Ethereum Foundation Launches “dAI Team” to Deliver On-Chain AI

Ambition to lead technology

The Ethereum Foundation made a bold move into artificial intelligence on September 15, 2025, announcing the creation of the “dAI Team” — a dedicated unit dedicated to seamlessly integrating AI into the Ethereum platform, making it a neutral backbone for autonomous agents and the machine economy. Led by research scientist and core developer Davide Crapis, the team embodies Ethereum’s “decentralized acceleration” spirit, aiming to foster trustless AI interactions while preventing the dangers of centralized AI monopolies. The initiative comes amid Ethereum’s post-Pectra upgrade and AI boom cycle, positioning ETH as a pillar in the convergence of blockchain and machine learning.

In a detailed post on X, David Crapis revealed the creation of the dAI Group, which he sees as Ethereum's response to the explosive growth of AI: "We are forming a new AI Group at the Ethereum Foundation (dAI Group). Our mission: to make Ethereum the preferred payment and coordination layer for AI and the machine economy."

This announcement, reinforced by the EF's official endorsement, outlines a dual mission: (1) to build an "AI Economy on Ethereum" where actors pay, coordinate, and comply with rules without intermediaries, and (2) to build a "Decentralized AI Stack" with open, verifiable, and censorship-resistant alternatives to large tech silos.

The team will collaborate across EF’s Protocol and Ecosystem divisions, linking upgrades like increased data accessibility to AI needs and allocating funding to public goods that enhance agent identity and credibility. Immediate priorities include advancing ERC-8004, a standard for verifying the provenance and trustworthiness of AI agents, which is scheduled to launch at Devconnect in November. Job postings for AI researchers and project managers show rapid expansion, with Crapis adopting a “d/acc” (decentralized acceleration) philosophy to attract builders.

AI and Ethereum Core

In essence, the dAI Team aims for Ethereum to serve as a “neutral foundational layer” for value and reputation in the AI ​​ecosystem, leveraging ZK proofs, TEEs, and oracles for verifiable computations.

ERC-8004, the leading proposal, standardizes AI agent interactions: proving identity (who built it?), behavior (what rules does it follow?), and trustworthiness (can it transact securely?).

This reduces fragmentation across wallets, dApps, and actors, enabling a seamless machine-to-machine economy — think AI robots negotiating contracts or sharing data through on-chain reputation. The broader “Decentralized AI Stack” envisions open infrastructure: federated learning for models, decentralized computation through L2s like Optimism, and privacy through the recent roadmap of EF (private reads/writes).

Challenges remain—Ethereum's throughput lags AI's data needs—but integration with Silicon Valley (e.g., verifiable memory oracles) and funding for AI DAOs could accelerate adoption.

From DeFi to deAI dominance

The dAI team is involved in the EF 2025 overhaul, following the launch of the “Trillion Dollar Security” and a push for funding transparency, prioritizing specialized units for growth areas beyond finance.

Crapis, comparing it to the DeFi boom, envisions AI agents kickstarting adoption before institutions get involved — funding public goods for sustainable infrastructure where “humans take the lead.”

Collaboration with Silicon Valley companies and academics towards ZK-AI proofs, connecting to Pectra EIPs for scaling. Risks: Computational bottlenecks and regulatory scrutiny of AI agents could hinder progress, but the urgency of dAI — hiring now — shows confidence in Ethereum’s Layer 1 neutrality over Layer 2 silos.

Evaluation and Conclusion

The launch of the Ethereum Foundation's dAI Team is a strong call for decentralized AI, empowering agents with trustless tools while strengthening Ethereum against centralization threats.

Led by Crapis, the team combines ERC-8004 standards with open stacks, going beyond Polkadot's scarcity bets and Hyperliquid's yield in foresight. As ETH consolidates, this "d/acc" pivot signals a machine economy where blockchain enables AI to serve all - watch for sparks at Devconnect to ignite the next bull run.

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