AI Agents Dominate Web3 with 1.39B Funding and 17K Active Agents

Key Highlights

• On-Chain Dominance: AI's share of Web3 activity rose to 19% in June 2025, up from 9% in January, with 4.5 million daily active wallets.
• Funding Boom: AI agent projects raised $1.39 billion in 2025, a 9.4% increase from 2024, rivaling blockchain gaming investments.
• Agent Deployment: Over 17,000 AI agents have launched on Virtuals Protocol since November 2024, averaging 85 new agents daily.
• Token Market: AI tokens hit a $5.9 billion market cap, despite a 64% drop from early June highs, with $1.4 billion in 24-hour trading volume.
• Regional Adoption: Europe (26.2%) and Asia (21.9%) lead in AI dApp usage, followed by North America (15.8%).

What Are AI Agents?

AI agents are autonomous programs that perform tasks, make decisions, or interact with users. In Web3, they specialize in:

• DeFi: Managing trades, yield strategies, and portfolios.
• Social: Representing users in decentralized apps, managing profiles, and responding to messages.
• Gaming: Acting as guides or opponents, trained on game mechanics and player behavior.

Token Utility and Hype

AI agent tokens serve various roles:

• Governance: Community decision-making.
• Access: Unlocking advanced features.
• Fundraising: Supporting agent training and maintenance. However, some tokens are meme-like, lacking technical substance and riding speculative waves.

Leading Blockchains for AI dApps

Top chains by AI activity (Jan–Jun 2025):

1. Matchain: 1.9 million daily users.
2. opBNB & Nebula: Strong in gamified AI services.

Global User Distribution

AI agent adoption is worldwide:

• Europe: 26.2%
• Asia: 21.9%
• North America: 15.8%
• South America: 2.5% (but growing).

Investment Trends

While centralized AI giants dominate funding, Web3 AI agents are gaining traction:

• $1.39 billion raised in 2025, nearing blockchain gaming levels.
• Focus on autonomous on-chain agents as a new Web3 primitive.

Challenges Ahead

• Token volatility: Hype often outpaces utility.
• Infrastructure gaps: Cross-chain support remains uneven.
• Agent autonomy: Not all deliver on promises.

Conclusion

AI agents are reshaping Web3, with 17,000+ agents deployed, $5.9 billion in token value, and global user engagement. Despite challenges, the race for smarter agents and stronger ecosystems is just beginning.

For deeper insights, read A deeper dive into AI agents.