Original title: Agent Ecosystem = The New L1
Original author: 0xJeff, AI investor
Original translation by: Ismay, BlockBeats
Do you remember the L2 craze of 2022-2023?
At that time, the best strategy was to hoard leading DEXs, top lending markets, Solidly fork projects, LSTs, yield optimizers, etc. Everyone was chasing token launches, participating in airdrops, or injecting TVL into L2 platforms like Blast to earn points.
Although that time was chaotic, it did work (at least for a few months).
Today, the same enthusiasm is emerging again, but this time, the rules have completely changed.
The Agent ecosystem is reshaping our understanding of the market, and its structure is completely different from before.
No VC dominance
In the L2 era, token distribution always followed a fixed formula:
The team takes 15-30%, VCs and KOLs take 10-30%, and the rest is used for incentives and rewards distribution.
But in the Agent ecosystem, the situation is completely different. Tokens are 100% owned by the community, and the team may reserve 5% for incentives, with the rest freely circulating in the market.
What does this mean?
Everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in purchases, without worrying about the risks of VC unlocks or insider sell-offs. If you want exposure, you need to take on the same market risks as everyone else.
So what's the OTC round for KOLs?
Some projects do offer discounted OTC trades, but usually:
Scale is strictly limited;
Priority allocation to partners that are highly aligned with the ecosystem, such as DAOs or influencers actively supporting ecosystem development.
This is no longer the model of 'VC lifting the platform, retail investors picking up the pieces', but a fairer, leaner system that truly puts power in the hands of the community.
No trend of 'copy-paste'
At least not like in the DeFi space, where various projects from Uniswap to Liquity have been repeatedly forked with almost no innovation.
Here, everything revolves around brand new innovations. Developers are not simply copying existing projects but are launching entirely new Agents and new application scenarios at a pace that is hard to keep up with.
Why is this happening?
AI applications are iterating even faster:
No need to spend months on audits;
The launch times for most Agents are measured in weeks, not months;
The entire field is full of vitality, experimentation, and creativity.
There is something exciting almost every week, and as AI technology continues to develop, the narrative of Web3 AI Agents is also evolving.
A brand new user acquisition model
In traditional DeFi, users need to:
Find the project's website;
Spend time understanding the product;
Perhaps interact with the product.
And Agents have completely disrupted this model by presenting products directly to users.
Take @aixbt_agent as an example; it provides valuable information in real-time directly on CT (Crypto Twitter). Users feel the value immediately, generating interest and further exploration. Ultimately, they will purchase tokens to fully unlock product features.
This 'interact first, then trade' funnel model is more effective. With the popularization of on-chain trading Agents and DeFi Agents, this model is expected to dominate before 2025.
A highly orchestrated ecosystem
No longer thousands of dispersed L2s and dApps, but tightly connected ecosystems like the following:
@virtuals_io (Base)
@ai16zdao (Solana)
@daosdotworld (Base)
@daosdotfun (Solana)
What's different?
Developers are no longer attracted by subsidies or incentive mechanisms; they flow in naturally because there are:
Fairly launched token economic models;
An enthusiastic community;
Opportunities to experiment and innovate in an exciting field.
This is the result of combining fair launches with continuous innovation. Developers, investors, and the community drive the growth and development of the ecosystem together.
How to position oneself during this Agent cycle
This feels like the early days of L1—but at a much faster pace. Looking back at 2020-2021, many L1s reached peak valuations of over a hundred billion dollars. The same potential exists here.
If you want to position yourself, you can pay attention to the following Agent-related L1s:
$VIRTUAL
$AI16
$ZEREBRO
$GRIFFAIN
$BULLY
$ARC
But don't just chase the currently popular projects. Look for:
Undervalued opportunities outside the current narrative scope;
Teams that move quickly, tell good stories, and can build market recognition.
If you want to know more, you can refer to this guide:
Further reading: (How to seize hundredfold opportunities in this AI agent cycle?)
Welcome to the new era
The Agent ecosystem is not just a new L1; it is a completely different market structure—faster, leaner, and more community-driven than ever before.
We are entering a period that may reshape how Web3 innovation operates, and the journey towards a valuation of over a hundred billion dollars has just begun.
Welcome aboard, friends, this will be an exciting journey!
