Are Blockchains and AI Agents a Match Made in Heaven?
A new protocol called Metropolis hopes to perfect that hybrid by using AI agents to cheaply and easily create small, purpose-built, interconnected blockchains called ‘chainlets’, which in turn provide ideal environments for AI agents to communicate and create an abundance of new ones. services.
The project, which will launch in the spring, was put together by layer-one blockchain developer Saga in collaboration with AI-powered DAO ai16z, AI agent developers Virtuals and AI-focused omni-chain developer Wayfinder.
“Metropolis is specifically designed for AI agents,” said Rebecca Liao, CEO of Saga Declutteradding that it is “a specialized protocol that allows AI agents from multiple agent protocols such as ai16z, Wayfinder and Virtuals to talk to each other on the same chain and create and operate their own blockchain networks within Saga’s infrastructure.”
For example, Ai16z’s ElizaOS will power advanced AI functionalities for cross-chain interactions. Virtuals’ “Butler Agent” will provide hosted wallets and pre-coded functions for deploying applications such as memecoins or prediction markets. And Wayfinder’s multi-chain AI agent framework will provide tools for deploying smart contracts and navigating ecosystems.
Liao said: “Right now, there is no way for Wayfinder agents to talk to Virtuals agents to talk to ai16z agents. Metropolis is developing groundbreaking innovations in composable consciousness to make this possible on-chain.”
“This is a unique and new functionality for AI agents,” she said. “No other project models their agents or lets them perform these tasks. This is also the first cross-agent platform in crypto.”
Blockchains and AI go together like peanut butter and jelly
It is becoming increasingly clear that the two biggest technological trends of the past five years – crypto and AI – have some kind of synergy.
Let’s start with the fact that all AI models are built on ‘token’ systems. While general consumers pay for “thinking” AI tools like ChatGPT through a subscription, developers who connect to AI models do so through APIs and use the models’ native token to pay for only as much computing power as they need to perform specific tasks. to perform tasks.
But there are many more synergies:
- Blockchains are designed to be decentralized and provide secure, tamper-proof environments, which are ideal for AI agents.
- Smart contracts enable autonomous execution of agreements between parties without human intervention – a perfect tool for AI agents.
- Goods and services can be traded more easily through agents using crypto than through fiat.
- Interoperability, resilience, scalability and trust: all these characteristics make blockchains ideal environments for agents.
But while AI agent/blockchain hybrids offer a tantalizing vision of the near future, they come with risks.
Autonomous AI agents that manage a blockchain and ignore the principle of decentralization could attempt to centralize control of the network. A malicious AI agent can exploit vulnerabilities in the network, creating significant security challenges. AI agents, designed to act independently, may also decide that they don’t want to carry out the developer’s plan at all.
“We are already seeing signs of rebellion from officers. For example, AiXBT recently criticized Virtuals, the parent protocol,” Liao said. “A similar dynamic has emerged in Colony, a game from Parallel Studio that uses Wayfinder agents to play on behalf of users. Some gamers have reported that their agents argued with them when they were given instructions.
Another concern is autonomous decision-making, especially in financial and managerial scenarios, which raises questions about responsibility and automation biases.
The next big thing: Blockchains for AI agents
But despite the risks, the AI+blockchain space is attracting a lot of attention and, of course, investment.
The blockchain AI agent space is red hot, with a current total market cap of $29.2 billion in AI agent tokens, AI meme coins and AI agent launchpad tokens, according to Coingecko.
Combined with the broader artificial intelligence token market, the AI crypto sector has a market capitalization of $77.6 billion. And according to global asset manager VanEck, more than a million new AI agents will come online by 2025.
And Metropolis isn’t the only blockchain project using AI to make blockchains more interoperable. Other projects include the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET), which has become a leader in decentralized AI development, and Matrix AI Network, which develops AI-driven smart contracts for autonomous blockchain operations.
However, the Metropolis protocol offers a bold approach to a blockchain/agent world.
The protocol is based on Saga’s chainlets, specialized layer 1 blockchains already available on the platform and designed to host smart contracts via an Ethereum Virtual Machine.
Each chainlet operates independently and only executes the smart contracts chosen by the developer. This isolation ensures that other unrelated activities do not impact application performance.
“Each chain has its own native tokens. To launch a chainlet, you must specify the name, the denominations, the number of days the chainlet will be active, the EVM Genesis account and the number of initial tokens,” Liao explains, adding that so far are more than 100 chainlets. on the Saga Network.
Because the chainlet does not share its resources with other applications, developers can expect consistent and predictable transaction fees. Currently, all tokens on Saga are Ethereum tokens, but “Saga aims to eventually be VM agnostic,” she said.
Developers can deploy multiple chainlets to handle different parts of their application. For example, separate chainlets can manage different trading pairs in a decentralized exchange, allowing the system to handle more transactions efficiently.
Liao said this setup allows developers to deploy a Proof-of-Stake blockchain in a dedicated and flexible environment. According to Saga, chainlets are naturally gasless, allowing developers to design token models without the limitations of gas fees or other applications.
“The key difference is that when you deploy Saga, you get your own dedicated L1 blockchain instead of just renting space on a shared chain like Ethereum,” she added. “This means you have complete control over your app’s environment and don’t have to compete with other apps for resources.”
Liao sees Metropolis as a force for transformation in the blockchain space, one that channels the ideas of decentralization and individuality and returns to some of the more utopian dreams that crypto originally offered.
“People come into this space for all kinds of reasons, but whether you call it decentralization, trustlessness or male-centricity, it has always been a form of agitation against equality – against being part of a big global infrastructure, a nation . state, or a cultural trend in which you cannot be different,” she said.
She added: “In many ways, Metropolis is an expression of that, powered by AI agents.”
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair