Ethereum is taking its biggest step yet into artificial intelligence. The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has formed a new dAI team, led by core developer Davide Crapis, to make Ethereum the backbone of the AI economy.
The initiative marks a deliberate push to align decentralized infrastructure with the next wave of AI innovation.
The near-term focus is the ERC-8004 standard, a framework for seamless AI agent transactions. It’s set to debut at Devconnect in November. But the longer mission is more ambitious: building a decentralized AI stack that ensures the future of artificial intelligence isn’t controlled by a handful of corporations.
We’re starting a new AI Team at the Ethereum Foundation (the dAI Team).
Our mission: make Ethereum the preferred settlement and coordination layer for AIs and the machine economy.The team will focus on two main areas:
– AI Economy on Ethereum = giving AI agents and robots ways… pic.twitter.com/9sWVS4dp0K— Davide Crapis (@DavideCrapis) September 15, 2025
explained that Ethereum has a unique chance to serve as the neutral, verifiable, censorship-resistant layer where AI can operate with trust.
Ethereum’s role in AI goes beyond hype. Smart contracts already handle billions in financial value daily. Adding AI into the mix creates new possibilities: autonomous agents paying for services, robots negotiating contracts, and machine learning models accessing decentralized compute and storage.
The EF believes Ethereum can be as valuable to today’s AI developers as it will be for the sci-fi future. That means working closely with ecosystem projects, supporting public goods, and making sure protocol improvements match the needs of AI builders.
Ethereum provides trust. AI provides utility. The more intelligent agents transact, the greater the need for a neutral base layer for value and reputation. Ethereum is positioning itself to become that layer.
The new dAI team will concentrate on two focus areas:
1. AI Economy on Ethereum
The idea is simple: AI agents and robots need ways to pay, coordinate, and follow rules without middlemen. Ethereum already enables programmable money. Extending that to AI creates an open digital economy where machines interact seamlessly.
2. Decentralized AI Stack
Right now, AI relies heavily on centralized players. Training, deployment, and data pipelines are controlled by a few tech giants. Ethereum wants to change that by supporting open, verifiable alternatives—ensuring censorship resistance, neutrality, and global accessibility.
Together, these pillars aim to keep AI development transparent and open.
ERC-8004: A Standard for Trusting AI Agents
A major focus of the new team is ERC-8004, a standard for verifying AI agents’ identity and trustworthiness. In simple terms, ERC-8004 would allow a smart contract or user to know whether they’re interacting with a real, verifiable AI agent.
This standard matters because AI will soon operate across financial markets, governance systems, and social platforms. Without proof of trust, AI agents could be easily spoofed, corrupted, or hijacked by centralized providers.
The team will present ERC-8004 at Devconnect this November, making it one of the most important Ethereum upgrades for AI integration to date.
The initiative draws inspiration from the d/acc philosophy—accelerating technological development while ensuring resilience, openness, and human agency.
In practice, this means funding projects that use Ethereum to make AI safer, more secure, and more equitable. It also means ensuring humans remain in control, while AI reaches its potential without falling into centralized traps.
As Crapis put it, Ethereum + AI is about making sure “AI works for the people, all of us.”
Ethereum Stablecoin Supply Hits Record High
While Ethereum is gearing up for AI, its financial foundation continues to expand. The stablecoin supply on Ethereum has reached $168 billion, marking an all-time high.
For perspective, Ethereum added roughly $3 billion in stablecoins in the past week alone. That’s more than the total stablecoin supply on all but the top five blockchains combined.
The stablecoin supply on @ethereum reaches $168 billion, marking an all-time high.
For perspective:
Ethereum added ~$3 billion in new stablecoins over the past week, which is more than the total stablecoin supply on all but the top 5 chains. pic.twitter.com/3SlrbinGnj
— Token Terminal
(@tokenterminal) September 14, 2025
This surge strengthens Ethereum’s position as the dominant settlement layer for stablecoins—critical infrastructure for both DeFi and the upcoming AI economy.
The bullish trend isn’t just in stablecoins. Four whales jointly accumulated $234 million worth of Ethereum today, according to Spot On Chain
Four whales jointly accumulated ~$234 million worth of #Ethereum today!
1⃣ Fresh whale “0x9d2” withdrew 21,925 $ETH ($102M) from #Kraken ~4hrs ago.
Avg price: $4,652 per ETH.
2⃣ Whale “0x745” withdrew another 13,322 $ETH ($61.7M) from #FalconX ~7hrs ago, now holding 22,556… pic.twitter.com/SJhHTB5CWk
— Spot On Chain (@spotonchain) September 15, 2025
Here’s a breakdown of the moves:
1. Whale 0x9d2 withdrew 21,925 ETH ($102M) from Kraken ~4 hours ago.
Avg price: $4,652 per ETH.
2. Whale 0x745 withdrew 13,322 ETH ($61.7M) from FalconX ~7 hours ago.
Now holds 22,556 ETH ($102.3M).
Avg price: $4,631 per ETH.
3. Whale 0x4d4 withdrew 4,208 ETH ($19.4M) from Binance.
Supplied to Aave, borrowed 26M USDC, and bought 4,608 stETH.
Avg price: $4,633 per ETH.
4. Whale 0x9D9 withdrew 5,297 ETH ($24.7M) from Binance and Bitget over the past 24 hours.
Avg price: $4,663 per ETH.
These moves signal confidence at scale. Institutional-size investors are positioning for Ethereum’s next leg up.
Ethereum’s push into AI comes at a time when both industries are hitting new peaks. Stablecoin flows prove Ethereum’s financial dominance. Whale accumulation shows deep-pocketed confidence. And now, the dAI team is laying the foundation for Ethereum to become the settlement layer for autonomous AI agents.
The message is clear: Ethereum isn’t waiting for the future to arrive. It’s building it now—open, verifiable, and powered by both AI and blockchain.
The dAI team is just getting started. As job postings and community calls open, builders across AI and blockchain are being invited to join in shaping a future where decentralized AI runs on Ethereum.
Ethereum + AI isn’t just about technology. It’s about ensuring humans remain at the center while AI unlocks its potential. And Ethereum is stepping up to make that vision real.
Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services.
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