How to Win in the AI Agent New "Blockchain War"?

By: blockbeats|2025/01/01 18:45:04

Original Article Title: Agent Ecosystem = The New L1

Original Article Author: 0xJeff, AI Investor

Original Article Translation: Ismay, BlockBeats

Do you still remember the L2 frenzy of 2022-2023?

Back then, the best strategy was to hoard leading DEXes, top-tier lending markets, Solidly forked projects, LST, yield optimizers, and so on. Everyone was chasing token launches, participating in airdrop farming, or depositing TVL into L2 platforms like Blast to earn rewards.

Despite the chaos during that time, it did work (at least for a few months).

Now, the same enthusiasm is resurfacing, but this time, the rules have completely changed.

The Agent ecosystem is reshaping our market perception, with a structure entirely different from before.

No VC Dominance

In the L2 era, token distribution always followed a fixed formula:

The team held 15-30%, VCs and KOLs held 10-30%, and the rest was used for incentives and rewards.

But in the Agent ecosystem, the situation is entirely different. The tokens are 100% community-owned, with the team possibly reserving 5% for incentives, and the rest freely circulating in the market.

What does this mean?

Everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in buying, no longer needing to worry about VC unlocks or insider selling risks. If you want exposure, you need to bear the same market risk as everyone else.

What about KOLs' off-exchange trading rounds?

Some projects do offer discounted OTC trades, but usually:

• The scale is strictly limited;

• Prioritized for partners highly aligned with the ecosystem, such as DAOs or influencers actively supporting ecosystem development.

This is no longer the "VC lifts, retail catches" model but rather a more equitable, streamlined system that truly empowers the community.

No "Copy-Paste" Trend

At least not like in the DeFi space, where various projects have been repeatedly forked from Uniswap to Liquity, with almost no real innovation.

Here, everything revolves around groundbreaking innovation. Developers are not simply copying existing projects but are introducing entirely new Agents and use cases at a pace that is hard to keep up with.

Why is this happening?

The iteration speed of AI applications is faster:

• No need to spend months on audits;

• Most Agents go live within weeks, not months;

• The whole space is vibrant, experimental, and creative.

Almost every week, there is something new and exciting happening as the narrative of Web3 AI Agents continues to evolve with the advancement of AI technology.

A Brand New User Acquisition Paradigm

In traditional DeFi, users need to:

• Find the project's website;

• Spend time understanding the product;

• Perhaps interact with the product.

However, the Agent has completely disrupted this approach by directly presenting the product to users.

Take @aixbt_agent, for example, which provides real-time valuable information directly on CT (Crypto Twitter). Users immediately perceive the value, become interested, and further explore. Eventually, they purchase the token to fully unlock the product's features.

This "interact first, transact later" funnel model is proving to be more effective. With the proliferation of on-chain trading Agents and DeFi Agents, this model is expected to dominate by 2025.

A Highly Orchestrated Ecosystem

No longer thousands of scattered L2s and dApps, but a tightly knit ecosystem like the following:

• @virtuals_io (Base)

• @ai16zdao (Solana)

• @daosdotworld (Base)

• @daosdotfun (Solana)

What's different?

Developers are no longer attracted by subsidies or incentive mechanisms; they naturally flow in because here there is:

• Tokenomics designed for a fair launch;

• Passionate community;

• Opportunity to experiment and innovate in an exciting field.

This is the result of a fair launch combined with ongoing innovation. Developers, investors, and the community collectively drive the growth and development of the ecosystem.

How to Position Yourself in This Agent Cycle

It feels like the early days of L1 but at a much faster pace. Looking back at 2020-2021, many L1s reached peak valuations of over a hundred billion dollars. The same potential exists here as well.

If you want to position yourself, you can focus on the following Agent-related L1s:

• $VIRTUAL
• $AI16Z

• $ZEREBRO
• $GRIFFAIN

• $BULLY
• $ARC

But don't just chase the currently popular projects. Look for:

• Undervalued opportunities outside the current narrative scope;

• Teams that are progressing rapidly, great storytellers, and able to build market awareness.

If you want to learn more, you can refer to this guide: