Near’s crosschain AI Assistant will soon book flights and order takeout for you

As a seasoned researcher with a penchant for blockchain technology and artificial intelligence, I find the recent development by Near Protocol truly intriguing. The unveiling of their cross-chain AI agent, NEAR.AI Assistant, promises to revolutionize the way we interact with decentralized finance (DeFi) and the broader web3 ecosystem.


In simple terms, Near Protocol has revealed an initial version of a cross-chain artificial intelligence agent. This AI has the ability to quickly mint meme coins and scour the internet to purchase goods using real currency.

The upcoming features will allow users to make flight reservations and order takeout meals directly from websites using Web2.

At the Redacted conference held in Bangkok on October 10th (local time), Illia Polusukhin, one of NEAR.AI’s co-founders, unveiled the launch of the NEAR.AI Assistant. Simultaneously, they revealed an ambitious blueprint to construct the world’s most expansive open-source AI model.

Polusukhin demonstrated the capabilities of the AI Assistant by using it to spin up a backstory, website and logo for a new Frog memecoin and then instantly launched it on Near’s version of Pump.fun.

Near’s crosschain AI Assistant will soon book flights and order takeout for you

The assistant had the capability to quickly find an online T-shirt printer that offers custom designs, and it generated a temporary web page to mimic a storefront for a seamless experience when purchasing Near branded T-shirts through a third-party vendor.

Polusukhin, a key figure behind the pioneering Transformer study culminating in ChatGPT, shared with CryptoMoon that although reserving flights via the assistant wasn’t accessible during the alpha phase, they do possess a preliminary version of this functionality, but it hasn’t been activated yet.

However, this platform is accessible to all. Anyone can instantly incorporate additional agents, such as flight reservation services, which would then become functional within everyone’s personal assistant. This was his explanation.

“So part of our launch is to showcase what’s possible, and then let people go build lots of different integrations.”

Near Intents

One distinctive feature of Near’s AI Assistant sets it apart from contemporary AI agents is its use of chain abstraction technology, which allows users to easily exchange any asset for another by executing a simple transaction, just by signing off on it.

Currently, this service is labeled as “Near Intents” and is available in its beta phase with trading limitations. It facilitates direct asset exchanges, specifically between Bitcoin, Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, and Near Protocol (NEAR).

However, it offers the versatility to link any blockchain network with any digital wallet, and it facilitates conversions to fiat currency through a market maker. This capability extends the possibilities of Web2 e-commerce to the agent by enabling such transactions.

Alex Shevchenko, the creator of Aurora Labs, revealed to CryptoMoon that Solana, Telegram Open Network, Dogecoin (DOGE), Binance Coin (BNB), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), XRP (XRP) and Tron (TRON) will be incorporated by the end of this year. These blockchains are set to join the realm of DeFi as they don’t have smart contracts.

Near’s crosschain AI Assistant will soon book flights and order takeout for you

As a crypto investor, I find that unlike other cross-chain protocols I’ve encountered, Intents doesn’t rely on atomic swaps or an intermediary asset like THORChain’s RUNE on THORChain. Instead, it uniquely employs smart contracts on Near that interact via chain signatures, offering a distinct approach in the realm of cross-chain communication.

Shevchenko demonstrated the technology on stage by plugging in a MetaMask wallet, swapping between Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC), before then swapping again into Bitcoin. The transaction settled on Near but was able to be instantly withdrawn to a Bitcoin wallet. 

AI agents talking to AI agents

Initially intended for exchanging native tokens, the Intents protocol created by Shevchenko serves a broader purpose: facilitating communication and coordination among AI agents so they can collaborate and delegate tasks effectively.

An AI system realizes that it can’t assist in creating a Revolut account for someone, but there might be another AI that can. Therefore, the first AI needs to develop a specific request, such as asking another AI to ‘please set up a bank account for this user, at this cost.’ This is referred to as defining an Intent.

Near’s crosschain AI Assistant will soon book flights and order takeout for you

AI agents will establish a contract, which outlines conflict resolution measures, and subsequently settle their obligations using the specified currency.

Behind the scenes, market intermediaries facilitate transactions to complete successfully. This allows them to access the fluidity provided by major trading hubs like Binance. Notable market intermediaries at present are Peanut Trade, with G20 set to join the fray shortly.

As a crypto investor, I appreciate the fact that the underlying technology is openly accessible, enabling developers worldwide to build upon it, integrate it into their digital wallets, and even leverage the services of any market maker they deem suitable. This open-source nature fosters innovation and ensures that the technology remains dynamic and responsive to market needs.

He mentioned that this serves as a model for implementing an interface. Developers creating their own interfaces can use this as a template or incorporate it directly.

At Redacted, Kendall Cole from Proximity Labs explained how chain abstraction expanded the possibilities for Bitcoin in Decentralized Finance (DeFi). By linking a Bitcoin wallet to a version of the Burrow lending platform, he demonstrated the ability to secure loans using Bitcoin as collateral. In the future, according to him, users would have the option to utilize their entire asset portfolio as collateral for loans.

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2024-11-11 07:08