From Tool to Economic Actor Over the past few years AI has leapt from “tool” to “actor.” Large models, autonomous agents, and automated systems now write code, trade assets, and staff customer-service desks. Meanwhile Web3 circles enthusiastically explore “AI + blockchain”: using AI to optimize smart contracts, sharpen on-chain risk models, or parse blockchain data. Yet few ask the reverse question: does AI itself need blockchain? If we treat AI as an increasingly independent participant—one ...

From Tool to Economic Actor Over the past few years AI has leapt from “tool” to “actor.” Large models, autonomous agents, and automated systems now write code, trade assets, and staff customer-service desks. Meanwhile Web3 circles enthusiastically explore “AI + blockchain”: using AI to optimize smart contracts, sharpen on-chain risk models, or parse blockchain data. Yet few ask the reverse question: does AI itself need blockchain? If we treat AI as an increasingly independent participant—one ...