Could AI Be Crypto’s Greatest Ally?
Two of the most transformative forces in technology are beginning to converge, as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain find increasingly compelling use cases for integration. This synergistic relationship could redefine the technological landscape.
That’s why asset manager Bitwise estimates that the intersection of AI and crypto could add a collective $20 trillion to global GDP by 2030. This integration is occurring in two main areas: blockchain technology applications for AI systems and AI implementation within the crypto infrastructure.
Crypto Miners Find a New Seam
Blockchain’s potential for AI is particularly evident in decentralized computing. Both cryptocurrency and AI compete for GPU computing resources, which have become essential in the modern era. Several Web3 companies such as Bittensor and Render (with a combined market cap exceeding $7 billion) are creating marketplaces where crypto miners can redirect their computing power to serve AI applications. This provides much-needed capacity for large language models and offers miners alternative revenue streams due to the increasing competitiveness of crypto mining.
Resolving AI’s “Black Box” Problem
Blockchain technology is emerging as a potential solution to AI’s “black box” problem. “The use of opaque or ‘black box’ datasets in AI systems poses considerable risks, particularly around issues of transparency, fairness, and security,” states Rohit Wad, Chief Technology Officer at Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by user count. “These datasets can lead to decisions that are difficult to explain, potentially embedding bias or producing unintended outcomes.”
The origin of data used by AI platforms like ChatGPT is a major concern for governments and consumers globally, which is reflected in the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act of 2024 introduced in the US Congress in June 2024. Web3 projects such as The Graph and Arcium are using blockchain’s transparency to create verifiable audit trails for AI computations, addressing this crucial area in AI ethics.
Todd Ruoff, CEO at Web3 AI start-up Autonomys, explains how blockchain will improve transparency: “By storing model training data and parameters on-chain, users can audit the entire training process, verifying which datasets were used, how often the model was updated and which contributors played a role. This ensures that AI models are not ‘black boxes’, but are open to inspection, fostering trust and enabling users to see exactly how AI systems arrive at their decisions.”
AI in Web3 Security
AI is also applied to Web3 for security. “We’re seeing the most immediate value in AI-enhanced security, particularly in fraud detection and risk management,” says Wad. “Binance has implemented AI-driven solutions where machine learning algorithms and large language models are deployed to identify and prevent fraudulent behavior. These systems monitor transactions in real time, identifying suspicious patterns. This not only protects users from scams, but also assists in resolving disputes more efficiently.”
The Rise of AI Agents
While much of this integration is at the infrastructure level, the emergence of AI agents has opened doors to consumer-facing applications. AI agents are autonomous systems performing tasks and making decisions without human intervention—and they’re already here. A 2024 Capgemini study found that 10 percent of large companies are using them, with 82 percent planning to integrate them within the next three years. The AI agents market alone is projected to grow from $5 billion in 2024 to $47 billion by 2030.
“In the context of crypto, AI agents are being used to execute trades, manage portfolios, or facilitate on-chain governance,” explains Serge Golovkov, the founder of Web3 start-up Ripe Capital. “They interact within decentralized ecosystems, automating processes such as asset management, contract execution, or liquidity optimization.” There are even instances of autonomous AI agents promoting their own cryptocurrencies. An experiment by AI researcher Andy Ayrey led to the viral Terminal of Truths X account, which recently became “the first AI agent crypto millionaire.”
“I believe the integration of AI and Web3 will also catalyze the development of products that are more user-centric,” says Wad. “This will enhance both accessibility and transparency across sectors like finance and data governance.”
It appears that AI and crypto are becoming allied industries, a convergence that suggests AI systems will soon be more transparent and decentralized, while blockchain networks become more intelligent and adaptive. Together, these two forces are poised to redefine the technological landscape, spurring a wave of innovation that could transform industries and economies globally.
