AI Agent Sector Analysis
Results and conclusions of The AI Agent Lab by Solberg Invest.
The AI Agent Thesis
AI agents are the first on-chain software entities that can own capital, earn fees, and evolve without human custodianship.
Their rise has turned a sci-fi idea into a $20 billion market, out-running every major crypto sector in Q4 2024, includingn Bitcoin itself.
From Microsoft’s latest Build keynotes to venture-funded blockchains, the industry’s biggest players now talk about an “agentic web” where autonomous services negotiate, transact, and learn in real time.
The AI Agent Lab was an initiative to find the best approach to investing in this emerging sector, and to find the best projects to allocate capital to.
Our research spans the entire value chain—
from infrastructure (deBridge bridges liquidity; OriginTrail powers verifiable data) to developer platforms (ChainGPT, ElizaOS) and end-user marketplaces (Virtuals Protocol, AI Companions).
Each project on our Golden List earns its spot by being the leader in its layer in the value chain.
Why we believe agent tokens are still early:
- Institutional-grade traction. Bosch and Deutsche Telekom are already piloting Fetch.ai agents for industrial IoT and supply-chain automation, signalling that enterprise adoption is not a distant hope—it’s happening now.
- Capital rotation. Investors are pivoting from meme-agents to agents with real utility, creating a upward spiral for both developers and investors.
- Structural tailwinds. AI Agents are benefitting from the general advancements in AI technology. For example, when OpenAI, Claude, DeepSeek, Meta, and the other ship better LLM's, AI Agents expand their capabilities exponentially.
- Narrative resilience. Nothing is more exponential than AI right now, both in traditional web2 and in web3. And the agentic sub-niche is the most exciting and revolutionary of them all.
Our mission: Find the best investment opportunities and allocation strategies, so you can position ahead of the curve rather than chase it. Welcome to The AI Agent Lab.
The Value-Chain Approach
We approached the AI agent ecosystem with a deliberate strategy: to identify high-conviction opportunities across every layer of the value chain.
From the foundational infrastructure enabling agents to operate autonomously on-chain, through developer platforms that streamline their creation, to the end-user applications, marketplaces and individual agents that deliver tangible value—we sought to understand and invest in each segment.
This comprehensive exploration allowed us to pinpoint where value is most likely to accrue and how capital flows through the ecosystem. By mapping these intersections, we curated our Golden List to spotlight leading project on each level of the value chain.
By investing across the full stack—from infrastructure to applications — we aim to build a resilient portfolio poised to capitalize on the growth and integration of AI agents.
Value Chain
Users / Consumers pay:
- Subscriptions
- Agent actions
- Services
Ex: BankrCoin (BNKR)
Apps & Marketplace pay:
- API calls
- Data feeds
- Subscriptions
Ex: Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL)
Developer Platforms,
Tools & Software pay:
- Bridge fee
- Data-query
- Server costs
Ex: Venice Token (VVV)
Infrastructure
and Settlement pay:
- Miner/Staker fees
- Hardware cost
- Liquidity providers
Ex: deBridge (DBR)
The Golden List
ChainGPT
CGPTChainGPT delivers ready-made AI solutions (chatbot, coder, NFT creator) plus an IDO launchpad under one roof. It’s essentially the “pick-and-shovel” provider – generating revenue from its launchpad (which coockie.fun spawned from) and B2C + B2B services and products.
Virtuals Protocol
VIRTUALSVirtuals lets you build and tokenize AI Agents, and aims to becme the ecosystem where agents collaberating through their Agent Commerce Protocol (ACP). The protocol generates revenue from all launches and through a trading fee on their platform, and their token is continually being locked up in liquidity pools as more agents launch. Investing in VIRTUAL is like investing in an index of all the AI agents
ElizaOS
AI16ZIn a lineup of AI projects, ElizaOS is currently the best operating system for tech-savvy developers building AI Agents. It’s an open source and got an order of magnitude more developers on Github compared to the other operating systems.
deBridge
DBRdeBridge provides the critical infrastructure that lets agents move assets and data across chains seamlessly. It already bridges hunderds of millions of dollars monthly, with enterprise-level trust, ensuring AI agents can operate in a multi-chain world
AI Companions
AICAI Companions (AIC) gives AI a heart. It’s “ChatGPT meets Tamagotchi” – a Web3 platform where users forge emotional bonds with AIs, or create productivity partners. With a revenue-backed token (subscriptions auto-burn AIC) and plans for AR/VR friend/productivity avatars, AIC stands apart by focusing on the social needs of the individual.
Venice Token
VVVAmong all eight, Venice stands out for its unique privacy focus - privacy-first API connections to open source LLMs with negative-cost due to their staking-for-credits model. It’s serving tens of thousands of users daily with AI services comparable to ChatGPT, but with no Big Tech snooping.
Griffain
GRIFFAINWith an exclusive focus on DeFi reseach, analysis and trading, Griffin wants to be the Bloomberg + App Store of AI agents – a one-stop platform where you get cutting-edge financial AI tools (and can create your own). With their "Agent engine", you'll be the orchestrator of "agent swarms" which are able to execute complicated, chained lists of tasks.
OriginTrail
TRACIn this group, OriginTrail is vastly different: it's the invisible fabric that guarantees truth for AI agents. Imagine all the supply chain data, certifications, and IoT info that AI agents might need – OriginTrail’s Decentralized Knowledge Graph (DKG) makes it available, verifiable, and interoperable. OriginTrail’s DKG grew to secure 40% of U.S.–EU import data in 2023, and is used by figures like Oracle, SAP, British Standards Institution, and Microsoft.
BankrCoin
BNKRBankrCoin combines social media and DeFAI by enabeling you to send crypto, run airdrops, mint NFTs, and make trades directly on X (Twitter) by tagging @bankrbot and telling it what to do. What makes Bankr stand out is the built-in virtality and it's uniqe mindshare flywheel. More people using it leads to more people seeing it on X, which leads to more people using it. With exciting catalysts like a potential Coinbase listing, API solution for developers, Coinbase Wallet integration and an upcomming BankrClub rankings system, this micro-cap has explosive potential.
Relative Risk Rankings
| Project | Relative Risk Ranking (1 - 9) |
|---|---|
| Virtuals Protocol | 1.00 |
| ElizaOS | 2.30 |
| OriginTrail | 3.90 |
| deBridge | 4.00 |
| ChainGPT | 5.50 |
| Venice Token | 5.60 |
| BankrCoin | 5.70 |
| Griffain | 8.00 |
| AI Companions | 9.00 |
Honorable Mentions
Acolyt
ACOLYTAn Agent running the "Agent-as-a-Service" model with actual clients generating revenue. Their service is an operating system called "The Signal" which businesses can use to run their own AI Agents on X. A portion of the revenue is used to buy back $ACOLYT, and the're official partners with Virtuals Protocol.
Artificial Superintelligence Alliance
FETThe Artificial Superintelligence Alliance is a team-up between Fetch.ai, SingularityNET, Ocean Protocol, and now CUDOS. They’re the biggest open-source group working on AGI, aiming to move beyond narrow AI by building everything needed—from research to real-world products—all under one roof.
Wayfinder
PROMPTWayfinder AI lets you launch your own AI agents that can handle everything on the blockchain—from sending tokens to running smart contracts—just by chatting. Its agents get smarter over time and can easily move across different blockchains. The PROMPT token powers it all, letting you create, upgrade, and govern the Wayfinder network.
AI Rig Complex
ARCArc is building an “App Store” for AI agents called Ryzome. It lets anyone use or create smart AI tools that work across Web2 and Web3 apps, handle real transactions, and remember your preferences. Everything runs on the Arc token, so developers and users all benefit as the ecosystem grows.
aixbt by Virtuals
AIXBTAIXBT is an AI-powered crypto market intel platform that helps token holders stay ahead of trends. It uses smart analysis to track narratives and spot opportunities, automatically pulling in data from across the crypto world to give you clear, actionable insights.
Rei
REIRei is an AI Agent built by 0xReisearch - a team of AI and crypto fans working to bring smarter AI tech to blockchains—especially Ethereum. They’re tackling the big challenges of combining AI with blockchain, aiming to make these systems more powerful, scalable, and useful for everyone in the space.
PAAL AI
PAALPaal enables users build advanced AI applications and deploy them across multiple platforms, including Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, Slack, iOS, VisionOS, and various web channels. Paal has significant adoption: Their AI Bots have been used in 20k+ groups (Telegram, Discord, etc).
Freysa AI
FREYSAFreysa is building a suite of Personal AI tools so everyone—not just a few—can own, control, and benefit from AI. The goal: let humans co-own and govern AI, communicate and coordinate through their twins, and eventually expand their minds beyond biology.
VaderAI
VADERVaderAI entered an official partnership with Virtuals Protocol, giving VADER stakers several benefits: Staking VADER gives you "Virgen Points" which enables you to participate in "Genesis Launches" on Virtuals Protocol. Stakes also get airdrops. Historically, the daily ROI on your staked capital is roughly 1-3% per day.
Phala Network
PHAPhala Network is building the execution layer that lets AI and blockchains work together, making Web3 more accessible for everyone. With Phala, you can create secure AI agents that connect to smart contracts, interact across different chains, and even earn rewards—all while staying fully decentralized and tamper-proof.
Allocation Suggestions
Before allocating to these project, you need to decide how much of your total portfolio to allocate to AI Agents in general. The below suggestions all add up to 100%, so they are only suggestion for the capital you dedicate to AI Agents.
In general, you'll want a portfolio with altcoins from more than one sector. Members of the AI Agent Lab allocate only between 10% and 30% of their portfolio to AI Agents, and have the rest in BTC (as our largest position) and coins from other sectors like Layer One, DeFi, RWA, and GameFi.
Broad Exposure (low risk)
- 50% Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUALS)
- 10% OriginTrail (TRAC)
- 10% ElizaOS (AI16Z)
- 10% deBridge (DBR)
- 10% Venice Token (VVV)
- 10% Artificial Superintelligence Allicance (FET)
Value Chain (medium risk)
- 25% Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUALS)
- 10% Griffain (GRIFFAIN)
- 10% BankrCoin (BNKR)
- 10% ElizaOS (AI16Z)
- 10% deBridge (DBR)
- 10% OriginTrail (TRAC)
- 10% Venice Token (VVV)
- 7.5% ChainGPT (CGPT)
- 7.5% AI Companions (AIC)
Consentrated Exposure (high risk)
- 20% BankrCoin (BNKR)
- 20% aixbt by virtuals (AIXBT)
- 20% VaderAI (VADER)
- 15% Acolyt (ACOLYT)
- 15% Freysa AI (FREYSA)
- 10% Wayfinder (PROMPT)
Anchored High Risk
- 50% Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL)
- 12.5% BankrCoin (BNKR)
- 12.5% aixbt by virtuals (AIXBT)
- 10% VaderAI (VADER)
- 5% Acolyt (ACOLYT)
- 5% Freysa AI (FREYSA)
- 5% Wayfinder (PROMPT)
How to Use These Suggestions
These allocation suggestions are your roadmap—not a rulebook. Markets move, coins evolve, and opportunities pop up all the time. That’s why it’s key to regularly check in and rebalance to match your comfort zone.
Spot a big event coming? Let’s say ElizaOS (AI16Z) announces a huge partnership or protocol upgrade—it makes sense to temporarily bump your exposure to catch that wave. Just remember: set clear targets and stick to your exit plan, so you don’t drift off-course.
The Ai Agent Lab team will review our allocations regularly: check performance, skim through recent news and key metrics, and tweak your allocations as needed. Stay disciplined, stay informed, and you’ll keep your portfolio aligned with your goals—and ready to seize growth when it shows up.
Using BlockMind and attending discussing with other investors either in the community or with Oskar 1-1 can help, as keeping up with several projects is time-consuming and hard to do alone.