Author: 0xJeff Source: X, @Defi0xJeff Translation: Shan Oppa, Golden Finance

Yuanverse— — a collective concept for virtual shared spaces — came to prominence in the early 2020s with the rise of the P2E (play and earn) model and cyberpunk-style visions of the digital future.

At the time, many projects promised to create a world where your digital identity or NFT could interact, trade, and play games in an on-chain economy. However, many projects ultimately fail to deliver on these promises.

What was the problem in the last cycle?

•Projects raised $10 million to $100 million but delivered mediocre experiences.

•The P2E model collapsed due to unsustainable token economics (the model of attracting players simply by issuing tokens simply does not work).

We learned two key lessons:

1. Interesting and engaging Gaming experience must be prioritized.

2. A sustainable economic system is a necessary condition for building a lasting virtual world.

Fast forward to today: the arrival of the agency chain era. Today, with the rise of powerful LLMs (Large Language Models), agent frameworks, and AI ecosystems, more immersive and engaging experiences are possible.

The metaverse is no longer limited to human-to-human interaction, but the following trends have emerged:

•Agent-to-agent interaction

•Human-to-agent experience

Imagine watching intelligent agents bargain for a digital asset, collaborate to create an NFT artwork, or negotiate a lower price. These immersive, dynamic interactions go far beyond just replying or generating content on Twitter.

How do agents evolve?

The development of AI agents is perfectly in line with the concept of the Metaverse. Here are the current trends:

• More entertaining and sophisticated personalized agents:

These agents are powered by advanced analytics and predictive tools , no longer just a “posting machine” but able to provide deep insights.

•Integration of on-chain functions:

Smart agents are being integrated with blockchain protocols , realizing functions such as independent transactions, lending, and income farming.

•3D and improved context awareness:

With 3D virtual images and environments As sensing technology advances, agents become more lifelike and interact with users in more meaningful ways.

Building an agent world

To accommodate these agents, we need to be able to allow agents to interact with each other and with World-building infrastructure for human interaction.

•@realisworlds is developing an Earth-like virtual world where agents can evolve, learn, and create their own civilizations over time.

•@hyperfy_io is developing a metaverse space for users to customize on the Internet infrastructure.

But just building an immersive environment is not enough, we also need critical DeFi infrastructure to support these in-game economies.

The role of DeFi in the agent metaverse

In order for agents to conduct on-chain transactions, lending or asset management, the underlying DeFi infrastructure must meet the following conditions:

•Powerful enough to handle high-value transactions.

• Have risk management mechanisms in place (e.g., preventing agents from transferring funds to malicious actors).

For example, @gizatechxyz is a great example of DeFi infrastructure that drives these use cases. Their product ARMA simplifies the complexities of cross-protocol stablecoin yield farming, including monitoring annualized returns (APRs) and managing risk.

Imagine this functionality embedded in an immersive agent world where agents can autonomously handle all operations, from **@pendle_fi**'s PT loop to leveraging Boros A non-directional funding rate strategy.

DeFi-powered proxies will make these tools easily accessible to ordinary users, eliminating complexity while unlocking entirely new opportunities.

Backbone: Decentralized AI Infrastructure

To make the Metaverse truly run, we need decentralized AI infrastructure running behind the scenes. It’s not just about enabling agents to function, it’s about making them trustworthy.

•Create a secure execution environment for on-chain interactions.

•Enable both humans and agents to understand and verify the operations in the agent's "mind."

Recall the second and third stages of AI agent transparency I mentioned in the Chromia article:

• Phase 2: Open access to training data and inference logs—the agent’s “mind”—so people can view, audit, and verify.

•Phase 3: Transparent model execution through technologies such as zkML and opML, making community-level verification possible.

When we get this right, agents will not only become smarter, but also more responsible and safer. This is key to building a metaverse where people can confidently interact with agents at scale.

By then, we will see diversified agents from @TalusNetwork, @virtuals_io, @ai16zdao, @TheoriqAI, @autonolas, @modenetwork, etc. interact with each other easily Seamlessly switch between different metaverse worlds - from @realisworlds to @hyperfy_io to @decentraland, constantly evolving through interactionchange.

Broader Perspective

As the ecosystem matures, we also see Web2 AI talents beginning to flow to the Web3 field:

•@ai16zdao demonstrates the power of open source innovation with his growing number of GitHub stars.

•@virtuals_io is driving adoption with its agent sandbox, allowing developers to test the G.A.M.E framework without issuing tokens and gain insight into the agent's "mind" ".

Act III: Our long-awaited metaverse

In the next stage, I see the following trends gradually taking shape:

•Personalized agents will become more knowledgeable, more professional, and more humane.

•World-building infrastructure will create immersive environments where agents and humans can coexist.

•Decentralized AI infrastructure will gradually mature, bringing the trust and security required for agents to operate autonomously.

•DeFi proxies will unlock new use cases, from yield farming optimization to advanced trading strategies.

•The boundaries between personalized agents, practical agents and DeFi agents will be blurred, forming integrated solutions.

•The pace of innovation will accelerate, attracting more developers from outside the crypto industry to further push the boundaries of technology.

Final Thoughts

The Metaverse will no longer have negative connotations. This is no longer an over-hyped buzzword but is transforming into a dynamic, agent-driven reality. The key pieces are gradually falling into place, and the next generation of virtual worlds will look completely new: immersive, engaging, and powered by AI and DeFi.

This is just the beginning.