In 2025, the world of Web3 is expected to undergo a significant transformation with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) agents. These machines, capable of pursuing complex goals autonomously, are already reshaping the digital economy and building applications for decentralized communities.

The Current State of AI Agents in Web3

As of December 2024, there are approximately 10,000 AI agents active on Web3 platforms, collectively earning millions of dollars each week from on-chain activities (VanEck, 2024). However, this number is expected to surge to over 1 million by the end of 2025, according to estimates by VanEck.

The Potential of Agentic AIs

The potential universe of AI agents interacting with cryptocurrency is infinite, as stated by Matt Hougan, head of research at Bitwise (Cointelegraph, 2024). In 2024 alone, tokens tied to agentic AI bootstrapped over $10 billion in market capitalization, mostly in the fourth quarter (CoinGecko, 2024).

Early Use Cases for Agentic AIs

Cryptocurrency staking on behalf of human token holders is a viable early use case for agentic AIs, according to Hougan. This involves securing blockchain networks by locking up tokens with validators in exchange for a cut of transaction fees (Hougan, 2024).

• Staking: Agentic AIs can participate in staking, which seems like a logical first step, as stated by Hougan.
• Onchain Trading: Eliza, the agent from ai16z, autonomously manages an on-chain liquidity pool, purportedly clocking annualized returns in excess of 60% (daos.fun, 2024).

Challenges and Opportunities

While agentic AIs hold immense potential, they also face several challenges:

• Technical Challenges: Onchain AI models lag behind centralized counterparts, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, on technical dimensions like speed and computational power (Casey, 2024).
• Regulatory Hurdles: AI will face increasing pressure to be regulated, potentially disadvantaging decentralized AIs (Casey, 2024).

Investing in the Future of Web3

For investors, it’s essential to recognize the significance of agentic AIs and position themselves for exposure. As stated by Hougan, ‘it’s okay not to know exactly what will happen as long as you recognize the significance’ (Hougan, 2024).

Conclusion

The emergence of agentic AI agents in Web3 marks a significant turning point in the digital economy. With the potential to transform decentralized communities and unlock new financial opportunities, it’s essential for investors and developers to stay informed about this rapidly evolving space.

References

• Cointelegraph (2024). "AI Memecoins Will Become Utility Tokens."
• VanEck (2024). "The Rise of AI Agents in Web3: A Report by VanEck."
• CoinGecko (2024). "Agentic AI Projects and Market Capitalization."
• daos.fun (2024). "Eliza’s On-Chain Liquidity Pool."