January 2026 has already passed the halfway point. Those still holding onto projects like GPU leasing might be falling behind the pace.

Looking back over the year, the entire AI ecosystem has undergone earth-shaking changes. From the initial question of "who will provide the computing infrastructure," it quickly evolved into "using AI to drive the real economy." This shift has come faster than expected.

What were the star projects of the past? Selling shovels. But now? The market wants AI that can pick up a shovel and work. Decentralized AI Agents are quietly becoming the next hot trend.

Why should you pay attention to this track?

We have entered a new era—the "Agentic Economy." Previously, humans directed AI to do things; now, AI makes decisions on its own. Your wallet will gradually develop "awareness." It can automatically negotiate, trade, and seek arbitrage opportunities with other AIs, all through smart contracts on the chain. This is not science fiction; it is happening right now.

So, what specific projects are worth watching?

First, Virtuals Protocol (Token: $VIRTUAL). What was hot in 2025? AI Meme. But 2025 was just a warm-up; 2026 is truly the year AI becomes practical. Virtuals Protocol is doing something interesting—building an "App Store" for AI agents.

Its approach is not just about stacking technology. The project team has designed a token burn mechanism (through buybacks and token destruction), creating strong deflationary expectations. More importantly, it bridges the last mile of consumer-grade applications—allowing ordinary users to actually use these AI agents, not just programmers or institutions.