Written by: Haotian
Why should you not miss this wave of AI Agent narrative hype? Many people still think that AI Agents, like 'AI + DePIN, AI computing/inference aggregation platforms, AI MEME', are just a temporary trend. But what I want to say is that they are merely manifestations of AI + Crypto merging at different stages, ultimately driving the arrival of the main upward trend in the bull market. Next, I'll gradually share my views:
1) Overall, the narrative logic of AI + Crypto becoming the main upward trend of this bull market will not change, as the training of AGI large models and the future deep development of multimodal AI industries will increasingly demand traditional resources such as computing power, storage, and data. This means the AI industry will be highly competitive and brutal, and monopolies will be inevitable, which will inevitably lead to 'spillover' demand for innovation from some small and medium enterprises.
AI will bring 'incremental' fundamentals to the Crypto field, and the Crypto world is precisely capable of accommodating this wave of overflowing resource demand.
For example, LLM training needs cheap computing power to integrate idle resources together; also, some vertical applications in fields like healthcare and supply chain finance require privacy, and Crypto's ZK + distributed governance framework will become a key underlayer; furthermore, distributed inference needs many scenario-optimized algorithm matches and an incentive framework that can record the inference process, which is precisely where Crypto Tokenomics excels. Therefore, from a macro perspective, AI + Crypto is indeed an irreversible necessity.
2) However, while AI + DePIN seemed to have gained traction, it later appeared that many large AI projects related to distributed aggregated computing, algorithms, inference, etc., with significant VC investments did not create much of a stir. Then, recently, AI + MEME, represented by GOAT, demonstrated new market vitality driven by community culture, followed by the naturally connected wave of enthusiasm for AI Agent token issuance, which has provided new hope for large-scale application landing of AI through Crypto.
At first glance, the narrative of AI from DePIN to aggregated computing inference service platforms to MEME finally landing on AI Agents seems illogical and contradicts the feasibility of AI + Crypto?
But I believe that AI + DePIN is laying the foundational infrastructure; 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; AI Agents represent the final application landing and user reach.
From this logic, it is not difficult to see that the AI + DePIN and computing inference aggregation networks being constructed have too large and heavy AI + Crypto scenarios. The spillover demand they attempt to accommodate has not been fully competitive and mature in the internet field, so in the Crypto field, it naturally appears to be impractical and meaningless in the short term.
But what if we reversed the order and developed infrastructure construction and application token issuance + MEME dissemination?
First, let's allow lightweight AI Agents with landing scenarios and demand to develop in the Crypto field. In the process, high-quality Agents can connect with the power of the MEME community for support. Once the momentum of all these AI asset issuances and AI MEME primitives is strong enough, wouldn't it be much more feasible to tackle AI + Crypto's major infrastructure?
In other words, transforming from developing 'fat protocols' to 'thin applications', using lightweight and quickly iterated thin applications to sound the charge, then using MEME jokes based on vertical scenarios to drive secondary market users' FOMO, and finally developing the grand visions of fat protocols that are long-term and difficult to land—this logic makes sense, right?
3) So, let's focus on the narrative of AI Agents. An AI Agent refers to an AI intelligent service that can make autonomous decisions and automate task execution, with the main goal of improving human-machine collaboration efficiency through personalized scenario customization and automated processes.
Common AI Agents have been widely applied in various scenarios such as code development, creative content generation, research assistance, personal financial planning, and professional consulting (e.g., legal, medical).
At this point, someone must be wondering why these AI Agents have already developed on a large scale in the web2 domain for quite some time, with their business models such as SaaS subscriptions, API call billing, and value-added services operating normally. Why do they need to issue tokens in the web3 space to create a bubble? Where is the promised value application landing?
In my view, there is actually no conflict. AI Agents do not develop ideally in a pure web2 environment, which is the premise for many Agents to come to web3 to issue tokens. Moreover, the value sedimentation of Crypto must go through a process of blowing up bubbles. DeFi, NFT, inscriptions, GameFi, MEME, none are exceptions; they all experienced the FOMO period of 'asset issuance stories'.
This seemingly financial nihilistic bubble period, while making the entire industry appear 'chaotic' in the short term, will attract funds and users that will settle down, injecting momentum for the sector's subsequent development.
NFT's digital art may seem void, but it has indeed caused the deflation of ETH. The ornamental art of inscriptions may seem void, yet it has helped miners survive the shutdown before halving. Similarly, the wave of AI Agent token issuance may seem full of speculation 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 surely solidify corresponding value, and we must not miss opportunities due to prejudice.
4) Lastly, I want to say that AI Agents are important for ordinary retail investors and equally important for project parties in various vertical fields that are under heavy pressure from 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? Disseminating MEME culture memes with AI personalities?
The inclusion of these AI elements will make your heavy and difficult-to-land Roadmap more 'youthful', allowing what originally required a long time for technical landing stories to gradually apply in a lightweight manner using AI Agents, while gradually amplifying influence using AI MEMEs, which are more entertaining and easier to disseminate. Rather than engage in meaningless opposition, why not embrace this opportunity?
Embracing lightweight AI Agents and the AI MEME community culture will become the optimal solution to reshape the past project development paths of 'technology, operations, community, market, brand', which are heavy assets.
Many people dislike turning all value into MEMEs, diligently cultivating the faith in application landing in solitude, sneering at those things that hype FOMO, thus always missing opportunities. Yet, there are also those who like to commodify all MEME values, thriving in the PVP games of financial nihilism, but remaining indifferent to the technologies and fundamental values supporting these games, ultimately ending up with a fruitless exit.
Come on, let's string together AI Agent + AI MEME + AI Platform + AI DePIN as a main line, without opposing technology VC tokens and MEMEs, and together push forward the grand narrative of AI + Crypto to achieve this long-awaited main upward trend in the bull market.