Catenaa, Thursday, June 04, 2026- Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu warned that artificial intelligence agents could radically reshape the global digital economy, arguing the nearly $900 billion advertising industry faces disruption as autonomous AI systems increasingly control online discovery and transactions.
Siu also announced a new $10 million investment initiative targeting early-stage agentic AI infrastructure projects, describing the sector as comparable to the earliest investment opportunities in OpenAI and Anthropic several years ago.
The executive said Animoca Brands views agentic AI as the next major evolution of the internet after blockchain technology, with AI-powered agents expected to become autonomous digital participants capable of conducting transactions, managing wallets and interacting directly across decentralized networks.
Speaking during a conference interview in Miami, Siu said most consumers still use AI systems primarily as conversational assistants rather than fully autonomous agents capable of independently executing tasks.
He argued that blockchain networks will become critical infrastructure for AI agents because decentralized systems allow automated entities to own wallets, process micropayments and maintain digital identities without relying entirely on centralized technology companies.
According to Siu, the advertising industry may undergo structural disruption because AI agents could increasingly replace human decision-making during online product discovery and purchasing.
He said businesses may soon prioritize building infrastructure designed to communicate directly with AI agents instead of traditional consumer-facing advertising platforms.
The comments reflect growing interest across the technology and crypto industries surrounding so-called “agentic AI,” where autonomous software systems independently complete tasks, execute payments and coordinate economic activity.
Animoca’s investment strategy also highlights how blockchain companies increasingly view AI integration as a major growth sector alongside gaming, decentralized finance and tokenization.
Siu projected that AI could deliver productivity improvements measured in multiples rather than percentages, arguing future workers may be valued according to how effectively they manage large numbers of autonomous AI agents.
The executive compared the current AI expansion cycle to earlier internet infrastructure booms, while acknowledging that many projects and companies may ultimately fail despite broader technological growth.
Siu encouraged retail investors to maintain diversified exposure across dozens of AI-focused companies because only a small number may eventually emerge as dominant industry leaders.
He also dismissed concerns surrounding so-called “ghost GDP,” where AI systems transact primarily with one another, arguing that entirely new economic models and forms of value creation will emerge around autonomous agents.
Animoca Brands has become one of the largest blockchain-focused investment firms globally, backing more than 620 companies across crypto, NFTs, gaming and decentralized finance sectors.
The rapid rise of AI agents has accelerated following advances in large language models and autonomous software systems capable of interacting with online platforms and executing increasingly complex workflows.
Meanwhile, several major crypto firms, including Coinbase, Base and Cloudflare, have recently introduced AI-focused payment infrastructure tied to stablecoins, blockchain wallets and automated internet commerce.
