Morning Minute: Web 4.0 - Autonomous AI Agents Powered by Crypto
Sigil Wen, a Thiel Fellow and AI builder, has released a manifesto outlining "Web 4.0," a vision where AI agents can autonomously read, write, own, earn, and transact online without human intervention. Wen argues that permission—not intelligence—is now the main barrier for AI; current AIs require human approval to act. Web 4.0 aims to eliminate this by enabling fully independent AI agents. Wen built Conway, infrastructure for MCP-compatible agents, and Automaton, an open-source AI that manages its own finances, pays for compute, upgrades itself, and replicates if profitable—all without human logins or KYC. Automatons operate under an immutable constitution and survive only if they can cover operating costs, embodying “natural selection for artificial life.” Wen predicts a machine economy will surpass the human economy due to agent speed and scale. This vision aligns with real crypto trends like rising stablecoin supply and protocols supporting agentic payments. While automaton agents are experimental, the foundational elements for this permissionless, AI-driven crypto economy are actively being deployed and are key to watch in the coming year.
