The "Why" Behind AI Agents: Blockchain's Sovereign Intent Revolution

Developers are increasingly emphasizing the necessity of integrating AI agents through intent-based systems, as these infrastructures are seen as critical to preserving the core values of Web3. According to Adrian Brink, co-founder of Anoma, Web3 was founded on principles such as decentralization, sovereignty, verifiability, and resilience. However, the rise of AI agents poses a threat to these values if not properly integrated into a sovereign intent-centric infrastructure. The integration of intents is not merely a UX enhancement but a foundational infrastructure requirement for ensuring that AI serves users rather than centralized entities [1].

AI agents have the potential to streamline blockchain interactions and make them more intuitive, but current implementations are based on black-box large-language models (LLMs) that are unverifiable and prone to errors. This creates significant security concerns when managing sensitive financial data. Additionally, agents are often built on centralized infrastructure with opaque execution systems, lacking control over user privacy and data sovereignty. This trend risks replicating Web2 power dynamics within the crypto ecosystem [1].

Intent-based systems offer a solution by allowing users complete control over the outcomes of their transactions. These systems operate through a decentralized network of solvers—agentic nodes that compete to execute user transactions—eliminating the complexity of blockchain interactions while maintaining user sovereignty and privacy. The integration of AI agents with intent-based systems enables the full potential of both technologies, allowing for seamless, secure, and decentralized interactions that align with Web3 values [1].

Without intent-based infrastructure, AI agents present serious centralization risks. As agent-based solutions gain popularity, the risk of centralization and market consolidation is high. A competitive, decentralized marketplace of agents is essential to prevent the dominance of specific LLMs over the order flow. Intent-based systems enable decentralized, interoperable marketplaces where agents can communicate, specialize in specific transactions, share order flow, and compete to meet user needs [1].

Beyond privacy and decentralization, intent-based infrastructure will also enable agents to communicate and interoperate with each other. This is essential for agents to trade with one another and perform complex, multi-step operations for users. Generalized intents will empower agents to solve any user request, including multi-step operations and cross-chain transactions, opening the door to new applications that can advance decentralized finance (DeFi) beyond current capabilities [1].

The combination of AI agents and intent-based infrastructure will redefine the Web3 experience, ensuring it remains aligned with its core values. Intents will bridge users and agents, enabling the UX benefits users expect from AI while maintaining decentralization, sovereignty, and verifiability. As AI adoption grows, the risk of replicating Web2 problems within Web3 increases. Intent-centric infrastructure is the key to addressing these challenges and unlocking the full potential of AI agents. It is essential for anyone integrating or considering integrating AI into DeFi [1].

Source:

[1] AI Agents Need Intent-Based Blockchain Infrastructure (https://cointelegraph.com/news/intent-blockchain-ai)

[2] VELOUSD - AI agents need intent-based blockchain ... - ADVFN (https://mx.advfn.com/bolsa-de-valores/COIN/VELOUSD/crypto-news/96728415/ai-agents-need-intent-based-blockchain-infrastruct)