AI Agents Could Be Crypto’s Next Breakthrough – If We Shift From Hype to Utility
I have navigated through multiple market cycles in the digital asset space—most were driven by narratives and authentic technological advancements. Only a few changed the game entirely.
In the last six months, it has become clear to me that the intersection of AI Agents and Web3 has the potential to encompass both elements, but only if the sector can move past early speculation and build for long-term value for end users.
We’ve seen this story before. In 2017, the ICO boom outpaced any meaningful product development. In 2021, NFTs exploded into the mainstream before many platforms had even built the underlying infrastructure for creators and collectors. In 2017, the ICO boom outpaced any meaningful product development. In both cases, the correction was as swift as the rise. And in both cases, the correction was as swift as the rise.
The recent explosion of AI Agent tokens followed a similar arc. Dozens of projects launched under the banner of “Crypto + AI”, attracting large inflows of capital and attention. Some achieved billion-dollar valuations within weeks. But as with past cycles, speculative capital alone does not create sustainable ecosystems. As investor enthusiasm cooled, so did user engagement—and most early token economies have struggled to retain relevance.
Yet amid that volatility, something changed.
In Q4 2024, Deepseek introduced a technical breakthrough that caught the attention of our team at HTX Ventures: a large-scale model trained entirely through reinforcement learning, with no reliance on human-labeled data. In practical terms, this dramatically reduces the cost of developing autonomous, intelligent agents. For the first time, it became feasible to deploy AI agents across Web3 with scalability and adaptability without the prohibitive infrastructure typically associated with AI development.
This shift matters. If crypto is to fulfill its promise as a decentralized, permissionless, and programmable financial layer, then agents capable of autonomous decision-making will become essential infrastructure. And yet, we are still some way from that vision.
What concerns me is that we are once again at risk of mistaking momentum for maturity. A handful of promising frameworks—like Eliza—are beginning to offer composable agent tooling across Ethereum, Solana, and TON. Launchpads such as Virtual and Clanker have helped accelerate token distribution. Application-level products like GRIFFAIN and NEUR are experimenting with AI-driven asset management and governance tools. But these remain early signals, not proven systems.
Too many AI Agent projects are still designed for speculation, not sustainability. And if that continues, we will face another cycle of capital flight, unmet expectations, and delayed progress.
That would be a missed opportunity.
Because the use cases are real. Defi strategies that are too complex for most users could be simplified through autonomous portfolio managers. Governance systems could be enhanced by agents that parse proposals, evaluate precedent, and vote based on user-defined values. And cross-chain automation could become seamless through agents acting on user intent.
In each of these cases, the need is not hypothetical—it is already here. What’s missing is consistent execution, user retention, and functional token economics.
So where do we go from here?
First, we must hold AI Agent projects to the same level of scrutiny we apply to DeFi and infrastructure protocols. That starts with moving beyond vague narratives to rigorous project frameworks—asking difficult but essential questions such as:
Protocols must demonstrate not only technical potential, but also real-world usage, sustainable revenue models, and measurable impact. This is the difference between a proof of concept and a protocol worth building on.
Second, on top of applications, the industry needs to provide a solid infrastructure that enables the success of AI Agents on-chain, this includes Agent frameworks, data layers, computational infrastructures and more. HTX Ventures will keep a close eye on these fundamental developments because some parts from this space will become as important as EVM compatibility became for L1s in 2020.
And finally, we need to foster a culture that prioritizes iteration and transparency. Not every project will get it right on the first attempt. But those that do will likely define the next frontier of Web3.
The convergence of AI and crypto is not a novelty. It is a necessary evolution. But if we are to seize this moment, the industry must focus less on capturing attention and more on delivering value.
This isn’t just a thesis for HTX Ventures. It’s a conviction grounded in past lessons and future potential.
We have the tools. We have the builders. What we need now is discipline.
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When I look around event though you can see quite some bearishness I would say that still very few consider a potential death spiral on $BTC a real scenario.
Tbh it's my main scenario (of course with more or less significant bounces in between).
Ofc I'm open to a different scenario if the data changes, but for this $BTC needs to get above 95k in a convincingly manner.
Until it doesn't for me every bounce is an opportunity to short and my HTF goal is a macro bottom, eventually 42k or as I shared earlier even 28k.
PS: No it won't happen today, tomorrow, next week and also not next month, talking about long term goal, likely 2026.
HBAR Foundation Teams Up to Push ERC-3643 RWA Adoption
HBAR Foundation has officially joined the ERC3643 Association, a strategic move that demonstrates their commitment to expanding the application of Real World Assets (RWA) tokenization.
More than just a formality, this collaboration paves the way for broader collaboration with various institutions in utilizing ERC-3643, a standard that has been widely used in issuing and managing blockchain-based assets in a regulatory-compliant manner. In other words, this is like laying a strong foundation before building a magnificent house called the future digital economy.
ERC-3643 itself is not a new player. This standard has been used in various cases, including the tokenization of green bonds by major banks such as Citi and ABN AMRO.
With its permission-based characteristics, ERC-3643 allows the issuance of digital assets that are more controllable and in accordance with the law. So if you imagine digital assets like building access cards, ERC-3643 ensures that only people with permission can enter.
Joining the HBAR Foundation is not just a matter of branding. Through this collaboration, they will encourage more institutions to look at and use ERC-3643, especially on the Hedera network.
On the other hand, the position of the HBAR Foundation, which is directly involved in the Hedera Governing Council, gives them the space to align this standard with enterprise needs without having to sacrifice the technological efficiency that is already Hedera’s hallmark.
If usually the adoption of new technology takes a long time because large companies tend to be careful, the presence of a proven standard such as ERC-3643 can be a bridge. Moreover, with the HBAR Foundation helping to encourage the use of this standardization, the onboarding process can be faster and with minimal drama.
“We’re excited for The HBAR Foundation to join the ERC3643 Association, enabling us in our mission to accelerate institutional adoption of the Hedera network and onchain finance as a whole,” said Sabrina Tachdjian, Head of Fintech & Payments at The HBAR Foundation.
In February, Hedera also had two other big news. First, their collaboration with Dell Technologies. Dell will use Hedera to record real-time data from its edge infrastructure. This step is to ensure that the recorded data can be trusted and can be audited at any time.
Interestingly, this project also involves testing AI services integrated with the Hedera Consensus Service. So besides the blockchain, there is a touch of AI that makes this project even more relevant.
Furthermore, Hitachi, a giant Japanese company, has also officially joined the Hedera Governing Council as the 32nd member. With Hitachi’s entry, Hedera strengthens its foothold in the Asian market.
And more importantly, a name as big as Hitachi adds value in terms of credibility. When a company of this class chooses to enter a network, it is a kind of signal to the market that Hedera is not a playful project.
On the other hand, CNF had reported a bullish prediction from a crypto analyst for the HBAR token. Based on technical analysis and the breakout of important resistance levels, the analyst sees a potential rally of more than 140% for this token.
Meanwhile, as of press time, HBAR is swapped hands at about $0.1601, down 7.49% over the last 24 hours and 16.28% over the last 7 days.
South Korea’s Crypto Users Just Beat Stock Market Investors
Who would have thought, the crypto market in South Korea has now surpassed the stock market in terms of the number of users. Based on the latest data as of the end of February 2025, the five major virtual asset exchanges in the country recorded a total of 16.29 million user accounts, according to SBS .
This figure represents around 32% of the total population of South Korea and exceeds the number of stock investors, which is currently at 14.1 million.
Indeed, that number includes duplicate accounts from users who have more than one account on various exchanges. But still, this surge makes the stock market look a bit quiet, at least from the perspective of the digital generation.
Usually, the crypto world is considered a playground for young people. However, a report from the CNF presents a different view. More than 9.6 million South Koreans are now investing in crypto, an increase of more than 50% compared to the previous year. And interestingly, one in four of these investors is over 50 years old.
In fact, many of them hold large crypto asset portfolios. Just imagine, the grandfather who is usually busy playing chess in the park, may now be monitoring the Bitcoin chart on his tablet.
Furthermore, a report from Despread Research shows that around 70% of crypto investors in South Korea made a profit throughout 2024.
The assets that dominate their portfolios are Bitcoin (BTC), XRP, and Ethereum (ETH). Optimism continues to soar because 75% of them believe that the price of Bitcoin will break through $100,000 in the near future.
No less interesting, it’s not just the general public who are interested in crypto. The South Korean Government’s Public Ethics Committee revealed that 411 of the 2,047 public officials are recorded as having crypto assets.
The value is not small, around 14.4 billion won or equivalent to $9.8 million. The average ownership per official reaches 35.07 million won, around $23,927.
However, the government has not remained passive in response to this surge in interest. South Korea has begun to tighten supervision of unregistered foreign exchanges.
A total of 17 foreign crypto exchange applications, such as Poloniex, KuCoin, and MEXC, have been blocked from the Google Play Store at the request of the FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit). The main reason? To protect local investors and prevent illegal activities such as money laundering.
On the other hand, the government’s next plan is to start regulating cross-border crypto trading activities. This regulation will be implemented starting in the second half of 2025.
Later, all business entities that conduct cross-border transactions with virtual assets are required to register and report to the Bank of Korea every month. Maybe it’s time for this “digital money” to be treated like real money, especially with a turnover of no less large value.