In 2025, AI agents became a new trend among cryptocurrency market participants. They are being evaluated as the next evolution of Web3 intelligence, integrated into DeFi, gaming, infrastructure, and DAO governance.
With this in mind, BeInCrypto contacted Dr. Max Li, CEO of OORT, to ask his views on whether these autonomous, machine learning-based software could reshape cryptocurrencies. Li provided interesting insights but warned that real-world adoption, security, and regulation are the biggest obstacles.
AI Agent Gold Rush... Confusion or Diversification?
According to data from the AI Agent Directory, the number of AI agents is increasing by an average of 33% per month.
However, despite growing interest, Web3-based AI solutions account for only 3% of the entire AI agent ecosystem.
According to Dr. Max Li, founder and CEO of decentralized cloud network OORT, this field is moving faster than its infrastructure can handle. He cited models like ElizaOS as an example.
However, in his opinion, the broader field is not ready. From decentralized repositories to tokenized agent marketplaces, core infrastructure is still under construction.
Real Bottleneck? Security, Not Speed
Scalability is often seen as a weakness of cryptocurrencies, but Max Li says security and regulation are greater threats. Especially when tokenizing AI outputs like computing, decision-making, and real-time data.
Dr. Li added that tokenized AI raises difficult questions. Who owns the data generated by agents? How can decentralized systems comply with global data laws like GDPR? And what happens when AI agents handle sensitive personal or financial information on-chain?
"These may already be more important barriers than scalability," Dr. Li warned.
The OORT executive emphasized that without clear governance or compliance frameworks, risks extend beyond cryptocurrencies to regulatory bodies, investors, and end-users.
Corporate Adoption, Difficult for Now
The industry often claims AI agents will bring real-world industries on-chain. But Dr. Li says this remains a fantasy, especially on public blockchains.
He explained that while companies like Walmart might use AI for internal operations, they have little incentive to tokenize such agents. Traditional enterprises want efficiency and control, not wrapping core systems with decentralized tokens.
"Most companies will prefer to keep data on their own secure servers rather than expose it to public, decentralized networks," he said.
While private chains could provide a bridge, Max Li says the idea of tokenized agents driving real-world logistics or finance is currently a cryptocurrency-specific dream.
Market Moving with High Interest
AI agent tokens exploded in 2025, riding the momentum of AI and cryptocurrencies and attracting massive capital inflows. But Dr. Li concludes it's similar to the dot-com bubble, stating that innovation exists, but the market is overheated.
Based on this, he does not believe the current rally is sustainable: "It's fair to say a bubble is forming here."
These sentiments align with recent warnings from Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), who cautioned that most AI token projects are launching too early.
"Too many AI agent developers are too focused on tokens and not sufficiently focused on the agents' utility. I recommend first making really good agents," CZ wrote in a post.
Zhao claimed that at the current stage, virtually no AI agents actually need tokens - perhaps only 0.05%. Similarly, analyst and popular X figure Hitesh Malviya recently reflected this sentiment.
"Looking outside the cryptocurrency echo chamber, we have a robust ecosystem of free and better AI agents. And they don't have tokens, nor will they need them. So trading in the name of agents is just a meme. Value created from nothing, as we always do." – Hitesh's observation.
Regulatory Confusion Predicted
The most underestimated risk in the AI agent boom is regulation. The intersection of open AI systems, tokenized data, and borderless blockchain is a minefield of compliance.
Dr. Li warned about unresolved contradictions: How can decentralized AI be transparent yet private? Who is responsible when agents act autonomously but cause financial losses?
"In the short term, regulatory intervention is likely to create additional barriers to innovation," he concluded.
This is especially true without global consensus. Unless jurisdictions align on KYC, AML laws, and data governance, institutional adoption will remain cautious or frozen.
The rise of AI agents is real, but their integration into a tokenized cryptocurrency ecosystem remains still on the edge of high risk and high uncertainty. Infrastructure is still vulnerable. There are no legal frameworks, and real-world adoption remains speculative.
Dr. Max Li's view is clear: Cryptocurrency must shift focus from high interest to functionality, from token-first to agent-first design.
Only then will the next leap of AI-based decentralization become more than just a market cycle.
