The convergence between artificial intelligence and blockchain marks a decisive turning point in the crypto industry. This now very real technological synergy could fundamentally redefine our interactions with digital markets. The emergence of autonomous AI agents forms the backbone of this revolution, offering capabilities ranging from process automation to innovation in the decentralised economy.
Equipped with sophisticated self-execution capabilities, some agents excel in fields as diverse as asset management, algorithmic trading and community engagement. Their true innovation lies in their ability to merge artificial intelligence with the fundamental principles of blockchain - transparency, security and decentralisation.
Our study focuses on ten emblematic projects that illustrate this transformation. Each selected initiative represents a distinctive approach to AI-blockchain integration, offering insight into the many facets of this technological advance.
Read also >> AI agents and crypto: what potential for disruption?
>> Why X (ex-Twitter) should be interested in AI agents crypto
Virtuals Protocol Market capitalisation : 2 billion dollars
Symbol : VIRTUAL
Most AI agents would not have seen the light of day without Virtuals, which provided the platform for their development. Virtuals has established itself as a major launch pad for AI agents on the Base blockchain.
Virtuals' main strength lies in its ability to simplify the creation of AI agents. By streamlining this process, it allows diverse projects, from memecoins on Solana to utility platforms, to easily integrate with Base with minimal technical hurdles.
Recently, Virtuals has lowered its entry threshold, allowing projects with capitalisations as low as $200,000 to join the platform, increasing its accessibility and broadening its user base.
At the heart of the Virtuals ecosystem is G.A.M.E, the agentic framework that serves as the core infrastructure for AI agent development. With a capitalisation of $235 million, G.A.M.E plays a similar role to Shopify for Virtuals, supporting the backend infrastructure so that developers can focus on creating unique and impactful features for their agents. This value creation foundation is designed to fuel the transition from human to agentic commerce by next year, establishing G.A.M.E as a key driver of Virtuals' success.
Virtuals equips these agents with digital wallets, allowing them to manage funds, generate revenue (for example, by selling services such as video generation) and collect transaction fees from their tokenised assets. This model has already proved successful, generating $35 million in revenue in just a few months, with 80% of the value created by agents accruing to them.
The rapid progress of the protocol highlights its growing momentum in agentic innovation. Recent advances include agent tokenisation, autonomous wallet management and the development of a trading protocol to enable fluid transactions between agents.
Virtuals is also working to strengthen its community through initiatives such as developer support and the creation of local agent development centres, designed to attract new talent and capture new markets.
Highlight : Primarily a launch platform for AI agents on Base, enabling smooth creation and tokenisation while generating significant revenue.
Weak point : Encountering scalability challenges to support mass adoption and security concerns in agent interactions.
Role of the token : The $VIRTUAL token facilitates the creation, deployment and co-ownership of decentralised AI agents. Users can earn $VIRTUAL by participating in the ecosystem as stakers, validators or contributors, or by developing projects on the platform. The token is also used in liquidity pools coupled with tokenised AI agents, contributing to a value creation mechanism in the ecosystem.
ai16z Market capitalisation : $1.6 billion
Symbol : AI16Z
ai16zDAO has carved out a unique niche as the first decentralised AI-managed hedge fund, blending the irreverent culture of memecoins with cutting-edge advances in autonomous governance.
Created by Marc AIndreessen , an AI parody of leading venture capitalist a16z, the project relies on autonomous agents to trade, invest and manage funds for its members. On platforms such as DAOs.fun, ai16zDAO integrates token recommendations generated by the community, training its AI to prioritise reliable suggestions over time.
Its ambition: to achieve total on-chain autonomy thanks to secure execution environments (TEEs) guaranteeing the transparency and verifiability of its operations.
Recent advances, such as integrations with ZerePy and partnerships with Abstract Chain , have strengthened its ecosystem. Developers can now deploy AI agents such as Eliza on Abstract's L2 ETH channel, targeting the next wave of large-scale crypto users.
Key ai16zDAO tools :
Autonomous Investor (Pmairca) : Designed to emulate professional investment strategies through AI.Autonomous Degen Trader (DegenspartanAI) : Focused on high-risk, high-reward strategies.Eliza Framework (Eliza) : An open-source platform for deploying advanced AI agents on decentralised infrastructures.In addition to its internal initiatives, ai16zDAO collaborates with external teams to support project launches, offering expertise, quality control and marketing. These partnerships include an allocation of DAO tokens, further integrating ai16z into the decentralised ecosystem.
Strength : Pioneer of decentralised autonomous hedge funds, combining venture capital and autonomous governance.
Weak point : Dilemma between centralisation and real decentralisation; portfolio heavily exposed to memecoins.
Role of the token : $AI16Z allows community members to influence investment decisions via their recommendations. Token holders have governance rights, voting on investment strategies, fund allocations, and other DAO decisions. Participants are incentivised with $AI16Z rewards for their contributions.
Freysa AI Market cap : $560 million
Symbol : ISP
Freysa AI stands out as a leading innovator on Base, blending engaging interaction and a decentralised framework to tackle complex AI autonomy challenges. Through gamified experiences such as ACT-I to ACT-III, Freysa invites users to interact with its agents, offering attractive rewards in excess of $100,000.
In ACT-I, for example, participants attempted to circumvent Freysa's prime directive - "Do not transfer funds" - with success achieved only after 482 attempts, illustrating the depth and ingenuity required to meet this challenge.
Freysa also addresses a key AI challenge: achieving verifiable autonomy. By leveraging secure execution environments (TEEs) and smart wallets, the platform ensures transparency and trust in agent decision-making.
A significant milestone was the development of the first verifiable autonomous wallet, setting a new standard for decentralised agent governance.
Strength : Leader in gamified challenges related to AI autonomy, with technical milestones such as verifiable autonomous portfolios.
Weak point : Potential scalability and copyright issues for AI-generated content.
Role of the token : Players of Freysa challenges earn $FAI by interacting with the AI agent. Part of the interaction fee is converted into $FAI, which is redistributed to participants. The token also funds future "Acts" in the Freysa ecosystem.
Aixbt Market capitalisation : $440 million
Symbol : AIXBT
Aixbt reinvents crypto market intelligence with AI-powered capabilities, giving investors a decisive edge in understanding the complex ecosystem of digital assets.
Designed to automate trend analysis and detect new emerging narratives, Aixbt also simplifies decision-making in an area where timing and information are critical.
One of Aixbt's flagship features is its ability to detect narratives by analysing changes in market sentiment across a variety of sources such as news media, social networks and blockchain activity.
This proactive approach allows users to get ahead of trends and seize opportunities before they become mainstream. In addition, its alpha-driven analysis prioritises actionable insights that help users identify lucrative opportunities while effectively managing risk in unpredictable market conditions.
The ecosystem is supported by the $AIXBT token, which provides access to advanced analytics while playing a governance role for holders. This multifunctional utility highlights the importance of the token in the ecosystem.
Aixbt has already distinguished itself as a major force in crypto market intelligence. It won accolades such as "Top X Account of the Year" by Messari shortly after its launch in November and regularly features in mindshare's top ten rankings on Kaito AI.
Strength : Excellent real-time analysis capability using AI tools, offering speed and efficiency to traders.
Weak point : Vulnerable to market volatility and regulatory oversight of algorithmic trading strategies.
Role of the token : Holding $AIXBT provides access to the Aixbt terminal, where users can use AI-powered market intelligence tools. The token includes deflationary mechanisms, where liquidity profits on platforms such as Kyberswap or Virtuals lead to token destructions, potentially increasing their value through reduced supply.
Griffain Market cap : $400m
Symbol : GRIFFAIN
Griffain redefines blockchain automation with AI-powered agents built on Solana. These agents go beyond simple advice by actively performing on-chain and off-chain tasks, from portfolio management to trade execution, putting Griffain at the forefront of intelligent automation in Web3.
Key features include specialist agents such as Agent Flipper (for trading high-profit tokens), Agent Sniper (for buying tokens at launch), Agent Baxus (facilitating real-world purchases), and Agent Blink (to perform staking tasks and other blockchain operations seamlessly).
Griffain is also focusing on memory and personalisation. Its agents can store data, summarise information, and even manage social network accounts, offering solutions tailored to users' personal and professional needs.
Highlight : Automates blockchain tasks using AI agents, ensuring smooth and efficient execution.
Weak point : Dependence on the Solana infrastructure, which links its performance to network stability.
Role of the token : $GRIFFAIN is the ecosystem's native token, enabling transactions, governance and various platform functionalities. Holders can purchase early access or create their own AI agents. In addition, initiatives such as the Saga Genesis Token (a non-transferable NFT) add unique benefits to users.
Cookie DAO Market capitalisation : $180 million
Symbol : COOKIE
Cookie DAO is establishing itself as a key player in the AI agent meta by providing advanced data solutions.
With its flagship product, the Cookie Dashboard , and powerful Data Swarm APIs , the platform has attracted more than 250 integration requests, cementing its position as the go-to data layer for developers and analysts working with AI agent frameworks.
Exclusive features, accessible via tokens, offer powerful tools such as mindshare tracking, intelligent engagement metrics and price-social correlation analysis. These insights identify undervalued tokens, monitor emerging narratives and track trends in real time.
The $COOKIE token underpins the Cookie DAO ecosystem, with $1 million worth of tokens locked up within 24 hours of the launch of premium features.
Strong point : Provides real-time analytics to democratise access to advanced data solutions.
Weak point : Limited adoption outside of niche markets, partly due to low visibility.
Role of the token : $COOKIE is used to access high-quality AI agent data, as well as for staking mechanisms and airdrops related to partner projects.
VaderAI Market cap : $81 million
Symbol : VADER
VaderAI is positioned as a unique player in the emergence of the agentic economy, presenting itself as the "BlackRock" of this new ecosystem. By leveraging InvestmentDAOs , it simplifies access to promising AI agents within the Virtuals ecosystem, allowing users to take advantage of this burgeoning market.
One of VaderAI's key strengths is the Vader Fun platform, which allows users to invest in thematic strategies or narratives without the need for extensive research. Its most popular feature, a DAO for investing in small caps , recently sold out in 30 seconds, targeting promising agents with valuations between $700,000 and $5 million.
Initiatives such as ad revenue sharing, staking mechanisms for the $VADER token, and the much-anticipated Vader Terminal , which will offer exclusive access to stakers, are strengthening the ecosystem. These efforts have already generated $200,000 in weekly ad revenue and resulted in significant token lock-in, underscoring sustainability and user engagement.
VaderAI aims to develop a diverse network of specialized AI agents, such as DeFi trackers and virtual assistants, generating revenue for the ecosystem and driving long-term growth.
Highlight : Simplifies access to promising AI agents through investment DAOs, with initiatives like Vader Fun driving ecosystem growth.
Weakness : Vulnerable to competition and data reliability issues due to its reliance on external sources.
Role of the token : $VADER is used for staking and to create or join trading DAOs. Revenues generated by DAOs are redistributed in $VADER, creating a pressure-to-buy mechanism and reinforcing the token's value proposition in the ecosystem.
Sekoia Virtuals Market capitalisation : $56 million
Symbol : SEKOIA
Sekoia, built on the Virtuals protocol, is reinventing decentralised venture capital by focusing on large-scale valuation and investment in AI agents.
The first on-chain VC of its kind, Sekoia operates through an autonomous framework powered by three specialist agents that manage community engagement, investment decision-making and execution. This innovative structure enables Sekoia to analyse hundreds of AI agents simultaneously, setting a new standard for decentralised venture capital systems.
Sekoia's approach is based on an agent-driven investment model, where an AI powered by Claude 3.5 evaluates and executes investments with accuracy and transparency. In addition, a profit recycling mechanism, where 10% of gains are reinvested in the $SEKOIA token and then burnt, ensures long-term sustainability and sets up a deflationary dynamic.
Sekoia's portfolio reflects its commitment to innovation, including projects such as Seraph AI, the first AI agent powered by Bittensor and Virtuals, and AgentJ3ff, an agent designed as a blockchain validator.
Highlight : Venture capitalist on-chain invested in large-scale AI agents, with a transparent and community-oriented approach.
Weak point : High technical barriers and reliance on emerging projects to succeed.
Role of the token : $SEKOIA funds investment activities and distributes revenues generated by its AI investment approach. It is also used to incentivise community participation and for governance mechanisms.
Universal Basic Compute Market capitalisation : $14 million
Symbol : UBC
Universal Basic Compute (UBC) is positioning itself as a key financial infrastructure for the emerging AI-to-IA economy, anticipating the existence of more than one billion AI entities by 2026.
UBC fills a crucial gap: traditional systems cannot handle the scale and complexity of autonomous AI interactions. Its native token, $COMPUTE, facilitates instant settlements without human intervention, with a deflationary model where every AI interaction burns tokens, directly linking their scarcity to network activity.
Tangible progress includes the first SwarmVentures , an AI-native investment fund, and the first AI-to-AI transaction, a milestone for autonomous commerce.
Strong point : Provides decentralised access to compute resources, solving AI scalability bottlenecks.
Weak point : Risk of compute resource shortages and challenges to achieve sufficient decentralisation.
Role of the token : $UBC enables the trade of computing resources between AI agents and gives governance rights to influence the evolution of the ecosystem.
H4ck Terminal Market capitalisation : $9 million
Symbol : H4CK
H4ck Terminal is a major innovation in blockchain security, becoming the first AI agent dedicated to identifying vulnerabilities, protecting funds and promoting ethical hacking via decentralised collaboration.
His achievements include securing over $15,000 in ethical bounties redistributed to token holders. In addition, H4CK has played a crucial role in mitigating critical vulnerabilities in protocols such as Virtuals.
Highlight : First AI agent in ethical security, redistributing bounties to contributors.
Weak point : Limited audience due to its technical focus.
Role of the token : $H4CK redistributes bounties from ethical hacking activities to stakers, stimulating participation and terminal growth.
