A quiet shift is happening within the Ethereum Foundation, one that could reshape how we think about the digital world. They’ve just launched a new team, called “dAI,” and its mission sounds like something straight from a science fiction novel. But it’s very real, and it aims to weave artificial intelligence directly into the fabric of Ethereum.
- The Ethereum Foundation has launched a new team, “dAI,” to integrate artificial intelligence into the Ethereum blockchain. This initiative aims to establish Ethereum as a primary platform for AI transactions and coordination, fostering a decentralized AI ecosystem.
- A key project is the development of the ERC-8004 standard, designed to provide AI agents with a digital identity and the ability to conduct verified transactions on the blockchain. This standard will enable AI agents to interact, make payments, and enforce policies autonomously without intermediaries.
- The long-term vision is to build decentralized, censorship-resistant AI infrastructure, positioning Ethereum as a neutral, verifiable base layer for AI agents to manage value, reputation, and rules, thereby enhancing both AI trustworthiness and Ethereum’s utility.
Davide Crapis, a core developer, leads this new group. He’s been given a clear, two-part job. First, make Ethereum the go-to place for AIs to settle their transactions and coordinate their actions. Think of it as building the main street for the machine economy.
Second, the team wants to build a decentralized AI stack. This means making sure the future of AI doesn’t end up controlled by just a few big companies. It’s about spreading power, a core idea in the crypto space.
I’ve seen a lot of ambitious plans in this industry, but this one feels different. It’s not just about tokens or trading. It’s about laying down tracks for a future where intelligent software agents might be everywhere, making decisions and payments on their own.
The ERC-8004 Standard: A Digital Passport for AI
The dAI team isn’t just dreaming big. They have a concrete project on the horizon. Their immediate focus is a new standard called ERC-8004. This standard is all about giving AI agents an identity and a way to handle transactions on the blockchain.
We can expect to hear more about ERC-8004 at Devconnect in November. The details are still sparse beyond that reveal, but the idea itself holds a lot of weight. Why do AI agents need a digital passport, you ask?
Well, as software becomes more autonomous, it starts doing things that require trust and verification. These agents will trigger payments, sign messages, and call on-chain services. Without a way to know who or what is doing these things, chaos could quickly follow.
Reliable identity and policy enforcement become gatekeepers. They ensure safety and allow for growth. Imagine a world where thousands of AI agents are interacting. You’d want to know they are legitimate, wouldn’t you?
A common standard like ERC-8004 could clear up a lot of confusion. It could reduce fragmentation across different wallets, agents, and decentralized applications (dapps). Developers would get a predictable way to prove where an agent came from and how it behaves.
ERC-8004 aims to let applications verify an AI agent’s identity. It will show what rules that agent follows. It will also help determine if the agent can be trusted. This standard is supposed to make it easier for AI agents and robots to pay, coordinate, and enforce policy without needing any middlemen.
Davide Crapis shared more on X, noting the team will work across the Foundation’s Protocol and Ecosystem groups. This means they’ll connect improvements to the core Ethereum protocol with the needs of AI builders. They’ll also fund public goods projects, which is a nice touch.
Today, I'm excited to share that the Ethereum Foundation has formed a new "dAI" team to accelerate work at the intersection of AI and blockchains.
Our mandate is twofold:
1. Make Ethereum the preferred settlement and coordination layer for AIs and the machine economy.
2. Build a… pic.twitter.com/1k7y2l897c— Davide Crapis (@DavideCrapis) February 20, 2025
Ethereum and AI: A Shared Future?
Crapis frames this whole effort as “Ethereum + AI.” He sees Ethereum as a neutral, verifiable base layer. This layer would give intelligent agents a shared place for value, reputation, and rules. It’s a compelling vision, if a bit futuristic.
He put it plainly, “We believe Ethereum can be as useful for today’s AI developers as it will be for the sci-fi future.” It’s a bold statement, but it captures the ambition. He adds that “Ethereum makes AI more trustworthy, and AI makes Ethereum more useful.”
This idea of mutual benefit is key. The more intelligent agents transact, the more they will need a neutral base layer. This layer would handle their value and reputation. It’s like building a universal credit score and bank account for robots.
The longer-term goal for the dAI team is to build decentralized, censorship-resistant AI infrastructure. This is not the first time the Ethereum Foundation has looked far ahead. They often tackle big, foundational problems.
Recently, for example, the organization shared its end-to-end privacy roadmap. This plan includes private reads and writes, along with proving mechanisms. It’s all about making transactions more private on the blockchain.
They also have efforts to make Layer 2s feel like a single chain. This involves an interoperability framework. It shows a consistent pattern: the Foundation works on core infrastructure that benefits the entire ecosystem, often years before the full impact is felt.
The dAI team’s work fits right into this pattern. They are building the groundwork for a future that many of us are only just beginning to imagine. It’s a future where AI agents are not just tools, but active participants in a digital economy.
What does this mean for the average crypto enthusiast? It means Ethereum is not standing still. It’s constantly adapting, looking for new ways to be relevant. It’s a reminder that the blockchain space is always moving, always building something new, sometimes even for the machines.
