Crypto Leaders Form Open Agents Alliance to rival ASI

NEAR AI, Coinbase, and Blockchain Firms Unite for Open AI Development

A coalition of major crypto and blockchain entities has launched the Open Agents Alliance (OAA) to deliver decentralized, open-source AI services. Announced at ETHDenver 2025, the initiative brings together NEAR AI, Coinbase Onramp & AgentKit, and multiple blockchain projects to create a shared infrastructure for AI development. The alliance aims to make AI services secure, transparent, and accessible to billions of internet users while integrating crypto-powered payments and privacy-preserving technologies.

“As the global web continues to shift toward mobile users, we believe AI must be accessible to everyone,” said Illia Polosukhin, Co-Founder of NEAR AI. He emphasized that the initiative extends beyond blockchain’s existing 350 million users, aiming to bring crypto-powered AI to over 5.5 billion people worldwide.

Decentralized AI for Everyone

The OAA is designed to move away from traditional “pay-to-play” AI models by leveraging a mix of secure cloud hosting, permissionless computing, and agentic AI frameworks. Participants will contribute resources such as confidential computing environments (TEEs), decentralized storage, and on/off-ramps for fiat and crypto transactions.

Key alliance members include:

• NEAR AI
• Coinbase Onramp & AgentKit
• Aethir
• Akash
• Phala Network
• Bitte Protocol
• SWEAT Economy
• Exabits
• HOT
• Frax Finance
• Arc
• MotherDAO

Industry Leaders Support an Open AI Future

Several industry leaders shared their vision for OAA’s role in shaping decentralized AI:

• Dan Kim, VP of BD at Coinbase Onramp & AgentKit, highlighted the importance of integrating wallet-based AI transactions to enable seamless, decentralized AI interactions.
• Oleg Fomenko, CEO of SWEAT Economy, emphasized how AI agents will simplify Web3 adoption, making Sweat Wallet the “smartest omnichain consumer crypto app.”
• Greg Osuri, Founder of Akash, stressed the need for open, permissionless agent infrastructure, aligning with Akash’s mission as a decentralized cloud provider.
• Mark Rydon, Co-Founder of Aethir, noted that OAA is removing cost and control barriers to ensure AI reaches billions.

The alliance also promotes collaboration over centralization, ensuring that users own their AI agents and that privacy remains a priority.

A Growing Trend: Crypto Meets AI

OAA is part of a broader trend where crypto projects leverage blockchain’s decentralization, transparency, and security to enhance AI development. Many in the industry believe that crypto-powered AI ecosystems can counter the dominance of centralized tech giants.

By aligning with blockchain’s ethos of open-source innovation, the OAA aims to set new standards for trustless, autonomous AI agents. While the long-term impact remains to be seen, the alliance signals a major shift toward decentralized AI development.