Crypto-AI project Virtuals Protocol has introduced a new initiative aimed at supporting AI-focused crypto founders by connecting them with investors, industry experts, and researchers.
The initiative, called the Virtuals Partners Network (VPN), was announced in a March 20 post on X by the Virtuals team. They noted that VPN seeks to foster innovation within the growing AI agent ecosystem and address the increasing demand for resources and expertise in AI-driven crypto projects as blockchain technology shifts from human-controlled decentralized applications (dApps) to autonomous AI agents.
According to the announcement, VPN will offer founders direct access to experienced professionals who can provide guidance on scaling, technical development, and market positioning. Within the network, domain experts will help streamline development processes, while researchers will offer insights to ensure AI projects align with evolving industry trends. Investors will also gain exclusive access to VPN-vetted projects.
Notable backers already involved include Tommy Shaughnessy (Delphi Ventures), angel investor Jasmine, and Anand Iyer (Canonical).
Virtuals Protocol’s initiative aligns with a broader industry trend of attracting AI builders to blockchain platforms. In October 2024, Crypto.com launched a grant program to support AI agent developers. Coinbase also introduced its CDP AI Builder Grants Program, offering $3,000 grants to projects integrating AI bots with its MPC Wallets.
The push for AI-driven blockchain applications comes at a crucial time. The AI token market, once valued at $10 billion, has shrunk to $4.4 billion, making it one of the most affected sectors in the ongoing crypto downturn.
Crypto researcher Crypto Stream previously noted that for AI token liquidity to recover, three key conditions must be met: a cooldown in large-cap tokens, sustained interest in AI agents, and a lack of competing narratives.
Earlier this year, Virtuals Protocol pledged to reinstate its bug bounty program after fixing a critical vulnerability flagged by pseudonymous security researcher Jinu on December 3, 2024. The flaw, if exploited, could have disrupted the creation of AgentTokens, a key component of the protocol’s ecosystem.
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