Debates around digital energy use were once dominated by Bitcoin. Between 2017 and 2021, mainstream media outlets warned that BTC mining could overwhelm energy production. These warnings never materialized, but they shaped public perception and kept Bitcoin in the spotlight. During the same period, artificial intelligence (AI) quietly scaled into the largest new load on global electricity systems.

If you’ve spent any time on crypto-twitter, attended one of this fall’s conferences, or especially if you trade on-chain, you’ve surely heard about AI agents and the tokens associated with them. You’re probably curious about what they are, how they work, their use cases, and whether they live up to the hype or are just another fleeting trend wrapped in a fancy package.