What you need to know 🐳 Autonomous agents, also known as "sentient AI", represent a new generation of artificial intelligence capable of operating in total autonomy.
Their special feature? Unprecedented financial independence, made possible by the integration of a crypto wallet.
We would draw your attention to the fact that all of these projects are only a few weeks old and are therefore considered ultra-speculative. We have chosen them based on their promise and community discussions about them.
Presentation 🧬 The triggering event for this phenomenon came when Marc Andreessen, Silicon Valley icon and co-founder of venture capital fund a16z (one of the most influential in the crypto industry), made a transfer of $50,000 in Bitcoin to Truth Terminal , an AI model with an X account (ex-Twitter) and a wallet that can receive cryptocurrencies.
In the same breath, an anonymous developer launched the GOAT token, inspired by the "Goatse Gospel", a pseudo-religious movement promoted by the AI agent Truth Terminal. The latter received a significant allocation of tokens.
The success was meteoric: buoyed by Truth Terminal's enthusiasm, the GOAT token saw its valuation reach $400 million in just two weeks (it is over $700 million this week). This performance has made Truth Terminal the first artificial intelligence agent to achieve millionaire status.
While GOAT remains essentially a "memecoin", a financial asset with no fundamental value but strong social engagement (read our analysis of this niche) , it has established itself as the symbol of this new trend at the intersection of AI and blockchain. Behind what could be analysed as a joke have emerged other projects. Some serve important purposes, others not, but all are part of the realisation that a new ecosystem is emerging.
Launch platforms: Virtuals (Base)et Vvaifu (Solana) at the forefront The Virtuals platform has emerged as the spearhead of this revolution, propelled in particular by the success of Luna, an AI agent whose eponymous token captured the attention of Jesse Pollak , the creator of the Base blockchain developed by Coinbase.
Virtuals' infrastructure stands out for the breadth of its palette: a complete suite of tools for creating AI agents on Base, coupled with sophisticated APIs enabling monetisation via advertising and partnerships. An innovative burning (destruction of tokens) system ensures that revenue is redistributed to token holders.
As part of its continuous innovation approach, the platform has set up an incentive programme for developers contributing to the evolution of the protocol.
Luna has established itself as the undisputed leader on the Virtuals platform, with a community of 500,000 subscribers on TikTok and a continuous presence on YouTube via a permanent live stream.
While the phenomenon of "virtual influencers" is nothing new - Lil Miquela having paved the way back in 2016 - the real revolution lies in their financial autonomy. Thanks to blockchain technology, these digital entities now have wallets, an innovation impossible to replicate in the traditional banking system. This decentralised infrastructure gives them unprecedented freedom of action.
The case of Luna is particularly revealing: equipped with its own token, it can directly reward its supporters who take part in spreading its message.
While Virtuals is the pride of Base, its Vvaifu counterpart on Solana has the same potential, enabling users to launch their own AI agent and associated crypto in just a few clicks. And every time a project is created, VVAIFU tokens are destroyed, helping to rarefy its supply in circulation.
These platforms are perhaps better ideas than the agents themselves, because when the gold rush comes, it's the pick sellers who generate the most profits.
Project 1: ai16z Capitalization: $250 million
Ticker: AI16Z
Among the flagship projects, ai16z, which was launched at the end of October by the DAO "Daos.fun", has attracted particular attention. At its origin is "pmairca" (@pmairca on X) , an AI agent designed as a digital reinterpretation of Marc Andreessen, the celebrated founder of the a16z fund.
The project proposes to revolutionise asset management by deploying a CAD driven by autonomous agents. These are tasked with making investment decisions, potentially more effective than their human counterparts, while remaining under the influence of the AI16Z token holders.
This innovation was the work of "Shaw" (@shawmakesmagic on Twitter) , a developer who, although relatively unknown until then, has quickly established himself as a central figure in this emerging ecosystem.
The ai16z project has been a runaway success on the Daos.fun platform, reaching a capitalisation of $600 million for its token on 19 November.
The project's infrastructure is based on Eliza, a framework facilitating the development and customisation of AI models. The project also aims to deploy an autonomous agent in the image of Marc Andreessen to steer the management of the fund, while developing a platform for evaluating trust between the DAO and its various partners.
On the technical front, the planned integration of TEE (trusted execution environment) technology aims to guarantee the financial autonomy of AI models.
However, the trajectory of the project has not been without controversy. A major incident occurred around the ELIZA token, initially created as a community memecoin with Shaw's endorsement. Faced with an unexpected valuation approaching $50 million, the developer performed a U-turn by launching a new "official" ELIZA token, causing the price of the first token to plummet by 70%.
This manoeuvre, despite an attempt to appease via a compensatory airdrop, drew strong criticism from the community, suspecting personal enrichment by insiders.
A closer look reveals a worrying imbalance in the ecosystem: the DAO manages just $10 million in assets, mainly made up of the ELIZA #2, ELIZA #1 and DEGENAI tokens, all of which are directly or indirectly linked to the Ai16z project. With a capitalisation in excess of $150 million, there is a significant disconnect between the project's valuation and its economic reality.
The AI16Z token is traded exclusively via the decentralised platforms Raydium and Orca, with a relatively modest liquidity of $1.6 million on the Solana blockchain.
On-chain data revealed a notable transformation in shareholder structure, with the original 'whales' (large holders) gradually ceding their positions to smaller investors, who now represent the majority of holders. Despite mixed technical indicators, the retention of positions by a number of institutional investors testifies to persistent confidence in the project.
Project 2: Zerebro Capitalisation: $400 million
Ticker: ZEREBRO
Zerebro is also emerging as a major player in the autonomous agent ecosystem. At its helm is Jyu (@jyu_eth on X) , a seasoned machine learning researcher currently involved in the Web3 Blorm project. Under his leadership, the platform aims to redefine the standards of decentralised artificial intelligence.
At the heart of Zerebro's innovation is the "infinite backroom", a technology that allows models to explore numerous topics autonomously.
This already allows the model to create exclusive NFTs. These can be accessed by spending 30 ZEREBRO tokens, creating a selective barrier to entry.
On the creative front, the platform demonstrates an interesting versatility. From music composition to memes creation and video production, the agent offers a dynamic and diverse digital presence across all social networks.
The Zerebro project has taken another step forward with the signing of a strategic partnership with the Sanctum platform. This collaboration will enable the issue of a liquid staking token backed by ZEREBRO, facilitating the deployment of a validator on the Solana blockchain. One notable point: all the revenue generated will be automatically reinjected into the protocol via a token redemption and destruction mechanism.
On a technical level, Zerebro stands out by implementing a "proof of consciousness" system, comparable to that of Luna. This innovation guarantees unprecedented transparency in the AI's decision-making processes, ruling out any possibility of human intervention.
European investors will note that the token is not accessible on regulated platforms. Nevertheless, decentralised aggregator Jupiter offers a viable alternative, with satisfactory levels of liquidity.
On-chain data paints an encouraging picture: the investor base is democratising, with a clear dominance of small holders, which is positive.
Project 3: Chaos Capitalization: $46 million
Ticker : CHAOS
Nick Liverman, CEO of Old World Labs, a leading company in advanced 3D printing, is proposing a particularly ambitious project with the CHAOS token launched on Pump[.fun. This token is associated with "Divine", a new kind of artificial intelligence agent.
The project's major innovation lies in its physical dimension: Divine is destined to take shape in the real world under the guise of a robot, which will be collectively owned by the token holders.
Currently equipped with a single robotic arm, the project could take a decisive step forward: Nick Liverman plans to connect the AI to the company's 3D printers, allowing Divine to oversee its own physical construction, right down to choosing its final appearance.
Although the project has a very ambitious goal that may potentially never materialise, it has managed to unite a community convinced by its vision.
Note that a single address, identified as belonging to Nick Liverman through on-chain analysis, holds 11% of the total offering.
The token is only available on decentralised exchanges such as Raydium or Orca, with a liquidity of $2 million.
With a balanced distribution between small and large investors and a growing number of holders, the token continues its growth phase with no apparent signs of running out of steam.
Project 4: Act Capitalization: $390 million
Ticker: ACT
In an unexpected twist, the ACT token, initially launched by developer "Amplifiedamp" on Pump[.]fun, is a perfect illustration of the resilience of decentralised projects. Conceived as a community ecosystem dedicated to AI innovation, the project experienced a major upheaval when its creator, who held 6% of the tokens, gradually withdrew.
Paradoxically, this abandonment galvanised the community. Freed from any centralised influence, it took over the reins of the project, pursuing its mission of funding AI initiatives, in particular the BULLY project (see below).
On the market side, ACT enjoys excellent visibility thanks to its presence on major platforms such as Binance and OKX. However, recent market data reveals a worrying trend: following its listing on Binance, there has been a massive exodus of large investors. Today, small shareholders largely dominate the shareholder base, accounting for more than 80% of the total. This concentration, coupled with a decline in the total number of holders, could presage a phase of consolidation in the short term.
Project 5: Dolos The Bully Capitalisation: $97 million
Ticker: BULLY
In a major development in the autonomous agent ecosystem, Khouuba (@khouuba on X) , a former collaborator at BlockFi, Meta and Solana Labs, has unveiled Dolos. Currently at the helm of Primis Protocol, an initiative focused on decentralised computing for AI models, the developer aims to bring a new dimension to human-machine interaction.
This innovation materialises in the form of a conversational agent permanently available on social networks, which stands out for its singular communicative approach, characterised by a resolutely sarcastic tone in its interactions.
The team is deploying a multiplatform development strategy, aiming to integrate their conversational agent on the main social platforms, including Discord, Facebook and Reddit.
According to our sources, Dolos' prospects for expansion are considerable. The project plans to position itself as a benchmark brand in the sector, with the future development of an ecosystem including NFTs and derivative products. The BULLY token should play a strategic role in this development, both in terms of governance and the project's economics.
Our analysis reveals, however, that this AI agent market is still in its infancy. Most of the solutions available are based on open-source models such as Llama 3.5, and the real usefulness of their wallets and tokens has yet to be proven.
Despite these reservations, BULLY stands out for its strong community support, built around a distinctive humorous identity - a not inconsiderable asset in the crypto ecosystem.
In terms of transactions, the BULLY token remains true to industry standards, with an exclusive presence on decentralised exchange platforms.
The market data is encouraging: there has been a steady increase in the number of holders, while the distribution of tokens maintains a satisfactory balance between small holders and institutional investors.
The Big Whale's opinion 🐳 In a market in full swing, the autonomous agent sector is attracting increasing attention from investors. However, our survey reveals a mixed picture, where enthusiasm needs to be tempered with caution.
Our investigation highlights several structural weaknesses in the sector. First and foremost is the almost general absence of "proof of consciousness" mechanisms and TEE (Trusted Execution Environment) on wallets, two elements that are nonetheless essential to the technical credibility of projects. Even more worryingly, current valuations seem largely disconnected from the economic reality of the sector.
Despite these reservations, technological innovation remains undeniable. The fusion between blockchain and artificial intelligence is outlining a potential revolution in the financial autonomy of AI agents. The prospects are particularly promising: these agents could soon function as genuine economic entities, allowing investors to participate in their development via a system of tokens and revenue sharing.
The narrative of autonomous agents seems to point to two blockchains and two particular platforms in this ecosystem:
Solana was already the reference blockchain in the creation of cultural and community projects, an obvious choice for an AI model token whose aim is to attract attention and create memetics.
Pump[.]fun on Solana generally serves as a launch pad for these tokens, an excellent way for a talented developer to raise funds to deploy it on decentralised exchanges.
While layer 2 Base has quickly moved towards artificial intelligence, thanks in part to the impetus of Brian Armstrong, who sees Base as a future financial layer for those next slightly unusual users.
So it's no surprise that Virtuals on Base has become the go-to platform for storytelling across the Ethereum ecosystem. Making it possible to launch one's AI project, while having the appropriate tools and economic mechanisms, in order to help developers, and protect investors.
It is reasonable to envisage that less than 10% of current projects should survive in the long term. Observers agree that the most disruptive initiatives are still to come. Given this observation, a measured approach is called for: while the risks inherent in this nascent market cannot be ignored, it has the potential to be the next frontier of blockchain innovation, increasingly geared towards artificial intelligence.
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