AI Agents to Drive 45.8% CAGR in DeFi Market by 2030

AI agents are set to revolutionize the decentralized finance (DeFi) market, according to a recent report from Binance titled “DeFAI Unstacked: The Future of On-Chain Finance.” The report highlights that the integration of artificial intelligence into the crypto sector is transitioning from experimental projects to a fundamental component of DeFi infrastructure. This shift is expected to lead to the development of intelligent, autonomous financial systems that require minimal human intervention.

AI agents are anticipated to become the primary interface in DeFi, automating a range of complex tasks from liquidity management to governance voting. This automation will democratize access to DeFi, making it more accessible to users beyond the technical “power users” and transforming AI agents into “everyday financial co-pilots.”

The report introduces the concept of the DeFAI stack, a four-layered ecosystem that includes frameworks, protocols, AI agents, and marketplaces. Frameworks such as ARC, ElizaOS, and G.A.M.E. provide the architectural blueprint for building agents. Protocols like Modius, Wayfinder, and Cod3x enable the configuration and deployment of AI agents through low-code or no-code interfaces. AI agents, including AIXBT, Griffain, and Orbit, are autonomous systems designed to execute complex financial decisions, managing trades, liquidity, and yield optimization across multiple blockchain networks. Marketplaces such as Auto.fun, Genesis, and CoLearn facilitate the distribution, customization, and monetization of AI agents.

Globally, the market for AI agents outside of crypto is expected to grow significantly, from $5.4 billion in 2024 to $7.6 billion in 2025, and is projected to reach $50.31 billion by 2030, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45.8% over the 2025–2030 period. Within the crypto sphere, open-source frameworks like ElizaOS have already gained significant traction, with over 6,000 GitHub stars and contributions from more than 120 developers. Virtuals Protocol has deployed over 15,000 live agents on-chain, generating over $60 million in protocol revenue.

Currently, the AI crypto market capitalization is largely driven by speculative assets like meme coins, accounting for about 41% of the total. However, the report predicts that the long-term growth of DeFi will be driven by AI agents focused on functionality and efficiency. These intelligent systems will bring the next stage in DeFi by replacing rule-based protocols with dynamic decision-making, adapting to market conditions in real time.