Ethereum blockchain will become an independent verification environment for AI agents - ForkLog: cryptocurrencies, AI, singularity, future

# The Ethereum blockchain will become an independent verification environment for AI agents

Ethereum will move away from on-chain computations for neural networks in favor of creating a trust environment for autonomous programs. This was announced by Davide Capris, Head of AI at the Ethereum Foundation (EF), in an interview with CoinDesk at NEARCON 2026.

According to him, widespread use of artificial intelligence systems threatens the core values of the crypto industry: user sovereignty, privacy, and resistance to censorship. Ethereum does not intend to compete with OpenAI or Google in developing language models. The developers’ goal is to prevent corporations from re-centralizing internet infrastructure.

The team’s strategy is divided into two directions:

Decentralized AI Coordination

Autonomous programs or agents need an environment for identification, payment exchanges, and reputation building.

Resource-intensive computations will remain off-chain on traditional servers. The blockchain will serve as a public registry without a central authority. It will help agents find each other and transfer funds. Capris compared this system to a decentralized version of Google reviews with built-in payment.

To implement this mechanism, the team will standardize the AI agent identification protocol — ERC-8004. According to Capris, this technology is already gaining popularity outside the Ethereum ecosystem.

Data Protection

The second area, provisionally called Props AI, involves centralized AI services collecting detailed profiles of people based on their queries. To avoid surveillance, developers propose processing data locally on users’ devices.

Capris also warned about the rise in cyberattacks. Neural networks will learn to convincingly impersonate humans, rendering traditional passwords useless. The new security system should rely on cryptographic keys with mathematical verification.

Integrating AI has become one of the key priorities for the Ethereum Foundation. Developers recognize that algorithms will define a new stage of network development and aim to make blockchain a fundamental layer for smart agent operations.

Recall that in February, co-founder Vitalik Buterin extensively discussed possible scenarios for the synergy between Ethereum and artificial intelligence.