The Ethereum Foundation has revealed the formation of a new research team dedicated to exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. This initiative aims to combine the decentralized nature and censorship resistance of blockchain with the rapidly advancing field of AI.
Davide Crapis, a research scientist at the Foundation, announced on Monday that the newly established team will concentrate on building an AI-powered economy on the Ethereum network, along with a decentralized AI toolkit for developers.
According to Crapis, posting on X, “Ethereum enhances the trustworthiness of AI, while AI amplifies the utility of Ethereum.” He added, “As intelligent agents engage in more transactions, their requirement for a neutral platform for both value exchange and reputation management increases. Ethereum stands to gain by providing that platform, and AI benefits from avoiding reliance on a small number of centralized operators.”
The Ethereum Foundation is currently seeking candidates to fill positions within the newly created dAI team, including an AI researcher and a project manager responsible for driving collaborative efforts.
The team will advance the groundwork laid by ERC-8004, a proposal co-authored by Crapis, Marco De Rossi, and Jordan Ellis. This proposal outlines a plan to transform the AI agent-to-agent (A2A) protocol into a reliable infrastructure for discovering and connecting with AI agents.
The Foundation intends to support projects that aim to establish Ethereum as a comprehensive ecosystem involving both AI and human participants, with Crapis taking the helm of the new team.
AI agents are emerging as a key element in the integration of blockchain and artificial intelligence. These are autonomous programs that make independent decisions and operate with minimal human intervention, executing transactions and fulfilling functions on behalf of their creators. Blockchains that support programmability, especially through smart contracts, are increasingly becoming environments for these agents.
AI can play a crucial role in settlement processes, the final stage of a transaction where assets are transferred. CryptoQuant, a blockchain analytics firm, reported that Ethereum’s daily smart contract calls reached 12 million on Thursday, underscoring the blockchain’s significance as a programmable layer for settlements.
“Network activity is in a growth phase,” CryptoQuant stated. “Total transactions and active addresses on Ethereum have hit all-time highs, signifying increasing adoption across decentralized finance, stablecoin transfers, and other token-based activities.”
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Blockchain’s Expanding Role in AI
According to tech experts, blockchain technology can address inherent shortcomings of artificial intelligence by introducing decentralization, data integrity, and enhanced identity verification capabilities.
Numerous Web3 organizations are actively pursuing the integration of these two technologies. In 2024, Matchain announced the launch of its decentralized AI blockchain, and in February 2025, KiteAI unveiled an AI-powered blockchain within the Avalanche ecosystem.
Arunkumar Krishnakumar, head of institutional growth and RWAs at Kamino Finance, suggests that AI agents paired with blockchain technology have the potential to revolutionize the digital economy.
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