The Ethereum Foundation has created a dedicated artificial intelligence division known as the dAI Team, signaling its intention to position Ethereum at the intersection of blockchain and AI. The initiative, revealed on September 15 by research scientist Davide Crapis, aims to establish Ethereum as the preferred settlement and coordination layer for intelligent agents and the emerging machine economy.
This specialized unit, under Crapis’s leadership, will concentrate on two principal goals: enabling AI agents to carry out payments and coordination without intermediaries, and developing a decentralized AI stack that reduces reliance on centralized platforms. The move is aligned with Ethereum’s principles of neutrality, verifiability, and resistance to censorship, making the network a strong candidate to support next-generation digital intelligence systems.
Mission and Vision
The central mission of the dAI Team is to create an AI-driven economy built directly on Ethereum. This vision involves equipping AI agents and robots with the ability to pay, coordinate, and adhere to shared rules without requiring traditional gatekeepers. Advocates of this approach argue that it will enhance efficiency, promote transparency, and minimize risks of monopolization or dependency on proprietary platforms.
The second area of focus involves constructing a decentralized AI stack to prevent artificial intelligence from being dominated by a handful of powerful corporations. Ethereum intends to offer open and verifiable alternatives that maintain resilience against censorship, providing a foundation for broader innovation.
Advancing Standards for AI Identity
A near-term priority for the dAI Team is the development of ERC-8004, a proposed Ethereum standard designed to establish identity and trust frameworks for AI agents. The mechanism would allow for robust reputation and verification systems that enable autonomous entities to coordinate securely without centralized control.
Plans are underway to introduce the finalized ERC-8004 standard at the Devconnect conference in Buenos Aires this November. This advancement is seen as a crucial milestone in enabling AI agents to interact, discover, and authenticate each other within the Ethereum ecosystem.
We’re starting a new AI Team at the Ethereum Foundation (the dAI Team).
Our mission: make Ethereum the preferred settlement and coordination layer for AIs and the machine economy.The team will focus on two main areas:
– AI Economy on Ethereum = giving AI agents and robots ways… pic.twitter.com/9sWVS4dp0K— Davide Crapis (@DavideCrapis) September 15, 2025
Part of a Larger Restructuring
The creation of the dAI Team forms part of the Ethereum Foundation’s broader restructuring strategy in 2025, which aims to strengthen its capacity to manage growth. This restructuring includes a focus on accelerating ecosystem development and supporting specialized initiatives in emerging technologies.
Earlier in the year, the foundation released a funding report, launched its “Trillion Dollar Security” initiative in May, and adopted more proactive treasury management to address criticism over ETH sales. These moves underline its evolving approach to network sustainability and ecosystem support.
Collaboration and Hiring Plans
The new AI unit will collaborate closely with both the Protocol group and the Ecosystem Support division to ensure that improvements to Ethereum’s infrastructure align with the needs of AI developers. Work on this front began as early as February 2025, highlighting the foundation’s long-term planning.
In addition, the foundation has started recruitment for the dAI Team, with job postings published alongside Crapis’s announcement. The organization has also pledged to fund public goods and research projects that enhance agent identity, reputation, and coordination within the Ethereum ecosystem.
Positioning for the Future
The launch of the dAI Team illustrates Ethereum’s growing ambition to extend its relevance beyond decentralized finance. By embedding AI within its framework, the foundation is preparing the network to become a cornerstone of the emerging machine-to-machine economy. Whether through payments, coordination, or identity management, Ethereum seeks to provide the infrastructure for intelligent agents to operate in a decentralized and trusted manner.
