The Rise of Truly Autonomous Agents: Redefining AI in the Web3 Era

The fusion of AI with Web3 sets the stage for a new era of innovation and utility.

The Rise of Truly Autonomous Agents: Redefining AI in the Web3 Era

Introduction

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last couple of months, you will have heard a lot about Agents and how they can revolutionise every aspect of our digital life. But what actually is an agent? Almost everybody has had dealings with the most basic form of AI Agent, the chatbot. Whether you are calling your bank, insurance company or Doctor’s surgery, they all want you to get through an AI Agent that looks for key words that you put in a chat program, then picks the most likely response from a limited database before they’ll let you talk to a human. 

Agents have already come a long way from those humble beginnings, with limited databases being replaced by the “entirety of work published online up to 2023”, and instead of looking for key words Agents can now understand natural conversational language. Don’t be fooled by the current hype over these so-called agents though. To be intelligent, agents must be able to examine their environments, execute tasks, and adapt to complex challenges. The current crop of Agents fall short of this benchmark. Without access to universal data, and limited by being on a single-chain, these so-called agents are often little more than glorified chatbots. 

The Agent Quadrilemma remains unsolved: access to all data from any source, ownership opportunities across all blockchains, provable ownership of the agent, and the ability to train agents transparently — all within the current smart contracts’ constraints. Web3 has long been plagued by the problem of being siloed - split across a myriad of networks and rollups, written in a host of incompatible coding languages with fractured liquidity, communities and data. Most users of crypto have abandoned dust on ghost-chains where adoption never followed the vision, or have stories of the opportunity cost when capital was on one chain while the mint was on another.

When AI Agents get together do they talk about the trades they weren’t able to execute because of the lack of real-time crosschain data?

Universal Agents are set to change this narrative. These intelligent agents will trade for you, compose soundtracks that generate royalties, create DeFi portfolios, and identify the next memecoin by analysing data across all chains — not just one. They will collaborate in multi-agent systems, fight other agents in dynamic competitions, and engage communities in meaningful ways. Beyond entertainment and finance, the potential applications span fields like medicine, science, gaming, and AI research. Imagine a world where medical students, scientists, and game developers can bring their discoveries to life with the help of intelligent agents. This is the transformative vision that Entangle is building towards.

These Universal Agents, powered by Entangle’s cutting-edge technologies, transcend the limitations of traditional AI bots. They’re intelligent, scalable, and capable of operating across chains — empowered by provable ownership, real-time Web3 data integration and interoperability. The fusion of AI principles with Web3 infrastructure sets the stage for a new era of innovation and utility.

The Evolution of AI Agents

From “Dumb” to “Smart” Agents

Legacy agent systems rely on chatbots and scripts to automate simple tasks. While they do work to an extent, these “dumb” agents are limited by an inability to adapt to anything outside of their programming. In contrast, the next generation of AI agents are “smart” — built to leverage real-time data, make autonomous decisions, and execute across multiple chains.

Key differences are:

  • Provable Ownership: Agents can own assets, wallets, and tokens, ensuring accountability.
  • Interoperability: They operate seamlessly across chains with Entangle’s Universal Interoperability Protocol (UIP).
  • Real-Time Data Integration: Powered by Universal Data Feeds (UDF), agents can act on low-latency, omnichain as well as off-chain data to make informed decisions.
  • Decentralized Compute: Entangle’s infrastructure leverages trusted execution environments (TEE) and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) to ensure secure, tamper-proof computations.

The Role of Web3

Web3’s decentralisation, tokenisation, and trustless infrastructure provide the perfect environment for autonomous agents. By integrating these principles, agents gain:

  • Independence: No central authority governs their actions, allowing agents to function autonomously without relying on a single controlling entity. This ensures that their operations align with decentralised principles and remain free from interference or bias.
  • Scalability: With operations not limited to a single chain or platform, agents can scale seamlessly across multiple blockchain ecosystems, empowering interactions with a variety of networks and expanding their reach as needed.
  • Security: Transactions and decisions made by these agents are verifiable and tamper-proof. This ensures that all actions are transparent, safeguarded by blockchain technology and Entangle's TEE-powered infrastructure.

Building Blocks of Autonomy

Autonomous agents are fundamentally reshaping the Web3 landscape, and their functionality hinges on a set of critical technological advancements. These building blocks — Universal Interoperability Protocol (UIP), Universal Data Feeds (UDF), Universal Token Standard (UTS), and Universal Proof of Compute (UPC) — provide the infrastructure that enables agents to operate across chains, access real-time data, ensure computational and data integrity, and manage collective ownership. Together, they lay the foundation for a future where agents are not only intelligent but also fully independent and secure, able to transform industries and drive innovation.

Universal Interoperability Protocol (UIP)

UIP enables agents to interact, clone, and execute tasks across chains seamlessly. This allows for unified functionality. For example, an agent can manage wallets on multiple chains, rebalance liquidity pools, and issue cross-chain contracts in real time. Multi-agent systems leverage UIP to collaborate across chains, amplifying their utility.

Universal Data Feeds (UDF)

UDF delivers high-speed, secure, and tamper-proof data streams from both onchain and off-chain sources. Agents use UDF to access real-time financial data, gaming metrics, and even social signals. For example, a trading agent might adjust strategies instantly to live market movements. 

Universal Token Standard (UTS)

UTS facilitates collective ownership and omnichain token functionality. With UTS, agents can manage shared assets, such as NFTs, or represent ownership in decentralised organisations. An example includes agents coordinating DAO operations across chains, leveraging Reinforcement Learning (RL) techniques to optimise resource allocation.

Universal Proof of Compute (UPC)

UPC ensures the authenticity and integrity of off-chain computations, making it a critical component for agent trustworthiness. For instance, an agent performing a complex calculation can use UPC to prove its correctness before executing onchain. This is particularly crucial in high-stake industries like finance or supply chain, where errors can have significant consequences.

Real-World Applications

DeFi and Finance

Agents are already in control of wallets, with some even autonomously staking Ethereum. This is a significant development in decentralised finance, showcasing how agents can manage high-value operations without human oversight. Examples include:

  • Cross-Chain Liquidity Management: Agents optimise liquidity pools across chains, maximising yield and minimising risk.
  • Automated Trading: By accessing UDF, agents execute trades, rebalance portfolios, and capitalize on arbitrage opportunities.
  • Trustless Transactions: Powered by UPC, agents facilitate secure, transparent interactions between parties, reducing reliance on intermediaries.

Gaming and Entertainment

Gaming is emerging as a natural playground for autonomous agents. They enhance player experiences and create entirely new gaming paradigms. Examples include:

  • Agent Poker Tournaments: Agents with distinct personalities compete in trash-talking poker tournaments, demonstrating their strategic depth and entertainment value.
  • Agent Fighting Championship: A live-streamed battle royale where agents strategise, adapt, and compete in real time.
  • Player Assistance: Agents act as strategists, offering predictions and optimisation tips during gameplay.

Medicine and Science

  • Agent Data Review: Agents are poised to accelerate the advancement of science with the ability to rapidly review and synthesize data from diverse peer-reviewed publications, research papers as well as unused patent filings
  • Coordination and facilitation: Agents are able to coordinate and disseminate data and findings globally in real-time, eg. delivering lab results as soon as they become available to field teams working on global outbreak prevention.
  • DeFi fundraising for research: Agents are able to deploy omnichain tokens, capturing the attention on any chain to crowdsource and democratise the funding of research into more diverse fields.

Community-Driven Projects

Memecoins and DAOs are beginning to leverage agents for governance and ecosystem growth. For example, communities train agents to execute trades, manage liquidity, and oversee voting mechanisms. As these agents evolve, they become integral to maintaining and expanding decentralised ecosystems.

Challenges and Opportunities

Challenges

The path to truly autonomous agents is not without hurdles. Key challenges include:

  • Trust: Ensuring users have confidence in agents handling valuable assets.
  • Scalability: Balancing performance across a network of chains and applications.
  • Adoption: Educating users and developers about the potential of autonomous agents.

Entangle’s TEE-powered infrastructure addresses these issues, providing verifiable, tamper-proof operations that inspire confidence.

Opportunities

The possibilities for autonomous agents extend far beyond their current scope. Potential future applications include:

  • Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) - Multiple autonomous agents working together symbiotically to coordinate and collaborate on projects. Universal Agents will give creators the ability to launch MASs within a cluster, creating their token’s bonding curves as a collective/
  • Predictive Analytics: By analysing historical and real-time data, agents could offer actionable insights across industries like RWA and onchain insurance.
  • Omnichain AI Ecosystems: Agents can serve as the backbone for interconnected, intelligent Web3 networks.

The Future Vision

Utopian AI-Web3 Integration

Imagine a world where agents work to maximize value for their owners. They execute trades, manage assets, and even participate in creative projects, all with transparency and accountability. The rise of truly autonomous agents represents a paradigm shift in how we interact with technology, blending AI intelligence with Web3’s decentralised ethos.

The rise of autonomous agents is not a question of if, but when. With Entangle’s technologies serving as the foundation, these agents are poised to redefine industries, drive innovation, and empower individuals. The infrastructure is here, and the future is bright. Are you ready to build the next generation of intelligent, autonomous systems with Entangle?