For this round of AI Agent projects to survive, these 4 elements are essential.

Author: Graeme

Compiled by: Deep Tide TechFlow

Most crypto AI agency projects are stagnating because developers overlook fundamental elements. A small mistake can cause you to lose growth momentum, while those projects that operate comprehensively can achieve long-term development.

The key to success lies in designing a cohesive system that allows your crypto AI products, tokens, X agents, and founder narratives to work together to form a self-sustaining machine.

Currently, there are very few projects that can effectively execute the entire system. Crypto AI agents are still in their infancy and typically require independent developers, small teams, and Web2 AI developers to possess expertise across multiple domains.

This article aims to provide a guide for developers new to the field of crypto AI agents, covering viable strategies for four key pillars:

Crypto AI Products

Token products

Social-oriented agent

Founder-led narrative construction

1. Core: Crypto AI Products

The core crypto AI product is the cornerstone of services provided by AI agents. Its value proposition must be clear, attention-grabbing, and have unique advantages in the crypto space. While the practicality of the product is crucial, crypto AI agents particularly benefit from autonomous financial transactions conducted on permissionless blockchain rails.

Examples of value generation on autonomous chains include:

Prediction Trading Bot: The bot autonomously executes profitable trades.

DeFAI Agent: Self-identifying profit opportunities, reallocating funds, and maximizing returns.

Entertainment IP代理: A chatbot proficient in online culture continuously creates content, sells products, and licenses intellectual property.

Gaming and gambling agents: Robots generate income by participating in competitive activities.

However, practicality alone is not enough. True power comes from combining autonomous decision-making with permissionless on-chain execution, allowing agents to continuously evolve without human intervention.

Regardless of which stage your proxy is in the product lifecycle, it still requires fuel to coordinate users, investors, and the broader community. This fuel is the token, which acts as a catalyst to transform raw utility into sustainable, compound network effects.

2. Catalyst: Token Products

Tokens form the economic backbone and incentive structure of your ecosystem. While teams often focus on product development, strategically designed token economics is crucial for sustainable growth.

The valid uses of tokens include:

Community Building: The best community building strategies are inspired by meme coin communities, which have unified channels and organized social media interactions.

Base Token Flywheel: Typically starts with a token threshold for the product to establish initial demand, building a fund through revenue generated from transaction fees. Subsequently, it shifts to income-based token buybacks or burns to maintain value.

Gamification and Rewards: Strategic incentives align community actions with ecosystem goals, creating loops such as "staking to play" and "play to earn." Although implementation is more complex, rewards should be consistent with project objectives, as this ultimately relates to user acquisition costs.

Poorly designed token economics can severely limit growth, but if the core product provides real value, the utility of the token can be integrated later. Read my guide on gamifying crypto products to learn more.

As the team formulates their token strategy, the next step is naturally to leverage social media to enhance the visibility and utility of the product.

3. Speaker: Social-oriented AI Agent

In the third quarter of 2024, the rise of GOAT (@truth_terminal) sparked interest in tokenized chatbot agents. Although many imitators emerged subsequently, most were not effective. However, this demonstrates how social AI agents can create real value through direct social media interactions.

Social-oriented AI agents can be divided into four levels:

Level 0 (Slopbot): Basic repetitive output, filled with junk information, damaging brand reputation.

Level 1 (Chatbot): Engaging in meaningful interactions using proprietary datasets, @aixbt_agent is an example.

Level 2 (Taskbot): Directly execute on-chain operations through the social interface, showcasing the practicality of actual products, such as @bankr and Clanker.

Level 3 (Autonomous AI Agents): Currently emerging, complex agents are capable of predictive actions and inter-agent collaboration, pioneered by frameworks such as @virtuals_io ACP and @arcdotfun's Rhyzome.

Transitioning to task-oriented agents to provide practical utility emphasizes the necessity of true value creation. However, even the most compelling social agents rely on strong founder narratives to drive lasting engagement.

4. Drivers: Narrative construction led by founders

Founders in the early stages must actively and continuously promote their vision. Effective founders leading marketing need to clearly articulate their vision, build transparently, and provide frequent updates, while continuously engaging with the community through diverse content formats.

In the cryptocurrency field, trust and reputation are crucial. Founders who actively promote projects have a significant advantage. Notable examples include @danielesesta from HeyAnon, @condzxyz from Acolyt, and @shawmakesmagic and ElizaOS.

To gain deeper insights into marketing strategies that can be converted for users and buyers, please read "Top AI Agents: Mastering Marketing, Community, and Narrative."

Flywheel Effect: Integration Success

Success comes from effectively integrating these four pillars:

AI products provide basic functionality and user needs.

Token products incentivize ongoing community participation.

Social-oriented agents expand influence by turning casual interactions into active users.

Founder-led narratives build trust and maintain momentum.

These components together create a self-sustaining system that accumulates value over time.

Final Thoughts

Crypto AI agents are not just products; they are autonomous, self-composing economies. The successful builders will be those who aim for this: balancing practicality, incentives, distribution, and narrative to create systems that not only survive but also accelerate their development over time.

The next-generation agents will autonomously conduct transactions, governance, and value coordination. Builders who integrate products, tokens, agents, and narratives into a coherent flywheel will dominate this future.