In this episode, Anand and Niraj dive deep into the exciting intersection of AI and crypto. They explore why now is the time for these two technologies to converge, the problems decentralized AI aims to solve, and the potential for AI agents to drive unprecedented onchain transaction volume. The discussion covers key projects in the space like BitTensor and Io Net, how blockchain data could be leveraged in AI systems, and the transformative impact if rituals succeeds in its mission over the next 5 years. Thanks for tuning in! - - Follow Niraj: https://x.com/niraj Follow Anand: https://x.com/ai Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Arbitrum is a game-changer for daily Ethereum's users and developers, offering top applications and lower fees. As the leading scaling solution with 600+ apps, explore Arbitrum’s Portal to find your perfect fit. Interact with the home of DeFi, a flourishing NFT and creator ecosystem, and a rapidly growing Web3 gaming hub – Arbitrum has it all.  Get started at: portal.arbitrum.io  - - This episode is brought to you by Aura, the AI-powered digital security protection app that keeps your personal information, passwords, online activity, and tech safe from digital threats. It’s all-in-one protection from identity theft, financial fraud, malware, scams, and more. For a limited time, Aura is offering our listeners a 14-day FREE trial plus up to 55% off an Aura subscription. Visit aura.com/blockworks to sign up for your free trial. - - SKALE is a modular, AppChain network that offers zero gas fee transactions and instant finality. Tailored for ease of development and onboarding, SKALE's configurable EVM chains enable next-gen use cases in gaming, AI, DePin, and others. With over 20,000,000 users having saved over $6 Billion on gas fees, SKALE is the blockchain for mass adoption. Bridge to SKALE at portal.skale.space and stay up to date with the gasless blockchain at @skalenetwork - - Kinto is the Safety-first L2 designed to accelerate the transition to an on-chain financial system. If you believe in this on-chain financial system, join Kinto's launch program (Engen) and become a founding member at engen.kinto.xyz - - Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 02:09 Why AI & Crypto 17:16 Open Source AI Models 23:44 Why Ritual 26:35 Future of AI Applications 32:19 What are AI Agents? 38:03 Aura Ad 38:54 Kinto Ad 39:50 Skale Ad 41:07 Will AI Make Crypto Mainstream? 46:54 Decentralized AI's Moment 54:57 IO Net & Bit Tensor 58:54 What Everyone is Missing 01:04:11 Interesting AI Usecases - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.