Why Infrastructure Is Becoming The Next AI Challenge

Over the past year, most conversations around AI have focused on model capabilities.

But as agents become more capable, another challenge is starting to emerge: how they access external services and pay for them autonomously.

An AI agent can reason through a problem, but completing that task often requires interacting with websites, APIs, databases, or other paid services.

That is where infrastructure begins to matter just as much as the model itself.

What Apify's x402 Integration Adds

One recent e.g. is Apify's integration with x402 on Base.

According to the announcement, AI agents using x402 previously had access to roughly 2,000 purchasable tools.

With Apify's integration, that expands to more than 20,000 web automation tools through a single payment standard.

Those tools cover a wide range of real-world tasks, including:

• Collecting Google Maps business listings
• Retrieving Amazon product data
• Accessing Instagram creator profiles
• Monitoring trending TikTok content
• Combining information from multiple online sources into automated workflows.

Why This Matters

Wht I find interesting isn't simply the increase in available tools.

It is the direction this points toward.

Instead of every service creating its own payment flow, API keys, and billing system, protocols like x402 explore whether software can purchase digital services directly using programmable payments on Base.

If that approach proves practical, developers could spend less time managing payment infrastructure and more time building applications.

The Bigger Picture For Base

Whether this model becomes widely adopted remains to be seen.

There are still questions around developer adoption, standardization, pricing, and user experience.

Even so, it's encouraging to see projects experimenting with infrastructure rather than focusing only on larger AI models.

As Base continues expanding its ecosystem, developments like x402, AgentKit, Builder Codes, and integrations such as Apify suggest that the network is also positioning itself as infrastructure for machine-to-machine payments, not just user-to-user transactions.

It is still early, but this is one of the areas I'm most interested in watching over the coming months...

Do you gys think the biggest bottleneck for autonomous AI agents over the next few years will be better models, or better infrastructure for accessing and paying for real-world services??

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Over the past few months, Base has been steadily investing in the infrastructure needed for tokenized assets.

The Beryl upgrade introduced B20, a new native token standard designed for stablecoins and other onchain financial assets.

Now we're already seeing one of its first major use cases.

Open USD has been announced as a new stablecoin that plans to launch on Base using the B20 standard later this year.

What makes this announcement interesting isn't just the stablecoin itself, but the scale of participation behind it.

More than 140 organizations have joined Open Standard, including companies from payments, banking, fintech, commerce, and crypto.

Some recognizable names include:

• Visa

• Mastercard

• Stripe

• Shopify

• Coinbase

• BlackRock

• BNY

• Google

• Samsung

• DoorDash

According to the announcement, Open USD is being built around three core ideas:

• No fees for minting or redeeming at scale.

• Shared reserve economics for participating businesses.

• Collaborative governance through Open Standard rather than a single issuer.

To me, this feels like a meaningful example of why Base introduced B20 in the first place.

Instead of simply supporting another token contract, Base is beginning to provide infrastructure aimed at businesses issuing and managing financial assets onchain.

Whether Open USD becomes widely adopted is something only time will tell.

Stablecoin adoption depends on regulation, integrations, liquidity, and real-world usage not just technical design.

Still, it's encouraging to see large payment companies, financial institutions, and crypto infrastructure providers exploring shared standards for internet-native payments.

If more projects like this choose Base as their launch platform, it could strengthen the ecosystem beyond DeFi and move it further toward real-world financial applications....

Do you think collaborative, open stablecoin standards like Open USD will help accelerate adoption, or will existing stablecoins continue to dominate because of their network effects??

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I recently came across DominationFi, one of the projects building on Base, and thought the concept was worth discussing.

Most perpetual markets let traders speculate on an asset's price.

DominationFi takes a different approach by introducing dominance perpetuals, where the focus is on an asset's share of the overall crypto market rather than its price.

For e.g. Bitcoin dominance measures Bitcoin's market capitalization as a percentage of the total crypto market. Instead of trading BTC's price directly, traders can express a view on whether Bitcoin's market share will increase or decrease relative to the rest of the market...

The same idea extends to assets like ETH, SOL, BNB, and USDT.

Some current platform metrics include:

$3.3M+ all-time trading volume

1,500+ completed trades

400+ users

$1.17M+ in dfUSDC vault TVL

1M dfPOINTS distributed weekly

The platform also offers two ways to participate:

Trade dominance markets with up to 250× leverage

Deposit USDC into the dfUSDC vault to provide liquidity

What I find interesting isn't the platform itself as much as the broader idea.

Crypto markets r constantly rotating between Bitcoin, altcoins, stablecoins, and different sectors. Most traders try to capture those rotations indirectly by buying and selling assets.

Products like this explore whether market share itself can become a tradable instrument.

Whether dominance perpetuals become widely adopted or remain a niche product is still an open question, but it's another example of the different kinds of financial experiments emerging on Base.

Do you think trading market dominance offers a meaningful advantage over traditional perpetual futures, or do u see it remaining a niche product?

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Every week, new projects choose where they want to build.

Last week, several teams picked Base, adding everything from AI integrations and payments to prediction markets, crowdfunding, and tokenized asset infrastructure.

Some of the latest additions include:

• Perplexity:- Base MCP integration, allowing users to research tokens and prepare swaps directly within AI workflows.

• Opal DEX:- A privacy-first perpetual DEX focused on tokenized RWAs and pre-IPO markets.

• Sophon :- Expanding into Base-powered applications, beginning with consumer payments through Pyre.

• Anyone Market :- A permissionless prediction market where anyone can create markets, trade outcomes, and earn a share of market fees.

• SatoshiPay :- Bringing Vortex FX liquidity, programmable FX settlement, and agent-ready payment infrastructure to Base.

• XO Market :- A conviction market platform with sponsored deposits and withdrawals to make onboarding easier.

• VibeStarter :- A crowdfunding platform for vibecoded apps featuring community raises, escrow-backed funding, and time-based capital distribution.

Looking at this list, what stands out to me isn't the number of announcements, it's the direction they're pointing in.

Base is attracting builders working on completely different problems.

Some are focused on AI.

Others are building payment infrastructure.

Some are experimenting with prediction markets, while others are creating tools for crowdfunding or tokenized assets.

That kind of diversity is what helps an ecosystem mature over time.

The more different types of applications that launch on the same network, the stronger the ecosystem becomes for both builders and users.

It's been interesting to watch Base evolve from a network known primarily for DeFi into a broader platform supporting AI, payments, consumer apps, and financial infrastructure.

If this momentum continues, I think we'll keep seeing more teams choose Base as the place to launch their next product....

Which category do you think will drive the next wave of growth on Base: AI, payments, consumer apps, prediction markets, or something else??

One thing I like about the Base ecosystem is seeing builders continue to ship real products instead of just talking about ideas.

GitLawB is a good example of that.

Over the past few months, the project has continued expanding its ecosystem with:

• Open-source developer tooling

• AI gateway infrastructure

• Coding playground deployment

• Agent-native development tools

• Permissionless ads funded with USDC through x402

To me, this isn't just about one feature.

It's another example of how builders are using Base's infrastructure to experiment with new ways of building, distributing, and monetizing applications.

The recent permissionless ads launch especially caught my attention.

Using USDC for funding campaigns and x402 for native payments shows how onchain infrastructure can support real internet use cases beyond simple token transfers.

Wht I appreciate most is that projects like this keep pushing the ecosystem in new directions.

As more developers build on Base, we're seeing the network expand beyond DeFi into AI, developer tooling, payments, and other practical applications.

That's the kind of growth I'd like to see continue.

Which area of the Base ecosystem do you think has the most room to grow over the next year: AI, developer tools, payments, or something else?

The Base Ecosystem Fund has invested in BlockRunAI, a project focused on making USDC payments between AI agents more practical through x402.

As AI agents become more capable, one of the biggest challenges isn't just what they can do, it's how they pay for services autonomously.

That's where x402 becomes interesting.

By enabling native internet payments with USDC, AI agents can potentially pay for APIs, data, compute, and other digital services without relying on traditional payment systems.

The investment in BlockRunAI suggests that Base continues to back projects building the infrastructure needed for an agent-driven economy.

We're still early, but the combination of AI agents, stablecoins, and payment protocols like x402 could unlock entirely new onchain use cases over time.

It'll be interesting to see how builders use this infrastructure as the ecosystem continues to evolve.

Do you think AI payments will become a standard part of the onchain economy??

How important do you think payment infrastructure is for the future of AI agents??

Base App is no longer limited to mobile.

You can now access it directly from your browser using the same account, the same assets, and the same trading experience.

This update makes it easier to explore the Base ecosystem without needing to download the app, while giving existing users the flexibility to switch seamlessly between mobile and desktop.

Some of the highlights include:

• Access Base App directly from your browser

• The same account across mobile and web

• The same trading experience on a larger screen

• Easier onboarding for new users

• More flexibility for everyday use

I think this is one of those updates that won't grab as many headlines as a protocol upgrade, but it could have a meaningful impact over time.

Making the product available on the web lowers the barrier for new users and gives existing users another convenient way to interact with Base.

What's also exciting is that this feels like the beginning rather than the finished product.

Now that Base App is available on the web, I expect we'll continue to see new features, integrations, and improvements added over time, making the desktop experience even more capable.

It's another step toward making the onchain experience more accessible, more practical, and easier for everyone to use.

Have you tried Base App on the web yet?? Wht is your first impression?

The Beryl upgrade is now live on Base, and I think it is one of the more important protocol upgrades the network has introduced so far.

Instead of focusing on a single feature, Beryl improves multiple parts of the network that builders and issuers rely on every day.

Some of the biggest changes include:

• B20 Native Token Standard :- A new native standard for issuing tokenized assets while remaining fully ERC-20 compatible.

• Faster Withdrawals :- Standard withdrawals from Base to Ethereum have been reduced from 7 days to 5 days, helping improve capital efficiency.

• Reth V2 Integration :- Around 50% lower node storage requirements and approximately 33% higher throughput, making the network more efficient to operate and easier to scale.

What I find interesting is that none of these updates are designed to generate excitement for a single day.

They're infrastructure improvements.And infrastructure upgrades usually become valuable over time, as builders start taking advantage of the new capabilities.

B20 creates a more purpose-built framework for tokenized assets.

Reth V2 improves network efficiency and scalability.

Shorter withdrawal times make moving capital between Base and Ethereum more practical.

Individually, each improvement is meaningful.Together, they strengthen the foundation that future applications can build on.

As more stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, AI-powered applications, and onchain financial products emerge, having efficient infrastructure becomes increasingly important.

That's why I see Beryl as more than a routine upgrade.

It's another step in Base's long-term effort to build infrastructure that can support a broader range of onchain applications at scale.

The immediate changes may seem technical, but the long-term impact will likely depend on what developers choose to build on top of them.

Which Beryl feature do you think will make the biggest difference for developers??

With the Beryl upgrade going live Today, B20 is set to become Base's new native token standard.

I've seen a lot of discussion around whether B20 is a token, but that's not actually what it is.

B20 is a framework designed for issuing and managing tokenized assets on Base.

What makes it interesting is that it's built with assets like stablecoins, RWAs, equities, credit markets, and other financial products in mind.

Some of the key features include:

• Transfer Policies : Control who can send, receive, or execute transfers

• Issuer Controls : Built-in minting, burning, pausing, and admin permissions

• Compliance Tools : Allowlists, blocklists, freeze-and-seize, and policy support

• Asset Metadata : Support for memos, currency codes, and issuer information

• Lower-Cost Execution : Token operations powered by native Rust precompiles

For most users, these upgrades probably won't be visible on day one.

But infrastructure upgrades often matter most in the long run.

The real impact comes when builders start using these tools to create products that were previously difficult or inefficient to launch.

As more assets move onchain, the focus is gradually shifting from simply tokenizing assets to creating the infrastructure needed to manage them at scale..

That's why B20 is an interesting development to follow..

It will be interesting to see how builders and issuers make use of these capabilities over time.

- Could standards like B20 help bring more real-world assets onchain??

- What do you think matters more for tokenization: asset issuance or asset utility??

Builder Codes are now live for x402 on Base.

Builder Codes are one of those updates that may not get a lot of attention, but can be genuinely useful for developers.

With Builder Codes, teams building with x402 can:

-- Unlock app-level analytics

-- Attribute x402 traffic to their project

-- Integrate quickly with coding agents

As more developers experiment with onchain payments and AI-powered applications, understanding how those systems are being used becomes increasingly important.

Good infrastructure isn't just about enabling transactions. It's also about giving builders the tools to measure adoption, understand user behavior, and improve their products over time.

One thing I find interesting is how much focus Base continues to place on the developer experience. The easier it is for builders to launch, monitor, and iterate on applications, the easier it becomes for the ecosystem to grow.

Updates like Builder Codes may not be the most visible changes for end users, but they can have a meaningful impact behind the scenes by helping teams build better products and make more informed decisions.

As x402 continues to evolve, it'll be interesting to see what new applications emerge once developers have access to better tooling and analytics....

-- If you're building with x402, what additional feature or tool would you like to see next ??

-- Where do you see the biggest opportunity for x402 over the next year??

Getting an asset onchain is only the beginning of the journey.

For tokenized assets to reach their potential, they need the same things traditional financial markets rely on: liquidity, lending, efficient access to capital, and infrastructure that allows assets to be actively used rather than simply held.

That's why projects like Multiplifi are interesting to follow.

While a lot of attention goes toward bringing assets onchain, the long-term opportunity may lie in building the systems that make those assets productive once they're there.

As more stablecoins, RWAs, and other financial assets move onto Base, I expect the conversation to gradually shift from issuance to utility.

Creating an asset is one challenge...

Creating a functioning market around that asset is another...

The projects that solve that second challenge could end up playing a major role in the future of onchain finance.

What do you think is the biggest missing piece for tokenized assets today: liquidity, lending, or something else??

I came across BunnyOS recently and thought it was worth sharing here.

It is an AI agent built on Base that takes a very different approach compared to many AI projects in crypto today.

What stood out to me is that BunnyOS is open-source, self-hostable, auditable, and extensible. That means developers can inspect how it works, modify it, and run it themselves rather than relying on a completely closed system.

It's also the first open-source project built with the Base MCP.

From what I've read, the project is built around four core systems:

• Action system

• MCP & tooling

• Tab management

• Memory

As AI agents become more capable, I think transparency and user control will matter just as much as the features themselves. Projects that allow people to understand and verify what an agent is doing could have a meaningful advantage.

Still early, but it's interesting to see builders experimenting with AI infrastructure on Base...

Wht do you think is more important for AI agents: better capabilities or greater transparency??

I've seen a lot of discussion around B20 since the Beryl announcement, and one thing that stands out is that many people seem to think B20 is a new token coming to Base.

That's not actually what B20 is.

B20 is Base's native token standard. Similar to how ERC-20 provides a framework for creating and managing tokens on Ethereum, B20 is designed to provide a framework for issuing assets on Base.

The goal isn't to create a new asset. The goal is to create better infrastructure for future assets.

Today, most assets on Base are deployed as ERC-20 smart contracts. With B20, Base is introducing a more native approach that could improve efficiency, simplify issuance, and enable deeper integrations at the protocol level.

What's important to understand is:

• B20 ≠ a Base token

• B20 ≠ a new cryptocurrency

• B20 = a standard that future assets can be built on

For users, the impact may not be obvious immediately. But for builders, stablecoin issuers, and projects exploring tokenized assets, B20 could become an important piece of the Base ecosystem over time.

The interesting question isn't whether B20 is a token.

The interesting question is what builders will create with it.

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The headline features of Beryl are easy to spot: B20, shorter withdrawal times, and Reth V2.

What interests me most, though, is what these upgrades could unlock over the next year.

B20 isn't just another token standard. It's Base's first native token standard, designed specifically for issuing assets onchain while remaining compatible with the broader ERC-20 ecosystem. If more financial assets eventually move onchain, having infrastructure built for that purpose could end up being a meaningful advantage.

The withdrawal improvements are also easy to overlook, but reducing friction is important. Small UX improvements tend to have a bigger impact than people expect, especially as more users and applications start interacting with the network.

Then there is Reth V2. Scalability upgrades aren't always the most exciting announcements, but they're often the reason builders can continue creating more complex and ambitious applications without running into network limitations.

One thing I have appreciated about Base is that the team keeps shipping upgrades that strengthen the network itself rather than focusing only on short-term narratives. A lot of the benefits from infrastructure work aren't visible immediately, but they're what make future growth possible.

Beryl feels less like a single upgrade and more like another step toward preparing Base for larger-scale adoption...

*Which Beryl feature do you think will have the biggest long-term impact on Base??

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One thing I've noticed is how quickly the Base App keeps expanding.

Not long ago, most people looked at wallets as a place to store assets and sign transactions. Now we're seeing more chains, more markets, better discovery, and even desktop support on the way.

What I like is that the vision seems bigger than just adding features. The goal appears to be bringing different parts of the onchain experience together in one place so users spend less time switching between apps and more time actually using them.

Crypto still has a usability problem. Most people don't want to manage multiple wallets, bridges, and interfaces just to get something done. That's why updates focused on simplicity and accessibility stand out to me.

The Base App still has a long way to go, but it feels like it's moving toward becoming a central hub for everyday onchain activity rather than just another wallet.

--Which upcoming Base App feature are you most excited about: desktop support, more chains, or new markets??

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B20 is a big step for tokenized assets on Base

One thing I like about Base is that a lot of the recent updates have been focused on improving the underlying infrastructure.

B20 is a good example of that.

A Base-native standard built specifically for onchain financial assets could make it easier for builders to create products that are more efficient, interoperable, and cost-effective from day one.

Tokenization has been talked about for years, but widespread adoption will depend on having the right foundations in place. Faster settlement, lower costs, and better standards might not be the most exciting headlines, but they'r often what enable larger ecosystems to grow.

That's why I think B20 is worth paying attention to. It feels like another step toward making Base a stronger home for tokenized assets and onchain finance.

*Where do you think Base should focus next after B20??

would be great to hear your thoughts..

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Talent Protocol's update about Polygraph and agent reputation on Base.

As AI agents become more active onchain, I think trust is going to become a much bigger topic. Anyone can launch an agent, but knowing which ones are actually reliable is a different challenge.

The idea of testing agent behavior and building a reputation score around real actions feels like an interesting approach.

That's why the Polygraph idea caught my attention. Instead of focusing on what an agent says it can do, the focus seems to be on observing behavior and building a reputation score around it.

With plans for verifiable scores, TEEs, and onchain attestations on Base, it feels like Talent Protocol is trying to tackle a problem that will only become more important as AI agents become more common.

We're still early, but I think reputation could end up being a major part of how users decide which agents to trust.

what do you think gyz...

- How would you decide whether an AI agent is trustworthy enough to use??

- Do you think onchain reputation will actually matter, or will people still judge agents based on results alone??

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o1_Exchange has launched its DEX Aggregator on Base.

While big partnerships and major announcements usually get most of the attention, I think launches like this are worth paying attention to as well.

Trading infrastructure is not always the most visible part of an ecosystem, but it is something users interact with every day, whether they realize it or not. More tools, more liquidity access, and more options generally make the overall experience stronger.

One thing I have noticed recently is that Base keeps attracting a wide mix of projects. Some are focused on payments, some on AI, some on consumer apps, and others on DeFi infrastructure like o1 Exchange.

That variety is part of what makes the ecosystem interesting to follow.

For those who trade on Base regularly, what do you look for most in a DEX aggregator?