The Ethereum Foundation has officially established a dedicated research team focused on artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to marry the decentralized nature of blockchain with cutting-edge AI advancements. The initiative was unveiled by Davide Crapis, a research scientist at the Foundation, who highlighted the potential synergies between blockchain technology and AI.
In a statement made on Monday, Crapis emphasized that the new AI team will concentrate on developing a vibrant AI economy within Ethereum and creating a decentralized AI framework that empowers developers. “Ethereum makes AI more trustworthy, and AI enhances the utility of Ethereum,” he shared on social media platform X. He further explained, “As intelligent agents engage in transactions, there is a growing need for a neutral platform that facilitates value and reputation. Ethereum can serve that purpose, while AI allows it to break free from reliance on a handful of centralized systems.”
To bring this vision to life, the Ethereum Foundation is actively recruiting for its new decentralized AI (dAI) team, specifically looking for an AI researcher and a project manager to help coordinate efforts. The team’s initial focus will be on advancing the work started with ERC-8004, a proposal co-authored by Crapis, Marco De Rossi, and Jordan Ellis, which seeks to create a trust layer for interaction among AI agents.
The Foundation’s support aims to foster a collaborative environment where both AI and human participants can thrive within the Ethereum ecosystem. According to Crapis, AI agents are at the forefront of integrating blockchain and artificial intelligence. These autonomous programs execute decisions and transactions with minimal human oversight, effectively operating on behalf of their creators. Blockchain platforms, especially those offering programmable functionality like smart contracts, provide an ideal environment for deploying these intelligent programs.
Recent data from blockchain analytics firm CryptoQuant shows that Ethereum’s daily smart contract interactions reached an impressive 12 million transactions last Thursday, underlining its role as a key player in programmable settlement processes. “Network activity is on the rise,” CryptoQuant noted, adding that Ethereum’s overall transaction volume and the number of active addresses have hit unprecedented levels, driven by heightened adoption in decentralized finance (DeFi), stablecoin exchanges, and various token activities.
As the integration of AI and blockchain technologies progresses, industry experts predict that these fields will drastically reshape the digital economy. A prominent tech researcher pointed out that blockchain’s inherent qualities—such as decentralization, immutability, and identity verification—can address some of the limitations currently faced by artificial intelligence. Various organizations in the Web3 space are already exploring the fusion of these two technologies. For instance, Matchain announced plans to launch a decentralized AI blockchain in 2024, while KiteAI is poised to introduce an AI-driven blockchain within the Avalanche ecosystem in February 2025.
“The intersection of AI agents and blockchain is set to redefine aspects of the digital economy,” said Arunkumar Krishnakumar, who leads institutional growth and real-world assets initiatives at Kamino Finance. The Ethereum Foundation’s recent developments mark a significant step in realizing this ambitious vision, paving the way for a future where blockchain technology and AI can cohesively coexist and enhance mutual functionality.
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