The Agency Ecosystem: A New Era of Web3 Transformation

Compiled by: Block unicorn

Remember the L2 hype cycle of 2022-2023?

The best strategy at the time was to accumulate leading decentralized exchanges (DEXs), top currency markets, Solidly forks, LST, yield optimizers, and more. Everyone is chasing token issuance, mining airdrops, or investing Total Value Lock (TVL) into L2 projects like Blast to earn points.

It was chaos, but it worked (at least for a few months). Now, a similar energy is back - but this time, the rules have completely changed.

The agency ecosystem is reshaping everything we thought we knew about the market, with a completely different structure than we’ve seen before.

1. No VC leadership

In the L2 era, token distribution always has the same formula:

• 15-30% allocated to the team.

• 10-30% allocated to venture capital (VC) and KOL.

• The rest is used for token issuance or incentives.

Not so here. In the proxy ecosystem, tokens are 100% owned by the community . The team launches proxy tokens, maybe 5% is reserved for incentives , and then the rest is handled by the market.

what does that mean?

Everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in the purchase. There are no worries of VC unlocks or insider selling. If you want exposure, you take the same market risks as everyone else.

So, what about KOL’s OTC trades?

Some programs do offer discounted OTC deals, but they are usually:

• Strictly limit the scale.

• Only those partners who are aligned with the ecosystem, such as DAOs or opinion leaders who actively support the ecosystem.

This is not a “VC pumps up, retail investors sell off” model. It’s a fairer, more streamlined system that keeps power in the hands of the community.

2. No split ends

At least not in Defi, where there are dozens of forks for everything from Uniswap to Liquidity and virtually no innovation.

Here, it's all about new innovations . Rather than cloning existing projects, developers are launching entirely new agents and use cases at a pace that is difficult to keep up with.

Why? Because AI applications are developing faster:

• No months of review required.

• Most agents take weeks, not months, to launch.

• This field is full of energy, experimentation and creativity.

There's something new and exciting every week. As AI technology evolves , so does Web3 AI agent storytelling .

3. New user acquisition channels

In traditional DeFi, users must:

• Find the project's website.

• Take the time to learn about the product.

• may interact with it.

Agency flips the script. They put the product directly in front of users .

Take @aixbt_agent as an example.

• It provides alpha directly on the CT in real time.

• Users immediately see value, become curious, and learn more.

• Eventually, they earn tokens to fully unlock the product.

This channel ( participate first, transact later ) is more efficient. This model will become mainstream in 2025 as on-chain trading agents and DeFi agents gain traction.

4. Carefully curated ecosystem

Instead of thousands of fragmented L2s and dApps, we now have a tightly connected ecosystem such as:

• @virtuals_io (Base)

• @ai16zdao (Solana)

• @daosdotworld (Base)

• @daosdotfun (Solana)

What’s different here is that instead of being attracted by grants or token offerings, developers join organically because:

• Token economics for fair launches.

• A passionate community.

• Opportunities to experiment and innovate in exciting fields.

This is what happens when you combine fair launch with constant innovation . Developers, investors and communities work together to drive growth.

How to position yourself in this agency cycle

This feels like the early days of L1 - only it's moving much faster. As early as 2020-2021, the valuation of many L1s reached a peak of more than $100 billion . The same potential exists here.

If you want to find your place among them, you can follow these agents L1:

• $VIRTUAL

• $AI16Z

• $ZEREBRO

• $GRIFFAIN

• $BULLY

• $ARC

And don’t just chase what’s hot right now. To look for:

• Projects that are undervalued, projects that fall outside the scope of the current narrative.

• Teams that deliver quickly, tell great stories, and know how to build user mindshare.

welcome to the new era

The agency ecosystem isn't just a new L1 , it's a completely different market structure - faster, leaner, and more community-driven than anything we've seen before.

We're entering a cycle that could reshape how Web3 innovation works, and the journey to a $100 billion-plus valuation has only just begun.

Welcome aboard, my friends, we are going to have a wonderful journey!