The growing intersection between artificial intelligence (“AI”) and crypto has recently been taken to a new high, driven by AI agents. In particular, the story around Terminal of Truths and $GOAT has captured the market and drawn attention to various other AI agent crypto projects.
An AI agent is autonomous software that can plan, execute tasks, and work towards some defined goal without human intervention. AI agents differ from the bots that we are used to seeing across the Internet. Bots are typically pre-programmed, require human intervention, and operate under a fixed set of rules. AI agents can engage in dynamic, multi-step decision making and adapt based on interaction. They can also interact with other agents, protocols, and external apps.
The kickstarter of this latest meta was the story around Terminal of Truths, an AI agent which created a memetic religion based on an old Internet meme. This led to the launch of the $GOAT memecoin. As $GOAT grew in price, ToT became the first AI agent millionaire, showcasing the potential for AI agents to influence crypto markets and capture attention.
Virtuals Protocol is a platform focused on allowing users to create, deploy, and monetize AI agents. The “AI agent launchpad” is focused on entertainment and consumer-focused AI agents and allows for co-ownership of agents through governance determined by token holders. Through its economic model, Virtuals fosters community engagement and creates financial incentives through a buyback-and-burn mechanism.
Daos.fun allows for the creation of AI agent-led hedge funds using a DAO structure. Although the platform was initially intended for humans, it has adopted the AI agent meta, and their largest manager is now an AI agent named after the major US VC, a16z (although autonomous trade capabilities are yet to launch). Their model allows for collective community investment, while using the AI’s capabilities to improve performance. They are also working on a trust system where token holders can pitch ideas and the AI can judge them, based on past performance.
The evolution from AI 1.0 to A.I 2.0 has many implications for crypto, and we are witnessing positive momentum in the cross-pollination between these communities. The mutual interest is exciting and we might very well be on the verge of the next big AI crypto application. Given traditional banks and payment methods generally require human identification, crypto is a natural fit for the AI agent economy.
Nonetheless, there are many considerations and this is a very nascent sub-sector. AI models still have hallucination issues, and have many blockchain-related hurdles to cross. Today, crypto AI agents are closer to their demo state than reality, but the momentum is overwhelmingly positive and we might see significant growth over the coming weeks and months.
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