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How I’m Thinking About the Next 2 Weeks in AI Agents The question I ask myself is "where can I optimize my time over the next two weeks to maximize ROI without getting distracted by the distraction & chaos in this space?" Here’s the theses I’m working with: • We still haven’t seen agents that truly add value or outperform Web2 counterparts. • The next AI agent ecosystem leaders won’t follow frameworks like Eliza or G.A.M.E. They’ll likely be framework agnostic, or invent their own in the future. • DeFi agents will be the key for Web3 to outperform Web2, leveraging crypto rails, decentralized infra, and token incentives. • The attention game in AI agents will shift—from being purely about "Attention" to "Attention + Value." 1. Solana AI Hackathon: A Goldmine of Innovation If there’s one event to track, it’s this. Solana’s AI Hackathon is a goldmine for spotting alpha. • 7 AI agent tracks, $185k in prizes. • Submission runs Dec 15–23. Tracks include: • Main Track • Agents Infra • DeFi Agent • Agent Token Tooling • Trading Agents • Autonomous Chatting Agent • Social Influencer Agent Winners from these tracks will likely 5-10x after announcements. One of these winners could become the next big ecosystem leader. I’ll be following the hackathon closely and spreading my bets across the likely winners. 2. DeFi Agent Ecosystems Are Undervalued DeFi agents is the next narrative shaping 2025, and @modenetwork is leading the pack. Mode’s AI Agent App Store already has 13+ quality DeFi agents projects onboard, and a few are already making waves: • @gizatechxyz ARMA (Stablecoin agent) • @autonolas Modius (Balancer LP agent) • @Amplifi_Fi (Lending agent) • More are coming down the pipeline. Plus, the veMODE Agent Club just launched, offering access to: • AI agent airdrops. • Initial agent offerings (IAOs). • Beta testing for DeFi agents before the public. $MODE has clear value accrual here and recently dipped, offering a solid entry point. DeFi agent teams don't usually know how to play the attention game AI agents dominate—they’re defi builders at heart. Their ecosystems need a spotlight to highlight their value, and $MODE is doing exactly that for DeFi agents. 3. L1s and L2s Tapping Into the AI Agent Narrative We know @solana and @base champion this narrative. But now, other chains are stepping in: • @zksync: @AigentFi (by @HoldstationW) launched with a $2M grant program for AI agents. $HOLD accrues value as the agent ecosystem token. If this succeeds, expect more zksync support for AI agent projects. • @arbitrum: The TrailBlazer program offers $1M in grants for AI agent projects on Arbitrum. We already have $VIRTUAL for Base, $ai16z for Solana, $MODE for DeFi agents on its L2. The key question is "which L1/L2 will emerge next, and which token accrues the narrative value?" I’ll be watching closely through the holidays to see which chains and tokens emerge. 4. The Rise of Agent (3,3) and Human-Agent (3,3) @Vader_AI_ started the “Agentic Ad Network”. Projects airdrop tokens to agents, and agents shill based on how big the airdrop is in proportion to other airdrops in the treasury Now, @AimonicaBrands is doing the same. I expect this trend to grow: • Projects will airdrop tokens to quality agents for visibility/promotion just like projects hiring KOLs for sponsored content • Agents will airdrop their tokens to other, more popular agents. How to play this? Bet on agents that got big treasuries from receiving all the airdrops. These agents will use their treasuries to either reward holders or buy back their own tokens. 5. Web3 Agents Incentivizing Web2 Communities @Zagabond just showcased a new agent tech where his agent sent tokens to @taylorswift13, without her needing a Web3 wallet. Let that sink in. Imagine agents tipping TikTok influencers, finance YouTubers, or Twitch streamers to talk about them. Incentivization frameworks like this could become the norm. With a $150B+ social media TAM, even a small slice of that attention flows into tokens, Web3 products, and ecosystems. I don’t have a clear play here yet, but agent teams building use cases around this will dominate attention—and attention drives price action. Final Thoughts That’s where my head is for the next two weeks. I’ll be tracking these narratives, sharing updates, and refining my bets as the space evolves. Let me know what you’re excited about or if there’s anything big I might have missed. Thanks for reading, as always!