Introducing the Virtuals Partners Network: A Protocol for Accelerating AI Agent Development with Virtuals Technology

Virtuals Protocol has introduced the Virtuals Partners Network to assist AI crypto founders with funding and development support.

In a post on X dated March 20, Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) announced the launch of the Virtuals Partners Network aimed at helping AI crypto founders build and scale by connecting them with premier investors, domain experts, and researchers.

As the blockchain landscape shifts from human-operated dApps to self-sufficient AI agents, there is an increasing requirement for backing AI agent creators. To fulfill this need, VPN links top investors, domain specialists, researchers, and AI developers. Within the VPN, creators can exchange insights, enhancing the collective knowledge that enables their peers to develop better AI agents. Experts in specific fields will expedite development timelines by contributing specialized expertise, while academics will align ideas with market trends through the latest research findings.

Investors will benefit from access to network-vetted projects. Among those already involved are Tommy Shaughnessy from Delphi Ventures, angel investor Jasmine, and Anand Iyer from Canonical.

The launch of VPN to aid AI builders signifies a rising trend in the crypto realm, where companies are initiating programs to lure developers to create AI agents on their platforms. In October 2024, Crypto.com initiated a grant program to assist developers in constructing AI agents. Similarly, Coinbase launched the CDP AI Builder Grants Program, which provides five grants of $3,000 each to projects developing AI bots that utilize Coinbase’s MPC Wallets.

Such initiatives might be precisely what is needed to rejuvenate the AI agent narrative, which has been one of the most severely affected sectors during the ongoing crypto market slump—witnessing the market cap of AI tokens plummet from highs of $10 billion to approximately $4.4 billion at the time of this writing.

Previously, crypto analyst Crypto Stream stated that for liquidity to return to AI coins, three conditions must be satisfied: large caps need to stabilize, interest in AI agents must persist, and no new compelling narratives should arise. Initiatives like Virtuals Protocol’s VPN appear to be addressing the second condition by fostering an environment that sustains interest in AI agents.