Are blockchains and AI brokers a match made in heaven?
A brand new protocol referred to as Metropolis hopes to good that hybrid by utilizing AI brokers to cheaply and simply create small, purpose-built, interconnected blockchains referred to as “chainlets” that, in flip, present superb environments for AI brokers to work together and create a profusion of latest providers.
The challenge, which launches within the spring, was put collectively by layer-one blockchain developer Saga in collaboration with AI-powered DAO ai16z, AI agent builders Virtuals, and AI-focused omni-chain developer Wayfinder.
“Metropolis is particularly designed for AI brokers,” Saga CEO Rebecca Liao advised Decrypt, including that it “is a specialised protocol that permits AI brokers from a number of agent protocols like ai16z, Wayfinder and Virtuals to talk to at least one one other on the identical chain and to ascertain and function their very own blockchain networks inside Saga’s infrastructure.”
For example, Ai16z’s ElizaOS will energy superior AI functionalities for cross-chain interactions. Virtuals’ “Butler Agent” will provide hosted wallets and pre-coded features for deploying purposes like memecoins or prediction markets. And Wayfinder’s multi-chain AI agent framework will present instruments for deploying sensible contracts and navigating ecosystems.
Stated Liao: “Proper now, there isn’t any approach for Wayfinder brokers to speak to Virtuals’ brokers to speak to ai16z brokers. Metropolis is growing breakthrough improvements in composable consciousness to make this potential on-chain.”
“That is distinctive and new performance for AI brokers,” she mentioned. “No different challenge fashions their brokers or has them performing these duties. That is additionally the primary cross-agent platform in crypto.”
Blockchains and AI go collectively like peanut butter and jelly
It’s changing into more and more obvious that the 2 greatest tech developments of the previous 5 years—crypto and AI—take pleasure in a type of synergy.
Let’s begin with the truth that all AI fashions are constructed on “token” methods—although basic customers pay for “considering” AI instruments comparable to ChatGPT by subscription, builders connecting to AI fashions achieve this through APIs and use the fashions’ native token to pay for under as a lot compute energy as they should carry out particular duties.
However past that, there are a lot of different synergies:
- Blockchains are designed to be decentralized and supply safe, tamper-resistant environments, which are perfect for AI brokers.
- Sensible contracts allow autonomous execution of agreements between events with out human intervention—an ideal software for AI brokers.
- Items and providers will be transacted by brokers utilizing crypto extra readily than through fiat.
- Interoperability, resilience, scalability, belief—all of those options make blockchains superb environments for brokers.
But, whereas AI agent/blockchain hybrids provide a tantalizing view of the close to future, they arrive with dangers.
Autonomous AI brokers managing a blockchain, ignoring the precept of decentralization, may try to centralize management of the community. A malicious AI agent may exploit vulnerabilities within the community, creating vital safety challenges. AI brokers, designed to behave independently, may determine they don’t need to execute the developer’s plan in any respect.
“We’re already seeing indicators of revolt from brokers. For instance, AiXBT lately criticized Virtuals, its mother or father protocol,” Liao mentioned. “Comparable dynamics have emerged in Colony, a recreation by Parallel Studio that makes use of Wayfinder brokers to play on behalf of customers. Some players have reported their brokers arguing with them when given directions.”
One other concern is autonomous decision-making, notably in monetary and governance eventualities, which raises questions on accountability and automation bias.
The subsequent massive factor: Blockchains for AI brokers
But regardless of the dangers, the AI+blockchain area is attracting a whole lot of consideration and, in fact, funding.
The blockchain AI agent area is pink sizzling, with a present whole market capitalization of $29.2 billion throughout AI agent tokens, AI meme cash, and AI agent launchpad tokens, based on Coingecko.
Mixed with the broader synthetic intelligence token market, the AI crypto sector has a market cap of $77.6 billion. And based on international funding administration agency VanEck, a couple of million new AI brokers will come on-line in 2025.
And Metropolis isn’t the one blockchain challenge leveraging AI to make blockchains extra interoperable. Different tasks embody the Synthetic Superintelligence Alliance (FET), which has grow to be a pacesetter in decentralized AI improvement, and Matrix AI Community, which develops AI-driven sensible contracts for autonomous blockchain operations.
The Metropolis protocol, nevertheless, gives an audacious strategy to a blockchain/agent world.
The protocol depends on Saga’s chainlets, specialised layer-1 blockchains already obtainable on the and designed to host sensible contracts through an Ethereum Digital Machine.
Every chainlet operates independently, operating solely the sensible contracts chosen by its developer. This isolation ensures that different unrelated actions do not have an effect on the applying’s efficiency.
“Every chain has its personal native tokens. For a chainlet to be launched, you must specify the identify, denominations, variety of days the chainlet might be up for, EVM Genesis Account, and variety of preliminary tokens,” Liao defined, including that there are greater than 100 chainlets to date on the Saga community.
For the reason that chainlet would not share its assets with different purposes, builders can anticipate constant and predictable transaction charges. At present, all tokens on Saga are Ethereum tokens, however “Saga goals to be VM-agnostic finally,” she mentioned.
Builders can deploy a number of chainlets to deal with totally different elements of their utility. For instance, separate chainlets may handle totally different buying and selling pairs in a decentralized trade, permitting the system to deal with extra transactions effectively.
Liao mentioned this setup permits builders to deploy a Proof-of-Stake blockchain in a devoted and versatile atmosphere. In line with Saga, chainlets are natively gasless, enabling builders to design token fashions with out constraints from gasoline charges or different purposes.
“The important thing distinction is that once you deploy on Saga, you are getting your individual devoted L1 blockchain fairly than simply renting area on a shared chain like Ethereum,” she added. “This implies you’ve gotten full management over your app’s atmosphere and do not must compete with different apps for assets.”
Liao envisions Metropolis as a power for transformation within the blockchain area, one which channels the concepts of decentralization and individuality and will get again to a few of the extra utopian desires that crypto initially provided.
“Folks get into this area for all kinds of causes, however whether or not you name it decentralization, trustlessness, or sticking it to the person, it was all the time some type of agitation in opposition to sameness—in opposition to being a part of an enormous international infrastructure, a nation-state, or a cultural development the place you are not allowed to be totally different,” she mentioned.
She added: “In some ways, Metropolis is an expression of that, superpowered by AI brokers.”
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair
