In 2025, AI agents emerged as a hot topic among participants in the cryptocurrency market. These AI agents were utilized in decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, infrastructure, and DAO governance, presenting themselves as the future of Web3 intelligence.
BeInCrypto reached out to Dr. Max Li, the CEO of OORT, to gather his thoughts on how these autonomous, machine-learning-powered software acting on behalf of users could impact the world of crypto. While Dr. Li provided some insightful perspectives, he cautioned that challenges related to real-world adoption, security, and regulation would be significant hurdles.
The AI Agent Gold Rush: Disruption or Distraction?
Statistics from the AI Agents Directory indicate a steady monthly increase of 33% in the number of AI agents.
Nevertheless, despite the growing interest, Web3-based artificial intelligence solutions currently represent only a small portion (3%) of the total AI agent ecosystem.
According to Dr. Max Li, the founder and CEO of OORT, the sector is advancing more rapidly than its infrastructure can keep up with, citing models like ElizaOS (formerly ai16z).
However, he pointed out that the overall ecosystem is still lacking readiness. Dr. Li highlighted that fundamental infrastructure components, such as decentralized storage and tokenized agent marketplaces, are still in the development phase.
The Real Bottleneck? Security, Not Speed
While scalability is commonly viewed as a weak point in the crypto space, Dr. Max Li emphasized that security and regulatory compliance pose greater risks. Tokenizing AI outputs like computing processes, decision-making functions, or real-time data brings forth complex challenges.
Dr. Li raised critical questions regarding tokenized AI, such as ownership of the data generated by the agents, compliance with global data regulations like GDPR, and managing interactions with sensitive personal or financial data on the blockchain.
He cautioned that these issues could be more formidable barriers than scalability concerns.
Enterprise Adoption Isn't Imminent
Although it is often asserted that AI agents will shift real-world industries onto the blockchain, Dr. Li suggested that this prospect remains a distant reality, particularly in the public blockchain domain.
While corporations such as Walmart could leverage AI for internal operations, there is minimal motivation to tokenize these agents. Traditional enterprises prioritize efficiency and control, showing little interest in integrating decentralized tokens with their core systems.
Dr. Li indicated that most enterprises prefer to retain their data within secure servers rather than exposing it on a public, decentralized network.
While private blockchains might present a compromise, he believes that the idea of tokenized agents driving real-world logistics or financial operations is more of a concept rooted in the crypto sphere than a practical imminent occurrence.
A Market Fueled by Hype
The year 2025 saw a significant surge in AI agent tokens. These tokens gained momentum from both the AI and cryptocurrency sectors, attracting substantial investments. Nonetheless, Dr. Li drew a parallel with the dot-com bubble, suggesting that while innovation is real, the market may be overheated.
He doubted the sustainability of the ongoing rally, hinting at a potential bubble forming in the space.
Dr. Li echoed sentiments expressed by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who cautioned that many AI token projects are premature.
Regulatory Turbulence Ahead
The AI agent boom poses regulatory challenges due to the amalgamation of open AI systems, tokenized data, and borderless blockchains.
Dr. Li emphasized unresolved contradictions in decentralized AI systems, such as ensuring transparency and privacy. Issues surrounding liability in cases where autonomous agents cause financial losses have yet to be adequately addressed.
He anticipates that regulatory intervention could introduce additional obstacles for innovation in the short term until there is alignment on know-your-customer (KYC), anti-money laundering (AML) laws, and data governance among jurisdictions.
Despite the genuine rise of AI agents, their incorporation into tokenized crypto ecosystems remains a realm fraught with high risk and ambiguity. The infrastructure is precarious, legal frameworks are lacking, and real-world adoption remains largely conjectural.
Dr. Max Li emphasized that the crypto industry should pivot its focus from hype to functionality, transitioning from a token-centric to an agent-centric design approach to truly advance AI-powered decentralization beyond mere market trends.