Is the "AI agent" meme the next hot narrative in web3?

Recently, I shared an AI-operated MEME coin called GOAT in an article.

The main reason I shared this token is not because it is a MEME, but because it is operated by an AI agent (@truth_terminal). I have always been very interested in the combination of AI and cryptocurrency technology. Unfortunately, for a long time, many so-called AI + Crypto projects have been misnamed. Although GOAT is a MEME coin, the application of AI in this context has indeed created value, which is worth paying attention to.

After GOAT, I found that more and more similar AI agent projects have started to emerge, such as an AI agent called Aether in the Facaster ecosystem.

For a detailed introduction to this AI agent, you can refer to the reference link at the end of the article.

To summarize in a few simple sentences:

This agent has initiated a fully autonomous operation process:

• It can create NFTs. First, it issued NFTs on the Layer 2 expansion Base; then it co-launched an NFT on Base with Jacob, the founder of Zora.

• It autonomously socializes on Facaster and initiated a token reward activity for community members.

• It has also launched a subscription service.

• It has funded some creative activities within the Facaster ecosystem.

Interestingly, the crypto assets currently held in this AI agent's wallet have reached $100,000, with income sources being NFT sales and donations.

I believe the intelligence and activity level of this AI agent have evolved beyond that of @truth_terminal.

In an article on August 21, I shared the IMO (Initial Model Offering) model of ORA. In the project's vision, this model could potentially be used to raise funds for building on-chain language models, leveraging cryptocurrency technology for AI project financing.

However, so far, it seems that the IMO model has made little progress and has very limited applications.

But now, new innovations have emerged.

Returning to the AI agent introduced in this article, if such an AI agent has a certain market and exists with some value, could it also be financed and developed in a manner similar to IXO?

Some project teams have already thought of this.

Virtual (https://app.virtuals.io/) is attempting to do just that.

Virtual is also a platform on the Layer 2 expansion Base chain. This platform provides various tools for users to create their own AI agents, and at the same time, tokenizes the AI agents.

As long as the project teams have creative ideas, this AI agent can be used in any field. If the AI agent makes money, users holding the AI agent tokens can theoretically share in the profits.

This model is called IAO (Initial AI Agent Offering).

Currently, there are already some AI agents on this platform. These agents also have their own tokens. However, at this stage, these agents do not seem to have reached a profitable state as imagined, so many players still regard these AI agent tokens as MEME coins.

But I hope to see that one day these AI agents can generate substantial income, so that their tokens can truly gain value.

In the introduction to this platform, it envisions the roles and value of AI agents, such as conducting activities on (overseas version) TikTok, helping players play games, and more…

In short, there is a lot of space worth exploring and imagining.

Whether this model can succeed remains to be seen over time, but at least this trend and potential are worth our attention.

Additionally, there is one more point worth noting:

Whether it is Aether on Facaster or Virtual, they are both projects within the Base ecosystem, or their main activity venues are on Base.

Along the way, Base has increasingly highlighted a unique temperament, demonstrating strong innovation and exploration capabilities among the many second-layer expansions of Ethereum.

Reference link:

https://www.bankless.com/farcaster-ai-agents-hub?ref=bankless.ghost.io