- Ethereum launches dAI Team to build decentralized AI infrastructure and agent coordination.
- ERC-8004 standard aims to verify AI agents for trustless transactions across ETH.
- Ethereum positions itself as the base layer for future autonomous AI-driven economies.
Ethereum has often been called the backbone of decentralized finance. Now, the network is setting its sights on a new frontier: Artificial Intelligence. The Ethereum Foundation has unveiled a dedicated AI unit, known as the dAI Team, aimed at making Ethereum the preferred settlement and coordination layer for autonomous AI systems.
Ethereum Creates dAI Team for AI Economy
The dAI Team, led by research scientist Davide Crapis, will focus on enabling AI agents and robots to interact on-chain. Its mission is to let these agents pay, coordinate, and follow shared rules without intermediaries. Crapis said the initiative reflects Ethereum’s long-term vision to bridge blockchain technology and the rise of intelligent systems.
The group will also work to reduce dependence on centralized AI providers. By building what it calls the Decentralized AI Stack, the team aims to ensure AI infrastructure remains open, verifiable, and censorship-resistant. This approach matches Ethereum’s values of neutrality, transparency, and resistance to control by a few powerful companies.
The team’s formation links Ethereum’s protocol development with the needs of AI builders. The Foundation confirmed it will fund ecosystem projects that help AI agents operate securely within Ethereum’s decentralized framework. Crapis emphasized that Ethereum and AI can grow together, with Ethereum offering a neutral base for value and reputation exchange.
ERC-8004: A Standard for AI Agents
One of the dAI Team’s first projects is ERC-8004, a new Ethereum standard, which allows AI agents to be discoverable, verifiable, and transactable across the ecosystem. The Foundation said the standard will establish trust between AI systems by proving their identities and reliability.
The ERC-8004 draft is expected to reach completion by November, with a formal presentation scheduled at Devconnect in Buenos Aires. The standard could become the first building block for large-scale AI coordination on Ethereum, opening the way for marketplaces, decentralized model training, and trustless machine-to-machine transactions.
The dAI Team plans to continue work on related standards while investing in projects that support decentralized agent identity, reputation, and coordination. According to the Foundation, this effort will lay the groundwork for a broader AI economy powered by Ethereum.
The launch aligns with Ethereum’s decentralized acceleration philosophy. The Foundation highlighted that Ethereum makes AI more trustworthy, while AI increases Ethereum’s utility in new domains. Neutral, verifiable settlement could help AI systems move away from reliance on centralized platforms.
Related: Upbit Unveils Giwa: Ethereum Layer-2 with 1-Second Block Times
Positioning Ethereum as an AI Operating System
The Foundation noted that AI is poised to shape humanity’s future, much as decentralized finance transformed financial systems. By integrating AI with Ethereum, developers could create an autonomous agent economy where machines interact, transact, and collaborate under transparent rules.
The dAI Team will work together with the protocol and ecosystem divisions of the Foundation. This framework makes research and protocol updates based on the practical requirements of AI developers. Funding will also support public goods that enable the interoperability of AI agents.
Ethereum leaders believe the network can serve as a foundational operating system for autonomous AI economies. With settlement, data availability, and incentive design, Ethereum could underpin decentralized AI applications across industries.
The Foundation will also be expected to place job listings and resources to grow the project. Partnerships with Silicon Valley firms and global researchers are anticipated to accelerate adoption. While the network progresses on development, its market activity has raised concern, with recent fluctuations. As of press time, ETH is trading at $4,530.95, down 2.5% over 24 hours. However, the token’s gain of 36.14% year-to-date has given market observers a slight relief.
