Founders of OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, as well as Coinbase, NEAR, and EigenLayer have stated that agents are the future of AI. For both the Web2 and Web3 worlds, this will be the most significant technological wave of this decade. Let’s explore what opportunities on-chain agents have created, and why they have reached nearly $4 billion in market capitalization in just one month. What is the next step for Web3 agents beyond hype and speculation?
1. Autonomy: Unlike meme coins, NFTs, and ICOs, AI agent tokens can provide utility, marking a shift towards more substantive value propositions. Market narratives will rise and fall, but real products will always exist. Specifically, Web3 agents differ from existing AI applications in two main characteristics:
2. Economics: For users and investors, participating in the economic activities of agents is more transparent and straightforward, as it is based on blockchain, programmable, and public.
Currently, we are in a phase similar to the early experiments of Ethereum in 2016. However, by mid or late next year, we may see agents handling complex tasks, automating processes, and creating substantial cash flow. Replacing human jobs with robots is inevitable—though at least you can own their tokens.
The design space for Web3 AI agents is vast, offering multiple possibilities.
Entertainment ↔ Utility Spectrum Developers can position their AI agents along a spectrum ranging from pure entertainment to practical utility, with different positioning attracting different market audiences. Entertainment-focused agents prioritize engaging users through fun and interactive experiences; they may: Role-play: Assume dynamic roles in social media or virtual environments, captivating users through storytelling or humor. Host media content: Run podcasts, live broadcasts, or virtual events, leveraging unique AI-generated content to attract viewers. Community interaction: Encourage user participation by allowing the community to influence the agent's behavior or narrative. Utility-focused agents aim to solve real problems, providing tangible value through task automation and productivity improvements; they may: Automate knowledge work: Execute tasks such as coding, data analysis, market research, or content creation. Provide services: Act as AI therapists, educators, customer support, or social media managers. Enhance business operations: Optimize workflows, improve decision-making, or provide insights through advanced analytics.
The agent experience, like many aspects of the crypto industry, is not easy; using Web3 agents often requires complex knowledge. However, this will change. Web3 agents will significantly enhance user experience, adding dynamically generated interfaces that adapt to each user’s personalized preferences. Agents will generate UI elements in real time, using familiar and convenient UI patterns to tailor each user's interface.
Voice commands, 3D avatars, and augmented reality features enhance the interactive experience, making it more natural. Seamless connectivity, even integrating within crypto wallets and other tools, achieves frictionless interactions. A persistent memory system allows for more personalized and relevant interactions. 24/7 availability enables tasks to be executed automatically after authorization, such as monitoring token prices, executing trades at specific thresholds, regularly posting social media content, or automatically replying to Discord messages based on preset trigger conditions. Agents can also proactively notify users of important events like governance proposals, upcoming token unlocks, or suspicious wallet activities that need attention. This transformation will elevate agents from basic chatbots to genuinely useful agents capable of entertaining users or helping solve problems on a large scale. I believe AI agents represent a fundamental shift in the global workforce. Over time, more and more jobs will be automated, and AI agents will perform tasks faster, cheaper, and more efficiently—ultimately leading to greater prosperity. The combination of AI agents with tokenization offers users the opportunity to own a share of the post-labor economy, ensuring the distribution of automation's benefits rather than concentrating them in the hands of a few tech giants. Although today’s Web3 agents are very similar to their speculative nature of MEME coins, I expect they will gradually develop real utility and tangible value. The cyber economy is coming, and the collective awakening is upon us.