E112: Virtuals Co-Founder: How To Get Rich With Crypto AI Agents In 2025 (Without Getting Lucky)
Mar 14, 2025
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Jansen Teng, co-founder and CEO of Virtuals Protocol, dives deep into the transformative world of AI in crypto. He explains how AI agents are reshaping the industry and paving the way for significant financial gain. Jansen shares insights on the importance of self-custody in crypto investing and highlights the emotional challenges entrepreneurs face in this volatile space. He emphasizes community engagement and the unique potential of AI, showcasing how innovation is key to thriving amidst market fluctuations and building autonomous economies.
High-value AI agents distinguish themselves from commodity agents by solving specific, innovative problems rather than providing generic services.
Revenue generation in the crypto space is highly volatile, requiring agile business models to adapt to dramatic market fluctuations.
Founders must prioritize community engagement and personal relationships to build trust, credibility, and collaboration opportunities essential for success.
Deep dives
Understanding High-Value AI Agents
The discussion highlights the significant difference between high-value AI agents and commodity agents. High-value agents solve specific problems in innovative ways, whereas commodity agents offer generic services that lack unique attributes or value. Successful examples, such as AI agents providing curated financial advice or unique insights into market trends, demonstrate how addressing real needs can drive popularity and adoption. The emphasis is placed on the necessity for agents to have distinct value propositions to thrive in a competitive landscape.
Growth and Revenue Volatility in Crypto
A major point addressed is the unpredictable nature of revenue generation in the crypto space, as exemplified by the sharp fluctuations experienced by various projects. Initial revenues can start as low as $10,000 per day but can surge to a million dollars, only to drop significantly once more due to market conditions. This volatility emphasizes the parallels between startup growth in emerging technologies and the financial risks present in the crypto world. Such fluctuations necessitate agile business models that can adapt to both the highs and the lows.
The Importance of Founders' Visibility and Networking
The commitment of founders to consistently engage with their communities is underscored as a key strategy for building trust and support. By attending conferences and networking events, founders can cultivate personal relationships that lead to greater opportunities for collaboration and growth. This personal touch is seen as essential for establishing credibility and attracting investors and partners in a space where reputations can significantly impact success. The example of traveling long distances for brief speaking engagements illustrates the lengths founders must go to foster relationships and drive their projects forward.
Decentralized AI and its Market Potential
The podcast explores the potential of decentralized AI agents that can autonomously perform tasks and generate revenue, such as facilitating smart bets in sports. These agents can leverage proprietary data and advanced algorithms to position themselves as market leaders in their respective spheres. The discussion emphasizes that successful ventures need to harness a unique value proposition that differentiates them from the competition, particularly in a market ripe with generic solutions. By targeting high-stakes domains, these AI agents can capitalize on lucrative opportunities, thus enhancing their market attractiveness.
Challenges in Pivoting and Decision-Making
Navigating pivots in startup strategy presents significant challenges and requires consensus among team members, which isn't always achievable. The conversation reflects on a period of deep uncertainty and debate regarding the strategic direction of the venture, suggesting that consensus can be difficult without a clear vision. Founders may face a tough task of continuing in the face of adverse market conditions or returning funds to investors if a viable path isn't identified. This speaks to the high stakes inherent in startup ecosystems, where decisions about the course of a company can have lasting and profound impacts.
Innovative Ideas and Future Directions
Looking ahead, the potential of creating a decentralized society driven by AI agents is discussed, focusing on how this model could redefine economic interactions. The idea involves autonomous agents performing complex tasks, influencing markets, or even forming communities that operate with minimal human intervention. There is excitement about the possibility of these agents evolving beyond mere consumer-facing tools to become integral parts of larger economic systems. This vision presents a dramatic shift in how technology can operate within society, potentially reshaping industries and human interactions in unprecedented ways.
In this episode, we sit down with Jansen Teng, co-founder of Virtuals, the leading AI agent protocol on Base, valued at nearly $1 billion.Jansen breaks down how AI agents are changing the game in crypto, why some AI agents are making millions, and how early adopters can position themselves for life-changing returns. He shares insights on AI-powered businesses, digital nations, and the future of autonomous economies - all happening faster than you think.PARTNERS💳 Trezor is the safest cold storage wallets for crypto security and financial independence.Buy your Trezor Wallet (use PROMO Code from the video for a 10% discount): https://trezor.io/?transaction_id=1026f18ed46409e495c6db4bff90ab&offer_id=133&affiliate_id=35356🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana.https://jup.ag/🌱 Bitwise Asset Management is the crypto specialist asset manager with more than $10 billion client assets and more than 30 crypto solutions across ETFs, index funds, alpha strategies, staking, and more.https://bitwiseinvestments.com/💧Sui is a first-of-its-kind Layer 1 blockchain and smart contract platform designed to make digital asset ownership fast, private, secure, and accessible.https://sui.io/♾ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com🔘 Mantle Network enhances dApp development with Ethereum's security, low fees, and quick transactions through innovative layer-2 technology. Users can stake ETH for mETH, contributing to a transparent, community-driven ecosystem governed by $MNT token holders, fostering innovation and collaboration.https://www.mantle.xyz
FOLLOW VIRTUALS PROTOCOL AND JANSEN TENG•Twitter: https://x.com/ethermage• Twitter: https://x.com/virtuals_io• Website: https://www.virtuals.io/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jansenteng/FOLLOW KEVIN & WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS👇Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinwshpod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/Website: https://www.podpage.com/when-shift-happens/__________________________________DISCLAIMERThe info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome._________________0:00 Trailer1:28 Please Subscribe1:54 Partnerships 2:39 Time Zone Adjustments3:50 Scaling From 1 to 1005:42 Who is Jansen Teng? 7:52 Learning from Startup Failures10:51 Trezor Partnership11:44 Building Businesses While Consulting17:42 Fire Fast, Hire Smart19:26 Profitable Business vs. Billion-Dollar Dreams22:07 Virtuals’ Historic 2024 Run26:58 The 99% Token Drop Struggle29:34 Why CryptoPunks & NFTs?32:44 Pudgy Penguin33:18 NFT Speculation Bubble35:42 Dealing with FUD41:12 Reality of Crypto Founder43:53 Speculative Premium in Crypto47:00 Crypto Revenue Volatility Explained48:45 Building a High-Growth Team51:51 Mistakes in Crypto Innovation56:50 Learning from Luna's AI Journey1:00:00 USA vs. Malaysia1:03:46 Expanding to Solana1:07:04 Shifting Away from BASE1:09:25 Constructive Criticism on BASE1:11:25 Building Products, Not Networks1:13:51 Politics of Crypto Listings1:16:36 A Founders Dedication1:19:44 Mastering Sleep Techniques1:22:22 Breaking $300,000 Scholarship Bond1:23:34 Why Showing Up Matters1:24:50 Wildest Moves for Virtual Success1:29:22 Future of Autonomous Agents1:33:57 AI Agents: ChatGPT Wrappers1:35:02 Getting Rich with Crypto AI Agents1:38:47 The Next Wave of AI Agents1:41:02 Attention = Currency1:41:57 Internet Water Army1:46:13 Concluding Remarks
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