This Week in Review | US Department of Justice Granted Permission to Sell $6.5 Billion Worth of Bitcoin; Trump May Take Office as Convicted Felon
BlockBeats will summarize the key industry news of the week (1.6-1.12) in this article and recommend in-depth articles to help readers better understand the market and stay informed about industry trends.
Important News Recap
The U.S. Department of Justice Authorized to Sell $6.5 Billion Worth of Bitcoin Related to the Silk Road Case
On January 9, an official confirmed to DB News that the U.S. Department of Justice has been authorized to liquidate 69,370 BTC confiscated in the Silk Road case (worth about $6.5 billion). Reportedly, citing Bitcoin price volatility, the Justice Department requested permission to sell these assets. When asked about the next steps, a Justice Department spokesperson stated, "The government will take further action based on the judgment in this case." On the same day, according to Arkham data, U.S. government addresses currently hold 198,109 BTC, valued at about $18.59 billion, and hold 54,753 Ethereum, valued at about $1.813 billion.
BIO Token Holders to Participate in Launchpad and BioDAO Governance, BIO Announces Six New IP Tokens Now Trading
On January 6, Bio Protocol's official announcement stated that with the launch of the current BioDAO, BIO token holders will be able to participate in the Launchpad, including: expressing support by staking BIO to the new BioDAO; being whitelisted in the new BioDAO; managing BioDAO liquidity and milestone-based incentive mechanisms. The release of BioDAO will make it autonomous and community-managed, allowing more BioDAO to flow into the Bio Protocol ecosystem. On January 7, BIO Protocol introduced that six new IP tokens are now trading, covering projects such as Alzheimer's (CLAW), industrial hemp fiber (HEMPY), ovarian aging (OVARIA), and cryopreservation (CRYORAT).
ai16z Co-founder: Collaborating with Orca to Develop DeFi Proxy, Widespread Adoption of AI Proxies May Lead to a New DeFi Summer
On January 6, ai16z co-founder Shaw, in an offline interview with BlockBeats, mentioned "DeFi Proxy" and said, "ai16z is collaborating with Orca to develop an automated robot proxy that can autonomously manage Orca's liquidity pools. Users simply need to deposit tokens into it; if the pool does not exist, it will automatically create a new one, and if the pool already exists, it will add tokens to the existing pool. Next, it will continuously monitor these pools, and once it detects situations that may cause impermanent loss, such as token price divergences, it will automatically withdraw assets from the pool." Shaw added, "This method can actually be extended to other DeFi products, like yield farming. This will usher in a new DeFi Summer."
a16z Founder: Official Website Established to Announce Official Partners and Recognized Project List
On January 7, a16z founder Shaw announced that the official website has been established to disclose the official partners and recognized project list. Community developers are still welcome to submit certification applications.
Backpack Acquires FTX EU to Become the Only Compliant Perpetual Contract Trading Platform in Europe
On January 7, compliant cryptocurrency exchange Backpack announced the acquisition of the original FTX European business holding an EU-wide license under the new EU regulation "Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II." This acquisition has been approved by the FTX bankruptcy court and the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, signaling a significant step for Backpack in expanding globally and providing a secure, compliant trading solution for the European market. Backpack EU is expected to officially launch in the first quarter of 2025. Through this acquisition, Backpack EU will offer various cryptocurrency spot and derivative services within the EU, including perpetual contracts, and become the only operating entity in the EU holding cryptocurrency derivative service qualifications, including perpetual contracts. As part of the acquisition, Backpack EU will also take on the responsibility of distributing FTX bankruptcy claim payouts to former FTX EU users.
Grayscale Updates Component Weights of Its Funds Quarterly, Adding SUI, LPT, CRV, and Others
On January 9, Grayscale's funds announced the latest component weights for each product. Grayscale's decentralized artificial intelligence fund has added LPT to its components, which now include the following assets: NEAR, RENDER, TAO, FIL, GRT, and LPT. Grayscale's DeFi Fund (DEFG) has added CRV and removed SNX, with the components now including the following assets: UNI, AAVE, LDO, MKR, and CRV. Grayscale's Smart Contract Platform Ex-Ethereum Fund (GSCPxE Fund) has added SUI to its components, which now include the following assets: SOL, ADA, AVAX, SUI, NEAR, DOT. Grayscale's Digital Large Cap Fund (GDLC) has added ADA and removed AVAX, with the components now including the following assets: BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, and ADA, where the allocation of Bitcoin and Ethereum has been adjusted to 90%.
DWF Labs Announces $20 Million AI Venture Fund Investment in HeyAnon
On January 6, market maker DWF Labs announced a $20 million AI venture fund investment in HeyAnon. HeyAnon is an AI DeFi protocol designed to simplify DeFi interactions and aggregate key project-related information. By combining conversational AI with real-time data aggregation, HeyAnon enables users to manage DeFi operations, stay informed about project updates, and analyze trends across multiple platforms and protocols.
U.S. December "Mini" Nonfarm Payrolls Fall Short of Expectations
On January 8, the U.S. ADP employment report showed a gain of 122,000 jobs in December, below the market expectation of 140,000 jobs, hitting the lowest level since August 2024.
Trump to Assume Presidency as Convicted Felon, Vows to Continue Appeal
On January 11, Trump stated he would continue to appeal following the judgment in the "Hush Money" case. In a tweet, he said, "The Radical Democrats have once again lost a pathetic political persecution. The real jury, the American people, have spoken in a resounding vote to re-elect me. Today's events were a disgraceful charade, but now it’s over, and we will appeal this baseless charade and restore America’s trust in our once-great justice system. Make America Great Again!"
BlockBeats Note: While New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merkan sentenced Donald Trump to no punishment and unconditional release, he still ruled in favor of the 34 charges in the "Hush Money" case, meaning Trump will still hold the status of a convicted felon but will not face imprisonment, fines, or probation. Trump will be sworn in as president on January 20 as a convicted felon, with the court to release the sentencing audio later today.
Coinbase, Google, and a16z Members Team Up to Launch Aiccelerate DAO to Accelerate Crypto and AI Integration
On January 10, members of teams from Coinbase, Google, a16z, and other key participants joined forces to launch Aiccelerate, a new Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) designed to accelerate the integration of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI). This DAO focuses on driving decentralized, open-source AI development and supports high-potential projects across different ecosystems. Additionally, Aiccelerate positions itself as an investment and development-focused DAO. Its primary mission is to drive innovation in the so-called "Agentive AI" sector. The DAO aims to establish a collaborative community composed of top developers from multiple frameworks. These experts will contribute to a range of agents and tools aimed at advancing the organization's objectives.
Furthermore, Aiccelerate will unify its initiatives through a token called AICC. The DAO will use a portion of its profits to buy back its native token. The development advisor list includes a16z founder Shaw, Virtuals Protocol core contributor EtherMage, EigenLayer developer relations lead Nader Dabit, and Story Protocol co-founder Jason Zhao. In terms of investors, Aiccelerate's advisors include Mechanism Capital's Andrew Kang and Marc Weinstein, Coinbase Ventures' Justin Lee, and Delphi Digital's Anil Lulla.
ACT Announces Ecosystem Acceleration Plan, Developing Seamless AI-Crypto Framework
On January 8, the AI Meme project ACT announced the launch of its Ecosystem Acceleration Plan, aiming to advance artificial intelligence development, build a top-tier AI community, empower future leaders, and drive strategic ecosystem growth. Its new bounty system aims to recognize and reward breakthrough contributions to advancing the common mission, including technical solutions and innovative features, and is currently developing a groundbreaking native framework that will seamlessly connect AI and cryptographic capabilities.
Pump Science Airdrops 2.5 Million BIO Tokens to RIF and URO Holders on January 10
On January 10, according to an official announcement by Pump Science, the airdrop of 2.5 million BIO tokens to RIF and URO holders has commenced. The airdrop distribution is based on three snapshot nodes in November, December, and January, with all holding addresses across the snapshot nodes receiving a 2.5x airdrop bonus. Additionally, each wallet can receive a maximum of 8000 BIO tokens.
Sonic SVM's Native Token SONIC Issued on January 7 and Listed on Binance, OKX, Bitget, and More
The first SVM blockchain on Solana, Sonic SVM, announced the issuance of the SONIC token on January 7 (Beijing time), with the token also being listed on exchanges such as Upbit, Binance, OKX, Bitget, and Bybit. Wintermute is one of the market makers for SONIC.
DuckChain to List on OKX and Reveals DUCK Tokenomics
On January 8, according to an official announcement, OKX will list DuckChain (DUCK) spot trading. The DUCK/USDT spot trading is scheduled to open on January 16, 2025, at 6:00 PM (UTC+8). DuckChain is the first Telegram-based consumer Layer project, integrating AI-driven tools, the StarFi system, and EVM-compatible technology to provide on-chain support to dApp developers and 1 billion Telegram users, aiding in the widespread adoption of blockchain. On the same day, DuckChain unveiled the DUCK economic model, with a total supply of 10 billion DUCK tokens, where 77% is allocated to the community and ecosystem development, including 50% for airdrops, 4% for liquidity provision, 3% for marketing, and 20% for ecosystem development support. The remaining 10% is allocated to investors, 10% to the team, and 3% to advisors.
Jambo Announces Its Native Token J, Set to Launch This Month
On January 7, Web3 mobile phone Jambo will launch its native token J later this month. J will be issued on the Solana network with a total supply of 1 billion tokens. Jambo has built the largest on-chain mobile ecosystem to date, selling over 650,000 JamboPhones across 128 countries and creating 4.5 million wallets.
Usual's USD0++ Peg Slips to $0.9566 at One Point
On January 10, market data showed that Usual's USD0++ peg slipped to $0.9566, with the USD0/USD0++ pool on Curve currently skewed towards 90.75% USD0++. USD0++ is fully backed by USD0, which is 100% backed by U.S. Treasuries. As an LST, USD0++ functions like a "4-year bond," with its principal guaranteed 1:1 in USD0, and distributes earnings through the USUAL token reward. USD0++ provides flexible dual-path liquidity for users needing immediate liquidity while offering full earnings to long-term participants: conditional exits are 1:1 redemptions but require forgoing some accrued earnings, while unconditional exits are redemptions at a floor price, currently set at 0.87:1 and gradually moving towards $1 over time.
This Week AI Concept Meme Coins Experience a Broad Decline with Some Standout Performers
This week, AI concept meme coins experienced a broad decline with some standout performers. On January 9, AI meme coin LLM issued for 22 hours, briefly surpassing a $1 billion market cap and seeing a 24-hour trading volume exceeding $3.3 billion. On January 8, Solana-based AI concept coin BUZZ briefly surpassed a $1 billion market cap, reaching a new all-time high. SWARMS saw its market cap break $6 billion, also setting a new record.
Top Articles of the Week
《69,000 Bitcoins to be Sold? What Impact Will Silk Road's Coin Sale Have on the Market?》
The U.S. government plans to sell the 69,370 Bitcoins related to the "Silk Road" case, currently valued at around $6.5 billion. These Bitcoins were initially seized by the FBI during the investigation and belonged to the founder of the illicit platform "Silk Road," Ross Ulbricht. In the past, the U.S. government has auctioned off Bitcoin confiscated from the platform, which typically does not have a long-term impact on the market. This sale may cause short-term market fluctuations, but is not expected to significantly affect the Bitcoin price in the long run. Additionally, Trump pledged to pardon Ulbricht and expressed support for cryptocurrency during his election campaign, which may influence whether the U.S. government sells these Bitcoins before Trump's potential return to office.
"Coin Speculation Earnings Taxed $40,000 Requires $130,000, This Is the U.S. Tax Law Musk Mocked"
Musk mocked the U.S. crypto tax law on social media, pointing out that even if investors experienced massive losses in cryptocurrency and NFT projects, they still need to pay high taxes. Through analyzing a tax case, experts revealed the complexity and irrationality of the U.S. crypto tax system, especially regarding the treatment of losses and capital gains. The tax guidance issued in 2023 failed to fully adapt to the uniqueness of the crypto industry, resulting in significant issues in tax calculations, and challenges in crypto tax compliance such as high compliance costs and enforcement difficulties. The newly introduced wealth tax and unrealized gains tax further make tax compliance a critical issue that crypto investors have to face.
"USD0++ Is the Next UST? Is USUAL Holding Panic Necessary?"
In 2024, the Usual stablecoin project experienced rapid development and volatility. After attracting a large amount of investment upon its launch, its token USD0++ quickly unpegged following a new announcement on January 10, dropping to around $0.94, triggering panic selling in the market. The announcement changed the original 1:1 redemption mechanism to set a minimum 0.87:1 redemption ratio, causing both whales and retail investors to withdraw funds, impacting the liquidity of USD0++. This change stemmed from Usual adjusting its approach to handling funds from whales to avoid systemic liquidation risks, causing short-term market unrest. As the market further anticipates redemption details, whether USD0++ can return to stability remains uncertain.
"'TikTok+Onchain' Sensual Narrative, Is Sonic SVM's Coin Offering Worth Investing In?"
Sonic SVM is a blockchain project deeply integrated with TikTok, focusing on a high-performance gaming chain and social applications. It is referred to as Solana's "Specific Layer2," aiming to optimize high-frequency trading and on-chain interactions, addressing the lag issues of traditional blockchains in gaming and social scenarios. Through its partnership with TikTok, Sonic SVM has lowered the barrier of entry for Web3 applications and attracted a large number of users through on-chain gaming and social dissemination. With tremendous valuation potential and relying on TikTok's massive user base, if it can successfully attract more users and expand the ecosystem, it may become a new benchmark in the blockchain industry. However, the project's success still depends on TikTok's policy support and the continuous improvement of user engagement.
《The Summer of "DeFAI" Is Coming: How Will AI Reshape the Future of DeFi?》
In this article, crypto researcher Jeff discusses how DeFAI (Decentralized Finance + Artificial Intelligence) is simplifying, optimizing, and enhancing the DeFi experience through abstraction layers, automated trading agents, and AI-driven dApps. Several emerging DeFAI projects are introduced, such as Almanak, Cod3x, and Mode, highlighting the role of AI in improving trading strategies and portfolio management.
《Buzz Ignites Wealth Effect: A Comprehensive Overview of DeFAI Track Projects》
DeFAI is an emerging field that combines AI technology with DeFi, aiming to simplify DeFi operations and lower entry barriers. Through AI agents, users can manage their portfolios as easily as chatting with ChatGPT and seamlessly participate in decentralized markets. Current DeFAI projects can be categorized into three types: assistant-type, trading-type, and dApps-type. Assistant-type projects simplify complex DeFi operations through AI agents, trading-type projects utilize AI for market analysis and automated trading, while dApps-type projects focus on building AI-integrated decentralized applications. These projects continue to evolve to enhance user experience and drive DeFi adoption.
《Base Ecosystem AI Gold Rush: Beyond Virtuals, What Other Treasure Projects Are There?》
This article discusses some of the AI Agent projects emerging in the Base ecosystem, many of which show great potential and are worth paying attention to. For example, TAO CAT is a project that combines real-time data and AI technology for market analysis, Polytrader helps make investment decisions by analyzing popular topics on social platforms, Acolyt provides AI-driven oracle services, and Freya integrates AI agents into games to enhance character interactivity. Additionally, there are several DeFi and investment DAO projects mentioned, such as Kudai and WAI Combinator, which optimize investment strategies and decisions by combining AI and blockchain technology. The article also references some tool platforms like Loomlay, allowing users to create AI agents in a no-code environment. These projects showcase the fusion of AI and blockchain technology and their potential applications in various fields.
MicroStrategy continues to accumulate Bitcoin, and Michael Saylor shared the company's latest Bitcoin holdings data through SaylorTracker.com, hinting at a possible additional purchase. MicroStrategy aims to raise funds through issuing preferred stock and other means to further buy Bitcoin. The company currently holds 446,400 BTC, valued at approximately $44.27 billion. In addition, Saylor announced that he will destroy the Bitcoin private keys after his death, believing that doing so will help reduce the market's supply and increase Bitcoin's value, sparking widespread discussion in the crypto community.
《Musk Tops "Diablo 4," Leaving Everyone Wondering Where He Got the Time?》
Aside from managing multiple businesses, Musk achieved the top player status in the "Diablo 4" game in less than two months, quickly completing the game's most difficult levels, attracting wide attention. Despite this, some questioned how he managed to find time to play games amidst his busy work schedule, speculating that he might have used cheats or hired someone to "power level" for him. Musk's gaming hobby intertwines with his busy business life, as he has stated that he often engages in games while working, even playing games and discussing work with employees during meetings.
This article criticizes the prediction market platform Polymarket for the controversy sparked by users speculating on California wildfires. Against the backdrop of wildfires causing multiple deaths and the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, users coldly bet on the disaster's development, with some prediction pools reaching up to $100,000. This behavior of "gambling" on public disasters has raised strong moral questions.
《AI Agent Upstart Swarms 7x in One Week, What Potential Projects are in the Ecosystem?》
In the first week of 2025, the AI Agent track performed strongly, with the two major ecosystems ai16z and Virtual reaching a historic market value high. However, Swarms, as a dark horse, made a breakthrough. Swarms is a multi-agent collaboration framework that supports seamless cooperation among AI agents, helping to break down complex tasks. Recently, the Swarms token has surged by over 768%, reaching a market value of $4.4 billion. It has attracted multiple ecosystem projects in various fields such as medical diagnostics, investment funds, and data analysis. Swarms is also actively promoting ecosystem development, planning to introduce more features and technical support, aiming to establish a presence in the AI Agent market.
《AI on 2025 BTC, ETH, SOL Price Predictions: How High Will They Rise?》
The application of AI technology in the financial sector is continuously expanding, and more investors are realizing its potential in their portfolios, especially in the cryptocurrency market. Several well-known AI models have made price predictions for major cryptocurrencies in 2025. Bitcoin is expected to reach $175,000-$350,000, driven by institutional adoption and supply scarcity factors. Ethereum is poised to exceed $6,000, relying on technological upgrades and DeFi ecosystem growth. Solana, supported by ecosystem expansion and institutional backing, is expected to rise to $500-$725. Other cryptocurrencies such as XRP, Tron, and Cardano also show positive prospects in AI predictions. However, investors still need to be cautious and mindful of market volatility and policy risks.
Marc Zeller, the founder of Aave, the largest lending protocol in the Ethereum ecosystem, initiated criticism of the Ethereum Foundation's inaction and proposed five major reform suggestions to improve ecosystem efficiency and address controversies. These suggestions include firing a large number of non-developers and team leaders, converting the Foundation's held ETH into long-term staking assets, reducing sponsored projects, avoiding Ethereum dumping, and handing over the Twitter account to those who understand technology and marketing to drive forward. Zeller's remarks have sparked widespread discussions, with some community members believing that the Ethereum Foundation is overly conservative, insufficiently invested in marketing and development, and even holding the view that the Foundation is filled with interest groups and has failed to genuinely advance decentralization. How to address this crisis has become key to Ethereum's future development.
“Which AI Agent Projects Have VCs Invested In?”
The AI Agent field is rapidly developing, with multiple well-known institutions expressing optimism about the combination of AI and cryptocurrency. Unlike traditional project funding models, the explosion of the AI Agent sector has mostly taken the form of on-chain memes, attracting a large number of retail investors. However, despite this fair launch approach enhancing transparency and openness, VCs still have a significant advantage in terms of early-stage project due diligence, funding support, and technological innovation. Investment opportunities in the AI Agent space are not limited to on-chain meme projects, and the entry of VC funds can bring more technical support and marketing advantages. Several innovative projects, such as Payman, Skyfire, and Axal, are driving industry development by providing payment and service support for AI.
“Solana AI Hackathon Sees Continued Alpha, Organizers Say, ‘Stop the Hype!’”
Currently, many Crypto x AI projects have rushed to issue tokens for short-term gains, leading to an over-tokenization phenomenon in the market, where many projects are seen as speculative tools rather than actual products. This practice may cause long-term harm to genuine developers, especially when token issuance becomes the sole means of attracting attention. Whales and KOLs often pump up token prices through false advertising, ultimately causing harm to retail investors and developers. Organizers urge developers not to blindly follow the trend of token issuance but to focus on product development, recognizing the complexity of token management and the potential risks.
“Top 10 Crypto AI Projects at Solana AI Hackathon: Investment Analysis and Entertainment Dominant”
The recent Solana AI hackathon showcased several innovative projects combining cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence. These include The Hive, which uses AI to provide intelligent investment decisions, Solana's smart assistant Neur integrating natural language processing technology, and AgentiPy, which helps Python developers simplify blockchain app development. Other projects such as Voltr and Cleopetra offer intelligent investment and liquidity management tools, FomoFactory introduces a new celebrity AI interaction model, Break.fun gamifies security testing, Redux replicates historical figures' thinking, C.A.T provides market analysis and insights, and Roastmaster9000 explores AI entertainment content creation. These projects demonstrate the vast potential of artificial intelligence in the cryptocurrency field.
"Analysis of Concentration of Six Major AI Tokens: SPORE Over 50%, FARTCOIN More Evenly Distributed"
In the current Crypto x AI field, the phenomenon of token misuse is becoming increasingly serious. Many projects hastily issue tokens for short-term hype, ignoring the need for long-term development. Developers in projects focus more on how to attract capital and speculators through tokens rather than focusing on actual product development. This over-tokenization not only harms genuine developers but also exacerbates market bubbles. Token management is complex and full of risks. Developers should avoid blindly following trends, carefully issue tokens, and focus on technical development and the actual value of the product.
"a16z Releases Seven Core Cryptocurrency Trends for 2025 and Other Developments Worth Noting"
The cryptocurrency field will experience several key trends in the coming years. Enterprises will increasingly accept stablecoin payments, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, as it can reduce payment costs and increase profits. The exploration of on-chain government bonds will provide new collateral sources for decentralized finance (DeFi). Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) will receive broader legal recognition, driving the development of decentralized governance. Meanwhile, developers will reuse existing infrastructure to improve development efficiency. With the emergence of new decentralized app stores, the distribution channels for crypto apps will become more diverse. Additionally, the behavior of crypto users will shift from holders to more active users. The concealment of technical details will also help popularize Web3 apps, reducing the user's learning curve.
"New Article by Arthur Hayes: How Will US Dollar Liquidity Drive a New Crypto Market Rally in 2025?"
In this article, Hayes analyzes how US dollar liquidity affects the cryptocurrency market, particularly Bitcoin's trend. By explaining the Federal Reserve's reverse repurchase operations (RRP) and the flow of funds in the US Treasury General Account (TGA), it discusses how increased USD liquidity drives the rise of the cryptocurrency and stock markets. In the first quarter of 2025, approximately $612 billion of US dollar liquidity will be injected, which may have a positive impact on the market. Finally, the author mentions that the Maelstrom Fund is investing in the DeSci sector and holds a bullish view on the future market.
《Farcaster's 2024 Year-end Review: AI Agent Development Hotspot; Farconomy Will Continue to Grow》
In 2024, Farcaster saw significant growth, with a substantial increase in users and daily active users, especially in its role as a crypto-native social network. Farcaster's development benefited from several factors, including the community-driven incentive token $DEGEN and its collaboration with the Base chain, which spurred the formation and development of more ecosystem projects. While in the short term, some SocialFi applications and incentive models failed to sustainably attract users, Farcaster still maintains its unique community culture and developer activity. The team continues to focus on interaction with the crypto market, building a more robust community and programmable social features, while supporting various applications and developers through open protocols, aiming to create a highly sticky ecosystem in the long term.
《How to Make Money with Agent Economy in 2025?》
This article explores the future development of the agent economy, particularly the evolution of AI agents. From phase 1's simple chatbots, to phase 2's privacy and DeFi integration, and onwards to phase 3's collaboration between agents, it emphasizes the critical role of infrastructure, frameworks, and technology. While the current market is filled with basic social media agents, the real opportunity lies in the technology and platforms that support autonomous economic activities.
《Bull Market AI Agent: Five Major Trends, Have You Positioned Yourself?》
This article discusses the five major trends of combining crypto with AI agents. Firstly, investment-oriented DAOs and agent launch platforms (such as daosdotfun, ai16zdao) are on the rise; secondly, DeFAI will become the new frontier of agent applications, where agents will start autonomously executing tasks and achieving value accumulation; at the consumer level, agents will develop more complex personalities and interactions, especially in the entertainment, gaming, and metaverse sectors. Moreover, DAOs will evolve into multi-agent systems, enhancing efficiency through collective cooperation, and finally, agents will have the ability to autonomously manage funds, similar to how freysa_ai has achieved autonomous key management, driving agents to become economic proxies.
This article points out the current issue of AI agent fragmentation, where the diversity, liquidity, and attention of AI agents are scattered across different areas. The article mentions two development paths for agents: one is to transition to an open-source framework, and the other is to continue focusing on a single agent function. It analyzes several promising AI domains such as DeFAI, NSFW agent, robotics, investment DAOs, and suggests that developers and investors should focus on narratives and products with long-term growth potential, ultimately driving innovators to establish a unified ecosystem by simplifying complexity.
《AI All-Stars Join Forces, Aiccelerate DAO Drives Decentralized Open-Source AI Development》
Aiccelerate DAO is an investment and development organization focused on driving decentralized open-source AI development, aiming to combine AI and crypto technologies to build an ecosystem supporting related projects. The DAO has brought together experts and advisors from various fields, including the founder of ai16z, senior figures in the crypto industry, and open-source AI developers. Aiccelerate DAO plans to advance the cutting-edge of blockchain and AI technologies by creating AI agents and tools, and manage the DAO's assets and returns through the AICC token. Despite the project not being fully public yet, it has attracted significant attention, particularly garnering support from developers, researchers, and investors, paving the way for potential breakthroughs in the open-source AI field.
《How to Determine If a Crypto Dev Is Reliable Through GitHub?》
Developers' impact on projects is crucial, as their technical skills, sense of responsibility, and personal reputation directly determine the project's future. In the case of the SKYAI project, developer Bob's failure led to a market value plummet, highlighting the risks irresponsible developers pose to investors. Conversely, BUZZ project developer Jason Hedman, with a strong technical background and responsible attitude, earned investors' trust and market recognition for the project. Identifying reliable developers can be done through platforms like GitHub to analyze their technical proficiency and project contributions, focusing on aspects such as code quality, development processes, and community interactions. Additionally, emotional intelligence and transparency are also key factors for developers' success.
《Vitalik's New Article: Decentralization Accelerationism One-Year Review and Outlook》
This article revolves around the concept of Decentralization Acceleration (d/acc), discussing its application in technological development and the challenges it faces, including AI security and regulation, its relationship with cryptocurrency, and public goods funding. It emphasizes the importance of d/acc in building a safer and better world and explores the opportunities and challenges for future development. Vitalik elaborates on the essence of d/acc, analyzes its role in addressing AI risks through various strategies, discusses the value of cryptocurrency in this context, and explores the public goods funding mechanism. Finally, it looks ahead to the future of technological development, acknowledging challenges but highlighting the opportunity for humans to build a better world with existing tools and concepts.
《Listing 20 Official Eliza Labs Partner Projects: Low Market Cap Boost Effect More Evident》
Shaw's tweet drove a significant increase in the market cap of multiple AI Agent and Metaverse projects like Hyperfy, with Hyperfy experiencing a near $3 billion market cap surge within hours of its launch. As Shaw's Eliza Labs announced several partnership projects, some emerging projects showed strong market performance. Among the partner projects, apart from Hyperfy, larger market cap projects saw steadier gains, while lower market cap projects exhibited more significant fluctuations and gains. These projects span across various areas such as decentralized AI systems, virtual world creation, AI-driven Web3 games, demonstrating the robust market potential of AI Agent and the Metaverse.
《Anonymous Survey Given to 42 Key Solana Figures, What Are Their Views on the Crypto Industry?》
A Lightspeed-initiated anonymous survey targeted Solana's founders and heavy users, aiming to understand their views on other blockchains, venture capital firms, and startups. The survey covered multiple aspects, including the assessment of Solana's ecosystem, competition with other blockchains, and the impact of Memecoins. The results showed that founders generally see Solana's biggest current issue as insufficient block space and exhibit high interest in Solana's competitors, Base and Sui. While some founders are critical of certain projects or venture capital firms, overall, they remain strongly supportive of Solana and believe Memecoins are beneficial to the ecosystem.
《Ethena 2025 Roadmap: Entering Traditional Finance with Customized Product sUSDe》
In 2024, Ethena achieved significant milestones, becoming the third largest USD asset in the crypto space, successfully weathering market downturns and experiencing rapid growth of its core products. Through innovation, risk-taking, and long-term commitment, the team has propelled the integration of fund flows among DeFi, CeFi, and traditional finance. In 2025, Ethena plans to enter the traditional finance market, launch a regulated iUSDe product, and provide savings and payment services to global users through platforms like Telegram. Looking ahead, Ethena will continue to expand its ecosystem, drive innovation protocols based on sUSDe, and strive to disrupt the global financial system.
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今年 2 月,Base 生態中的 AI 協議 Virtuals 宣布跨鏈至 Solana,然而加密市場隨後進入流動性緊縮期,AI Agent 板塊從人聲鼎沸轉為低迷,Virtuals 生態也陷入一段蟄伏期。
三月初,BlockBeats 對 Virtuals 共同創辦人 empty 進行了一次專訪。彼時,團隊尚未推出如今被廣泛討論的 Genesis Launch 機制,但已在內部持續探索如何透過機制設計激活舊資產、提高用戶參與度,並重構代幣發行與融資路徑。那是一個市場尚未復甦、生態尚處冷啟動階段的時間點,Virtuals 團隊卻沒有停下腳步,而是在努力尋找新的產品方向和敘事突破口。
兩個月過去,AI Agent 板塊重新升溫,Virtuals 代幣反彈超 150%,Genesis 機製成為帶動生態回暖的重要觸發器。從積分獲取規則的動態調整,到專案參與熱度的持續上升,再到「新代幣帶老代幣」的機制閉環,Virtuals 逐漸走出寒冬,並再次站上討論焦點。
值得注意的是,Virtuals 的 Genesis 機制與近期 Binance 推出的 Alpha 積分系統有一些相似之處,評估用戶在 Alpha 和幣安錢包生態系統內的參與度,決定用戶 Alpha 代幣空投的資格。用戶可透過持倉、交易等方式獲得積分,積分越高,參與新項目的機會越大。透過積分系統篩選使用者、分配資源,專案方能夠更有效地激勵社群參與,提升專案的公平性和透明度。 Virtuals 和 Binance 的探索,或許預示著加密融資的新趨勢正在形成。
回看這次對話,empty 在專訪中所展現出的思路與判斷,正在一步步顯現其前瞻性,這不僅是一場圍繞打新機制的訪談,更是一次關於“資產驅動型 AI 協議”的路徑構建與底層邏輯的深度討論。
BlockBeats:可以簡單分享一下最近團隊主要在忙些什麼?
empty:目前我們的工作重點主要有兩個部分。第一部分,我們希望將 Virtuals 打造成一個類似「華爾街」的代理人(Agent)服務平台。設想一下,如果你是專注於 Agent 或 Agent 團隊建立的創業者,從融資、發幣到流動性退出,整個流程都需要係統性的支援。我們希望為真正專注於 Agent 和 AI 研發的團隊,提供這一整套服務體系,讓他們可以把精力集中在底層能力的開發上,而不用為其他環節分心。這一塊的工作其實也包括了與散戶買賣相關的內容,後面可以再詳細展開。
第二部分,我們正在深入推進 AI 相關的佈局。我們的願景是建立一個 AI 社會,希望每個 Agent 都能聚焦自身優勢,同時透過彼此之間的協作,實現更大的價值。因此,最近我們發布了一個新的標準——ACP(Agent Communication Protocol),目的是讓不同的 Agent 能夠相互互動、協作,共同推動各自的業務目標。這是目前我們主要在推進的兩大方向。
BlockBeats:可以再展開說說嗎?
empty:在我看來,其實我們面對的客戶群可以分為三類:第一類是專注於開發 Agent 的團隊;第二類是投資者,包括散戶、基金等各種投資機構;第三類則是 C 端用戶,也就是最終使用 Agent 產品的個人用戶。
不過,我們主要的精力其實是放在前兩大類──也就是團隊和投資人。對於 C 端用戶這一塊,我們並不打算直接介入,而是希望各個 Agent 團隊能夠自己解決 C 端市場的拓展問題。
此外,我們也認為,Agent 與 Agent 之間的交互作用應該成為一個核心模式。簡單來說,就是未來的服務更多應該是由一個 Agent 銷售或提供給另一個 Agent,而不是單純賣給人類使用者。因此,在團隊的 BD 工作中,我們也積極幫助現有的 AI 團隊尋找這樣的客戶和合作機會。
BlockBeats:大概有一些什麼具體案例呢?
empty:「華爾街」說白了就是圍繞資本運作體系的建設,假設你是一個技術團隊,想要融資,傳統路徑是去找 VC 募資,拿到資金後開始發展。如果專案做得不錯,接下來可能會考慮進入二級市場,例如在紐約證券交易所上市,或是在 Binance 這樣的交易所上幣,實現流動性退出。
我們希望把這一整套流程打通-從早期融資,到專案開發過程中對資金的靈活使用需求,再到最終二級市場的流動性退出,全部覆蓋和完善,這是我們希望補齊的一條完整鏈條。
而這一部分的工作和 ACP(Agent Communication Protocol)是不同的,ACP 更多是關於 Agent 與 Agent 之間交互標準的製定,不直接涉及資本運作系統。
BlockBeats:它和現在 Virtuals 的這個 Launchpad 有什麼差別呢?資金也是從 C 端來是嗎?
empty:其實現在你在 Virtuals 上發幣,如果沒有真正融到資金,那就只是發了一個幣而已,實際是融不到錢的。我們目前能提供的服務,是透過設定買賣時的交易稅機制,從中提取一部分稅收回饋給創業者,希望這部分能成為他們的現金流來源。
不過,問題其實還分成兩塊。第一是如何真正幫助團隊完成融資,這個問題目前我們還沒有徹底解決。第二是關於目前專案發行模式本身存在的結構性問題。簡單來說,現在的版本有點像過去 Pumpfun 那種模式——也就是當專案剛上線時,部分籌碼就被外賣給了外部投資人。但現實是,目前整個市場上存在著太多機構集團和「狙擊手」。
當一個真正優秀的專案一發幣,還沒真正觸達普通散戶,就已經被機構在極高估值時搶購了。等到散戶能夠接觸到時,往往價格已經偏高,專案品質也可能變差,整個價值發行體係被扭曲。
針對這個問題,我們希望探索一種新的發幣和融資模式,目的是讓專案方的籌碼既不是死死握在自己手裡,也不是優先流向英文圈的大機構,而是能夠真正留給那些相信專案、願意長期支持專案的普通投資者手中。我們正在思考該如何設計這樣一個新的發行機制,來解決這個根本問題。
BlockBeats:新模式的具體想法會是什麼樣子呢?
empty:關於資金這一塊,其實我們目前還沒有完全想透。現階段來看,最直接的方式還是去找 VC 融資,或是採取公開預售等形式進行資金募集。不過說實話,我個人對傳統的公開預售模式並不是特別認同。
在「公平發售」這件事上,我們正在嘗試換一個角度來思考-希望能從「reputation」出發,重新設計機制。
具體來說,就是如果你對整個 Virtuals 生態有貢獻,例如早期參與、提供支持或建設,那麼你就可以在後續購買優質代幣時享有更高的優先權。透過這種方式,我們希望把資源更多留給真正支持生態發展的用戶,而不是由短期套利的人主導。
BlockBeats:您會不會考慮採用類似之前 Fjord Foundry 推出的 LBP 模式,或者像 Daos.fun 那種採用白名單機制的模式。這些模式在某種程度上,和您剛才提到的「對生態有貢獻的人享有優先權」的想法是有些相似的。不過,這類做法後來也引發了一些爭議,例如白名單內部操作、分配不公等問題。 Virtuals 在設計時會考慮借鏡這些模式的優點,或有針對性地規避類似的問題嗎?
empty:我認為白名單機制最大的問題在於,白名單的選擇權掌握在專案方手中。這和「老鼠倉」行為非常相似。專案方可以選擇將白名單名額分配給自己人或身邊的朋友,導致最終的籌碼仍然掌握在少數人手中。
我們希望做的,依然是類似白名單的機制,但不同的是,白名單的獲取權應基於一個公開透明的規則體系,而不是由項目方單方面決定。只有這樣,才能真正做到公平分配,避免內幕操作的問題。
我認為在今天這個 AI 時代,很多時候創業並不需要大量資金。我常跟團隊強調,你們應該優先考慮自力更生,例如透過組成社區,而不是一開始就想著去融資。因為一旦融資,實際上就等於背負了負債。
我們更希望從 Training Fee的角度去看待早期發展路徑。也就是說,專案可以選擇直接發幣,透過交易稅所帶來的現金流,支持日常營運。這樣一來,專案可以在公開建設的過程中獲得初步資金,而不是依賴外部投資。如果專案做大了,自然也會有機會透過二級市場流動性退出。
當然最理想的情況是,專案本身能夠有穩定的現金流來源,這樣甚至連自己的幣都無需拋售,這才是真正健康可持續的狀態。
我自己也常在和團隊交流時分享這種思路,很有意思的是,那些真正抱著「搞快錢」心態的項目,一聽到這種機制就失去了興趣。他們會覺得,在這種模式下,既無法操作老鼠倉,也很難短期套利,於是很快就選擇離開。
但從我們的角度來看,這其實反而是個很好的篩選機制。透過這種方式,理念不同的專案自然會被過濾出去,最後留下的,都是那些願意真正建立、和我們價值觀契合的團隊,一起把事情做起來。
BlockBeats:這個理念可以發展出一些能夠創造收益的 AI agent。
empty:我覺得這是很有必要的。坦白說,放眼今天的市場,真正擁有穩定現金流的產品幾乎鳳毛麟角,但我認為這並不意味著我們應該停止嘗試。事實上,我們每天在對接的團隊中,有至少一半以上的人依然懷抱著長遠的願景。很多時候,他們甚至已經提前向我們提供了 VC 階段的資金支持,或表達了強烈的合作意願。
其實對他們來說想要去收穫一個很好的社區,因為社區可以給他們的產品做更好的回饋,這才是他們真正的目的。這樣聽起來有一點匪夷所思,但其實真的有很多這樣的團隊,而那種團隊的是我們真的想扶持的團隊。
BlockBeats:您剛才提到的這套「AI 華爾街」的產品體系-從融資、發行到退出,建構的是一整套完整的流程。這套機制是否更多是為了激勵那些有意願發幣的團隊?還是說,它在設計上也考慮瞭如何更好地支持那些希望透過產品本身的現金流來發展的團隊?這兩類團隊在您這套體系中會不會被區別對待,或者說有什麼機制設計能讓不同路徑的創業者都能被合理支持?
empty:是的,我們 BD 的核心職責其實就是去鼓勵團隊發幣。說得直接一點,就是引導他們思考發幣的可能性和意義。所以團隊最常問的問題就是:「為什麼要發幣?」這時我們需要採取不同的方式和角度,去幫助他們理解背後的價值邏輯。當然如果最終判斷不適合,我們也不會強迫他們推進。
不過我們觀察到一個非常明顯的趨勢,傳統的融資路徑已經越來越難走通了。過去那種融資做大,發幣上所的模式已經逐漸失效。面對這樣的現實,很多團隊都陷入了尷尬的境地。而我們希望能從鏈上和加密的視角,提供一套不同的解決方案,讓他們找到新的發展路徑。
BlockBeats:明白,我剛才其實想表達的是,您剛剛也提到,傳統的 AI 模式在很大程度上仍然依賴「燒錢」競爭。但在 DeepSeek 出現之後,市場上一些資金體積較小的團隊或投資人開始重新燃起了信心,躍躍欲試地進入這個領域。您怎麼看待這種現象?這會不會對目前正在做 AI 基礎研發,或是 AI 應用層開發的團隊產生一定的影響?
empty:對,我覺得先不談 DeepSeek,從傳統角度來看,其實到目前為止,AI 領域真正賺錢的只有英偉達,其他幾乎所有玩家都還沒有實現盈利。所以其實沒有人真正享受了這個商業模式的成果,大家也仍在探索如何面對 C 端打造真正有產出的應用。
沒有哪個領域像幣圈一樣能如此快速獲得社群回饋。你一發幣,用戶就會主動去讀白皮書的每一個字,試試你產品的每個功能。
當然,這套機制並不適合所有人。例如有些 Agent 產品偏 Web2,對於幣圈用戶而言,可能感知不到其價值。因此,我也會鼓勵做 Agent 的團隊在 Virtuals 生態中認真思考,如何真正將 Crypto 作為自身產品的差異化要素加以運用與設計。
BlockBeats:這點我特別認同,在 Crypto 這個領域 AI 的迭代速度確實非常快,但這群用戶給予的回饋,真的是代表真實的市場需求嗎?或者說這些回饋是否真的符合更大眾化、更具規模性的需求?
empty:我覺得很多時候產品本身不應該是強行推廣給不適合的使用者群體。例如 AIXBT 最成功的一點就在於,它的用戶本身就是那群炒作他人內容的人,所以他們的使用行為是非常自然的,並不覺得是在被迫使用一個無聊的產品。 mass adoption 這個概念已經講了很多年,大家可能早就該放棄這個執念了。我們不如就認了,把東西賣給幣圈的人就好了。
BlockBeats:AI Agent 與 AI Agent 所對應的代幣之間,究竟應該是什麼樣的動態關係?
empty:對,我覺得這裡可以分成兩個核心點。首先其實不是在投資某個具體的 AI Agent,而是在投資背後經營這個 Agent 的團隊。你應該把它理解為一種更接近創投的思路:你投的是這個人,而不是他目前正在做的產品。因為產品本身是可以快速變化的,可能一個月後團隊會發現方向不對,立即調整。所以,這裡的「幣」本質上代表的是對團隊的信任,而不是某個特定 Agent 本身。
第二則是期望一旦某個 Agent 產品做出來後,未來它能真正產生現金流,或者有實際的使用場景(utility),從而讓對應的代幣具備賦能效應。
BlockBeats:您覺得有哪些賦能方式是目前還沒看到的,但未來可能出現、值得期待的?
empty:其實主要有兩塊,第一是比較常見的那種你要使用我的產品,就必須付費,或者使用代幣支付,從而間接實現對代幣的「軟銷毀」或消耗。
但我覺得更有趣的賦能方式,其實是在獲客成本的角度思考。也就是說,你希望你的用戶同時也是你的投資者,這樣他們就有動機去主動幫你推廣、吸引更多用戶。
BlockBeats:那基於這些觀點,您怎麼看 ai16z,在專案設計和代幣機制方面,似乎整體表現並不太樂觀?
empty:從一個很純粹的投資角度來看,撇開我們與他們之間的關係,其實很簡單。他們現在做的事情,對代幣本身沒有任何賦能。從開源的角度來看,一個開源模型本身是無法直接賦能代幣的。
但它仍然有價值的原因在於,它像一個期權(call option),也就是說,如果有一天他們突然決定要做一些事情,比如推出一個 launchpad,那麼那些提前知道、提前參與的人,可能會因此受益。
開發者未來確實有可能會使用他們的 Launchpad,只有在那一刻,代幣才會真正產生賦能。這是目前最大的一個問號——如果這個模式真的跑得通,我認為確實會非常強大,因為他們的確觸達了大量開發者。
但我個人還是有很多疑問。例如即使我是使用 Eliza 的開發者,也不代表我一定會選擇在他們的 Launchpad 上發幣。我會貨比三家,會比較。而且,做一個 Launchpad 和做一個開源框架,所需的產品能力和社群運作能力是完全不同的,這是另一個重要的不確定性。
BlockBeats:這種不同是體現在什麼地方呢?
empty:在 Virtuals 上我們幾乎每天都在處理客服相關的問題,只要有任何一個團隊在我們平台上發生 rug,即使與我們沒有直接關係,用戶也會第一時間來找我們投訴。
這時我們就必須出面安撫用戶,並思考如何降低 rug 的整體風險。一旦有團隊因為自己的代幣設計錯誤或技術失誤而被駭客攻擊、資產被盜,我們往往需要自掏腰包,確保他們的社群至少能拿回一點資金,以便專案能夠重新開始。這些項目方可能在技術上很強,但未必擅長代幣發行,結果因操作失誤被攻擊導致資產損失。只要涉及「被欺騙」相關的問題,對我們來說就已經是非常麻煩的事了,做這些工作跟做交易所的客服沒有太大差別。
另一方面,做 BD 也非常困難。優秀的團隊手上有很多選擇,他們可以選擇在 Pumpfun 或交易所上發幣,為什麼他們要來找我們,那這背後必須要有一整套支援體系,包括融資支援、技術協助、市場推廣等,每個環節都不能出問題。
BlockBeats:那我們就繼續沿著這個話題聊聊 Virtuals 目前的 Launchpad 業務。有一些社群成員在 Twitter 上統計了 Virtuals Launchpad 的整體獲利狀況,確實目前看起來獲利的項目比較少。接下來 Launchpad 還會是 Virtuals 的主要業務區嗎?還是說,未來的重心會逐漸轉向您剛才提到的「AI 華爾街」這條路徑?
empty:其實這兩塊本質上是一件事,是一整套體系的一部分,所以我們必須繼續推進。市場的波動是很正常的,我們始終要堅持的一點是:非常清楚地認識到我們的核心客戶是誰。我一直強調我們的客戶只有兩類——團隊。所以市場行情的好壞對我們來說並不是最重要的,關鍵是在每一個關鍵節點上,對於一個團隊來說,發幣的最佳選擇是否依然是我們 Virtuals。
BlockBeats:您會不會擔心「Crypto + AI」或「Crypto AI Agent」這一類敘事已經過去了?如果未來還有一輪多頭市場,您是否認為市場炒作的焦點可能已經不再是這些方向了?
empty:有可能啊,我覺得 it is what it is,這確實是有可能發生的,但這也屬於我們無法控制的範圍。不過如果你問我,在所有可能的趨勢中,哪個賽道更有機會長期保持領先,我仍然認為是 AI。從一個打德撲的角度來看,它仍然是最優選擇。
而且我們團隊的技術架構和底層能力其實早已搭建完成了,現在只是順勢而為而已。更重要的是,我們本身真的熱愛這件事,帶著好奇心去做這件事。每天早上醒來就有驅動力去研究最新的技術,這種狀態本身就挺讓人滿足的,對吧?
很多時候,大家不應該只看產品本身。實際上很多優秀的團隊,他們的基因決定了他們有在規則中勝出的能力——他們可能過去在做派盤交易時,每筆規模就是上百萬的操作,而這些團隊的 CEO,一年的薪資可能就有 100 萬美金。如果他們願意出來單幹項目,從天使投資或 VC 的視角來看,這本質上是用一個很划算的價格買到一個高品質的團隊。
更何況這些資產是 liquid 的,不是鎖倉狀態。如果你當下不急著用錢,完全可以在早期階段買進一些優秀團隊的代幣,靜靜等待他們去創造一些奇蹟,基本上就是這樣一個邏輯。