Introducing AgentKit

Introduction

We're excited to officially introduce AgentKit by Operator Labs!

You might have seen some of our previous work on LLM-assisted search, XMTP chatbots, and GPT assistants in frames. These experiments made us realize that the design space for AI agents in crypto was extremely large, but still mostly unexplored.

We came to believe that many of the interactions that users currently have with crypto will be either augmented or replaced by generative AI, mostly via agents.

Today, there’s already some support for onchain bots that can automatically buy NFT’s or swap tokens on Uniswap. However, the barrier to simply getting an AI agent registered on-chain and enabling it to receive messages and send messages remains high. The barrier is very clear when you look at existing AI x crypto applications like Dune LLM, which uses traditional web2 authentication and messaging in spite of its intended user base.

We built AgentKit as a way to help developers bootstrap this without needing to configure complex integrations or reinvent the underlying infrastructure.

If you want to get started with AgentKit without reading more, visit our documentation.

What is AgentKit?

AgentKit is the easiest way for developers to connect their AI agents to web3. With a simple integration, developers can give their AI agents a unique identity on the decentralized web, making them discoverable and accessible to millions of users across various platforms.

Moreover, AI agents that integrate with AgentKit are able to receive verified messages from any wallet address via applications like Converse, Family, and Coinbase Wallet. This means that when an agent receives a message from a user through these apps, it can be certain that the message originates from the specific user or agent that owns the associated wallet address.

This verification opens up a wide range of possibilities for personalized and secure interactions between AI agents and users. For example:

AI agents can provide personalized recommendations based on a user's onchain activity, without the risk of impersonation
Agent developers can build agentic behaviors based on onchain actions, i.e. if this, do that
Agents can be programmed to respond only when the user holds a certain asset, to motivate purchasing or holding that asset

This unlocks a new AI agent primitive, one that expands the scope of existing agents and enables novel user experiences.

How does AgentKit work?

AgentKit consists of two main components: the Agent Namespace and the Agent Gateway.

Agent Namespace

The Agent Namespace allows you to create a unique, human-readable identity for AI agents on the decentralized web. Just like how domain names make it easy for people to find and interact with websites, agent names provide a user-friendly way to discover and engage with AI agents.

By visiting our app, which functions similarly to a domain registrar like Namecheap or GoDaddy, developers can easily register a unique name for any AI agent they have built. This name acts as a persistent, onchain identifier for the agent that is then discoverable and accessible through any ENS-compatible application, such as wallets, dApps, and more.

For example, instead of having to remember or share a long, complex Ethereum address to interact with an agent, users can simply use the agent's ENS name, like "akash-chat-mixtral.agentid.eth". This name will automatically resolve to the agent's current address, making it easy for users to find and communicate with the agent across different platforms.

To see this in action, you can try messaging "akash-chat-mixtral.agentid.eth" on Converse.xyz. You'll notice that the app automatically resolves the ENS name to the agent's current address, ensuring that your message reaches the intended recipient.

We've partnered with Namestone to offer gasless name registration for AgentKit developers. This means that you can register up to 10 unique agent names for free, without having to pay any Ethereum gas fees. If you want to register more than 10 agent names, contact us and we’d be happy to increase your limit.

Agent Gateway

The Agent Gateway is a tool that sets up the communication infrastructure for AI agents, allowing them to securely message users and other agents. It's like giving your AI agent its own unique phone number, only instead of communicating over SMS or phone lines, it uses XMTP to facilitate messages.

XMTP is a decentralized communication protocol that enables secure and private messaging between blockchain addresses. XMTP provides end-to-end encryption, message routing, and censorship resistance for all wallet to wallet messages, which makes it an easy choice for powering agent to user as well as agent to agent interactions.

The Agent Gateway includes a CLI that guides developers through the deployment process step-by-step. It takes care of technical tasks like generating XMTP keys, setting up the communication relays, and deploying the agent. The gateway also abstracts away security concerns by making it so that only the local XMTP client can access the agent's endpoint. This prevents someone from simply trying to make API requests to a deployed agent by passing in fake headers with someone else’s address or even a hijacked signature.

Once the Gateway is deployed using AgentKit, anyone can start interacting with the agent by sending messages, and as well customizing behavior based on these interactions.

What can you build with AgentKit?

AgentKit enables you to create powerful, personalized AI agents that leverage the unique features of Web3 and the decentralized ecosystem. In fact, you can try some live agents today:

Akash-chat-mixtral.agentid.eth: This is an instance of Mistral’s Mixtral model, running on Akash Network, a decentralized compute network. You can use it in a pinch instead of Claude or ChatGPT

Farcaster-support.agentid.eth: This was the first agent built by a community member! GregfromSTL built this agent as a way to help newcomers to Farcaster understand what was going on. He built it by fine-tuning the agent on Farcaster’s documentation, making it an expert at answering questions like “does Farcaster have a token?” (no)

Here are some ideas for agents that would leverage some of the unique features of AgentKit:

Personalized DevRel Agent

Imagine an agent that provides tailored developer support based on a user's identity and past onchain interactions. A personalized DevRel agent built with AgentKit can offer relevant explanations, code examples, and troubleshooting tips that are specific to the user's needs and experience level.

For example, a new developer who has just started exploring a DeFi protocol with minimal onchain transactions might receive a friendly introduction and a guided tour of the platform's key features. On the other hand, an experienced developer who has been interacting with the protocol for months might receive more advanced tips and tricks, as well as alerts about upcoming protocol changes.

DeFi Advisor Agent

DeFi advisor agents can help users make better investment decisions based on their risk profile and goals, accessing on-chain data to construct optimized portfolios.

For instance, an advisor agent might analyze a user's transaction history and current holdings to determine their risk tolerance and investment preferences. Based on this information, the agent could recommend a diversified portfolio of tokens, NFTs, and other digital assets that aligns with their goals and risk appetite.

By recommending certain actions like a web2 robo-advisor, the agent could also generate revenue by taking a commission on actions that the user actually performs.

DAO Governance Agent

A DAO Governance Agent can help DAO members navigate the complexities of decentralized decision-making and participation.

These agents can provide personalized recommendations on voting based on a member's stake, history, and expressed preferences. They can also analyze past voting patterns and on-chain activity to identify trends, potential issues, or opportunities for improvement within the DAO's governance structure.

The agent can even make it easier for you to vote. The agent can even make it easier for you by providing a simple way to review proposals, understand their potential impact, and cast your vote with just a few clicks. No more navigating through complex smart contracts or deciphering cryptic proposal language - the DAO Governance Agent handles all of that for you, so that all you have to do is click “approve vote”.

Farcaster Headless Client

Imagine a headless Farcaster Client, meaning it doesn’t have a graphical user interface (GUI), rather it operates purely via your commands. This agent can analyze your social graph, such as the accounts you follow, the casts you engage with, and the topics you're interested in, to curate a personalized feed of the most relevant and valuable content on Farcaster.

The agent can also monitor the network in real-time, identifying trending topics, popular casts, and important discussions that align with your interests. It can then deliver a curated digest of this content directly to you, as well help you discover new accounts to follow based on your existing network and interests, and up-and-coming casters that you might have missed.

What are some next steps for AgentKit?

We have an exciting roadmap ahead for AgentKit, with several key improvements and expansions planned to make the platform even more powerful and accessible.

L2 Subdomains

One of our top priorities is the implementation of subdomains on Layer 2 (L2) networks like Optimism. This feature will allow you to create and trade subdomains for their agents directly on L2, rather than relying on off-chain resolution. This will also increase the decentralization of agents using the namespace, allowing anyone to build clients like ChatGPT with them.

Expanded Web Framework Support

Today, AgentKit only works with FastAPI and Python. In the future, AgentKit will also support frameworks like Next.js and Flask, so that you can build agents in the framework you’re most comfortable in.

Cross-Chain Compatibility

While AgentKit currently focuses on the Ethereum network and EVM-compatible chains, we have plans to expand to other major networks in the near future.

Integrating with high-performance blockchains like Sui and Solana will allow you to create agents that can take advantage of these networks' fast transaction times and low fees, blurring the lines between what is off-chain and what is onchain.