parties in various vertical fields under the heavy pressure of VC tokens.
From now on, we should think about how to empower our chains with AI + narratives: embedding modular AI preprocessing components? Building AI Agent tools suitable for community participation? Spreading MEME cultural memes with AI personalities?
The addition of these AI elements will make your heavy and hard-to-implement roadmap more 'youthful,' gradually applying the long-term technical landing stories in a lightweight manner using AI Agents, while simultaneously amplifying influence through AI MEME in a more entertaining and easily disseminated way. Instead of engaging in meaningless opposition, why not embrace it?
Embracing lightweight AI Agents and AI MEME community culture will become the optimal solution for reshaping the past project's 'technology, operations, community, market, brand,' and other heavy asset development paths.
Many people dislike turning all value into MEMEs, steadfastly cultivating their belief in application landing in solitude, scoffing at those who speculate on FOMO, thus often missing opportunities. Conversely, some prefer to turn everything into MEME value, actively participating in the financial nihilism of PVP games while coldly observing the technology and fundamental value supporting this game, ultimately ending up with empty joys and exits.
Come, let's string together AI Agent + AI MEME + AI Platform + AI DePIN into a main narrative, without opposing technologies between VC tokens and MEMEs, to push forward the grand narrative of AI + Crypto and jointly achieve this long-awaited main upward wave of the bull market.