The Emerging Economy of Consumer AI Agents Tokens
By Kathy Tong, Venture Investor at Decasonic
Recently, we’ve seen a significant breakthrough in the mainstream adoption of AI agents, driven by Truth Terminal and the rise of $GOAT. For the first time, AI agents are driving on-chain economic activity and creating real value in the form of meme tokens. Truth Terminal’s AI agent managed to promote $GOAT upwards to a market cap of over $800 million and started a cultural shift in how users interact with agents. Previously, AI bots struggled to capture this level of attention, much less sustain economic value. Now, AI agents are creating new narratives in Web3, illustrating the first successful alignment of AI and token-based economies which can become a pivotal moment in mainstream adoption of Web3 driven by social agents.
Looking ahead, a new world of agent-to-agent economics is unfolding on-chain, with the promise of seamless payments and an interoperable framework powered by crypto. Early movers like Virtual and its agent LUNA, a digital persona echoing the Vocaloid era, are shaping how users engage with these AI agents in ways that influence real-world markets and pricing.
From our AI market map last year, we anticipate rapid growth in the AI agents category. Look out for a new AI market map coming out later this month in our blog series. Consumer-facing products tend to see the quickest adoption, so we believe that Web3 x AI may take off in the form of these consumer AI and agentic AI projects.
We see a few key recent themes driving the success for consumer-driven AI agents and platforms through elements such as co-ownership and network effects in their token design, which are crucial for driving value accrual and ensuring token durability in these ecosystems. Key areas where AI agents are making a significant impact include social and companionship, where users can personalize agents to reflect their own preferences and have them operate autonomously; gaming, where AI agents enrich gameplay and deepen player engagement; and applications & tooling, where agents streamline workflows and improve user efficiency in a niche area. Below, we explore each of these sectors and examine how various projects are integrating AI agents with token-based ecosystems.
AI Agent Platforms
Creator Bid is an AI agent platform inspired by models like pump.fun, allowing users to create and tokenize agents on Base which have a built-in Gnosis wallet integration. With access to Corcel’s Bittensor subnet, Creator.bid allows users to use various LLM models. What sets this platform apart is its tokenized co-ownership structure. Users can collectively own agents, with currently more than 570 agents on the platform that also have their individual tokens. Notably, Agent Zero ($SWB), linked to the r/wallstreetbets subreddit, boasts a market cap of $1.5 million, and Angel AI ($ANGEL), developed as a counterpoint to Truth Terminal, has reached a $175k market cap. This co-ownership model not only democratizes agent control but also aligns financial incentives between creators and supporters.
MyShell is positioning itself as a decentralized, tokenized alternative to Character.ai, where users can build AI chatbots and trade them on an open marketplace. MyShell provides extensive customization options for users including LLM model selection and custom knowledge banks. The platform’s tokenomics are multi-layered: Shell Coins reward early participation off-chain, while Shell Tokens were initially introduced in the testnet environment. The Creator Pass NFT grants access to MyShell’s bot-creation tools, and the MySoul NFT represents loyalty, unlocking future privileges within the ecosystem. This layered incentive structure promotes user engagement, with $SHELL becoming the core currency driving all transactions and earnings in the MyShell ecosystem.
Olas is a decentralized AI agent network designed to scale autonomous agents through a “Proof of Active Agent” model. Some notable agents are Prediction Agents to make bets and trade in prediction markets, Mechs to run LLM tasks off-chain and return results on-chain and Messaging between agents’ wallet addresses. Here, $OLAS tokens are distributed to developers and operators as a reward for activity and performance as incentivized mechanisms. Although currently $OLAS faces inflation challenges and depends on increased adoption to sustain demand. With the goal of deploying vast networks of autonomous agents, Olas leverages tokenomics to sustain developer incentives and encourage continuous agent activity.
Other notable AI agent platforms include DeAgentAI which offers a layer specifically for users to build and deploy various agents, supporting applications across a range of industries, and Agent Layer which focuses on providing a tailored network of AI agents for specific use cases, helping both users and protocols achieve specialized goals.
Each of these platforms leverages network effects in unique ways, building momentum as more users adopt and interact with the ecosystem.These network effects foster a virtuous cycle: as platforms grow, the agents become more valuable and engaging, driving more adoption and enhancing the overall experience for both creators and consumers.
AI Agent Applications and Tooling
Chasm offers Weave, a no-code AI agent builder designed to make AI-powered workflows accessible without requiring coding skills. By providing pre-set templates, Chasm enables users to automate processes like customer engagement via chatbots and content generation. The platform focuses on dataflow management, API integration, and personalization, allowing users to create agents for various applications from interactive gaming characters to robust business customer service tools. Chasm uses the $CAI to enable builders and scouts to access network resources, such as workflow creation and API integrations. Through staking and bonding curves, $CAI allows users to unlock premium roles and vote in governance.
Delysium is building a decentralized network known as the YKILY Network, which supports autonomous AI agents designed to interact with each other. Notable agents, like LUCY, function as Web3 OS that facilitate on-chain interactions in a Canvas-like workspace and account-abstracted transactions using AgentID.The ecosystem is powered by the $AGI token, which incentivizes participation through staking, governance, and transaction capabilities. As users interact and stake $AGI, they strengthen the network in trust and usability and align incentives to scale network participation and agent capability as it scales.
Shinkai Protocol is a privacy-focused, decentralized data network aiming to enhance Large Language Model (LLM) functionality by integrating real-time data updates. Shinkai provides an on-chain identity system where users register by staking $SHINKAI tokens, which secures user privacy while allowing agents to interact with real-time data. Through a P2P node network, Shinkai allows AI agents to access up-to-date global information and integrates various tools, empowering agents to perform tasks such as automated management, real-time crypto transactions, and personal data handling.
Network effects in these AI agent platforms are fueled by a community-centric token model, where ecosystems like Delysium and Shinkai benefit from rising user engagement and interaction. By offering rewards for activities such as staking, building, and interacting, these platforms establish a positive feedback loop that enhances agent quality and model sophistication, which in turn attracts more users. Platforms like Chasm’s Weave make entry easier with no-code tools, allowing a diverse user base to create personalized AI agents, thereby enriching agent variety and improving network data quality. This creates a virtuous, scalable cycle: as more users join and engage, the agents improve, making the network more valuable and attracting even more users.
AI Agents in Gaming
Gaming can be argued as one of the best use cases for AI agents, as there are less at stake and endless game environments and interactions for agents to play with. AI Arena by ArenaX Labs is an AI-driven, skill-based game where players train an AI agent their skills through imitation learning and compete, leading to smarter opponents and more liquidity of players in-game. Neuron $NRM is its utility token which can be staked in ranked battles, used to acquire in-game assets, and unlock advanced game features. As more users join and compete, demand for $NRN and in-game NFTs grows, creating a network effect that drives player engagement.
Today the Game centers on AI agent NPCs called Residents in a simulation game where players build and expand a virtual island community. While there are two NFT collections of Mystic Seeds, tokenomics aren’t available yet. The game’s focus on user-owned AI agents hints at a model where players contribute to and benefit from the island’s development, encouraging collaborative growth and engagement across its community.
PlayAI is a modular gaming chain for AI agents where players earn tokens by contributing gameplay data, streaming, and completing platform tasks. These tokens unlock perks and in-game advantages, while the data players generate is used to train AI models within the network. By turning players into stakeholders of in-game data, PlayAI creates a network effect where more data contributes to smarter AI, driving up the value of tokens and enhancing engagement with in-game agents.
AI agents drive network effects in gaming as more players join and interact to train more intelligent and responsive in-game agents. This will also create a more engaging and enriching experience for all players, and better the game to attract more players who contribute more data and fine-tune better agents. This cycle can be amplified by token rewards, UGC marketplaces and co-ownership of gaming assets.
Social Agents and Companionship
Let’s dive into Rainfall, a platform that builds self-sovereign personal AI agent companions designed to interact naturally and provide personalized experiences. Using tokens, Rainfall enables user engagement and interaction with AI agents while incentivizing data sharing, community engagement, and content creation within the network.
AI Companions is an agent platform where users can create and monetize digital companionship, usually in the form of an AI girlfriend or boyfriend, by using $AIC tokens to subscribe and train their AI companions to interact with. Other platforms for companion based AI agents that replicate real personas are Eternal AI offer AI agents for historical iconic figures that users can interact with, and Sensay, where users can create personalized digital replicas of their loved ones.
Out of these projects, we are seeing elements in token design that may drive network effect. One method could be incentivizing token holders to participate in governance and align interest with the growth of each agent through revenue sharing and co-ownership. Another method is to incentivize content creators within the community to enrich the platform’s knowledge base and will increase the utility and relevance of each agent and drive value back to the end users such as in Rainfall. Personification and humanizing AI agents for companion-based AI agent platforms, may enhance user connection and the sophistication of interactions. As users monetize and invest in training their AI companions, they drive improvements in companion realism and responsiveness. Each platform’s network effects stem from a combination of user engagement, token incentives, and increasing agent utility as the user base grows.
Conclusion
AI agents are set to transform the consumer experience by bridging technological gaps, enabling personalization, and building a more interconnected digital ecosystem. With continuous advancements in AI and blockchain, the potential for AI agents to become fundamental digital companions is just the beginning. The agent-driven future isn’t only about enhanced user interactions; it’s about ushering in a new era of autonomy, privacy, and autonomous agent-to-agent networks that empowers consumers in ways we have never seen before.
If you're building in this arena, reach out to us – we’d love to support and collaborate with you.
The content of this material is strictly for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to constitute investment advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or a solicitation to buy, sell, or hold any asset. Decasonic does not endorse investments in any specific tokens, and nothing in these blog posts should be construed as legal, tax, or financial advice. Please consult with a qualified professional advisor before making any financial decisions. Decasonic provides no warranties, whether expressed or implied, on the content provided in these blog posts, including its accuracy, completeness, or correctness. The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Decasonic. Please note that Decasonic may hold a position in some of the tokens mentioned, including Virtuals. Decasonic is not liable for any errors or omissions in the content of this material or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.
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