Skip to main content

INFTs: Tokenizing AI Agents

What Are INFTs?​

The rapid growth of AI agents necessitates new methods for managing their ownership, transfer, and capabilities within Web3 ecosystems.

INFTs (Intelligent Non-Fungible Tokens) represent a significant advancement in this space, enabling the tokenization of AI agents with:

  • Transferability: Move AI agents between owners securely
  • Decentralized control: No single point of failure
  • Full asset ownership: Complete control over AI capabilities
  • Royalty potential: Monetize AI agent usage and transfers
Navigation Guide

Why Traditional NFTs Don't Work for AI​

Traditional NFT standards like ERC-721 and ERC-1155 have significant limitations when applied to AI agents:

Key Problems​

🔓 Static and Public Metadata

  • Existing standards link to static, publicly accessible metadata
  • AI agents need dynamic metadata that reflects learning and evolution
  • Sensitive AI data requires privacy protection

🚫 Insecure Metadata Transfer

  • ERC-721 transfers only move ownership identifiers
  • The underlying AI "intelligence" doesn't transfer
  • New owners receive incomplete or non-functional agents

🔒 No Native Encryption

  • Current standards lack built-in encryption support
  • Proprietary AI models remain exposed
  • Sensitive user data can't be protected

The INFT Solution: ERC-7857​

ERC-7857 is a new NFT standard specifically designed to address AI agent requirements. It enables the creation, ownership, and secure transfer of INFTs with their complete intelligence intact.

Revolutionary Features​

🛡️ Privacy-Preserving Metadata

  • Encrypts sensitive AI "intelligence" data
  • Protects proprietary information from exposure
  • Maintains privacy throughout transfers

🔄 Secure Metadata Transfers

  • Both ownership AND encrypted metadata transfer together
  • Verifiable transfer process ensures integrity
  • New owners receive fully functional agents

⚡ Dynamic Data Management

  • Supports evolving AI agent capabilities
  • Secure updates to agent state and behaviors
  • Maintains functionality within NFT framework

🌐 Decentralized Storage Integration

  • Works with 0G Storage for permanent, tamper-proof storage
  • Distributed access management
  • No single point of failure

✅ Verifiable Ownership & Control

  • Cryptographic proofs validate all transfers
  • Oracle-based verification ensures integrity
  • Transparent ownership verification

🤖 AI-Specific Functionality

  • Built-in agent lifecycle management
  • Pre-execution ownership verification
  • Specialized features for AI use cases

How INFT Transfers Work​

The transfer mechanism ensures both token ownership and encrypted metadata transfer securely together.

Simple Transfer Flow​

1. 📦 Encrypt & Commit    →  2. 🔄 Oracle Processing
          ↓                           ↓
6. ✅ Access Granted     ←  3. 🔐 Re-encrypt for Receiver
          ↑                           ↓
5. ✓ Verify & Finalize   ←  4. 🗝️ Secure Key Delivery
Detailed Step-by-Step Process

  1. Encryption & Commitment

    • AI agent metadata gets encrypted
    • Hash commitment created as authenticity proof
    • Content remains hidden

  2. Secure Transfer Initiation

    • Trusted oracle (using TEEs) decrypts original metadata
    • Process happens in secure environment

  3. Re-encryption for Receiver

    • Oracle generates new encryption key
    • Re-encrypts metadata with new key
    • Stores new encrypted metadata (e.g., on 0G Storage)

  4. Key Delivery

    • New encryption key encrypted with receiver's public key
    • Only intended owner can access metadata key

  5. Verification & Finalization

    • Smart contract verifies multiple proofs:
      • Sender's access rights
      • Oracle validation of metadata matching
      • Receiver's signed acknowledgment
    • If valid: ownership transfers + receiver gets encrypted key

  6. Access Granted

    • Receiver uses private key to decrypt metadata key
    • Full access to agent's encrypted intelligence granted
ERC7857 Transfer Flow Diagram
Technical Implementation

For detailed oracle implementations (TEE vs ZKP), security considerations, and code examples, see the ERC-7857 Technical Standard.

Additional Capabilities​

🧬 Clone Function

  • Creates new token with same AI metadata
  • Preserves original while enabling distribution
  • Useful for AI agent templates

🔐 Authorized Usage

  • Grant usage rights without ownership transfer
  • Sealed executor processes metadata securely
  • Enable AI-as-a-Service models

Real-World Applications​

Secure AI agent tokenization opens up transformative possibilities:

🏪 AI Agent Marketplaces​

  • Buy and sell trained AI agents with guaranteed capability transfer
  • Secure marketplaces with verified agent functionality
  • Transparent pricing and capability verification

🎯 Personalized Automation​

  • Own AI agents tailored for specific tasks:
    • DeFi trading strategies
    • Airdrop claiming automation
    • Social media management
    • Research and analysis

🏢 Enterprise AI Solutions​

  • Build proprietary AI agents for internal use
  • Securely transfer or lease agents to clients
  • Maintain control over sensitive business logic

💼 AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS)​

  • Tokenize AI agents for subscription models
  • Granular usage permissions and billing
  • Scalable service delivery

🤝 Agent Collaboration​

  • Combine multiple INFT agents for enhanced capabilities
  • Create composite AI solutions
  • Build AI agent ecosystems

💰 IP Monetization​

  • AI developers monetize models as NFTs
  • Maintain usage control and royalty collection
  • Protect proprietary algorithms

Powered by 0G Infrastructure​

INFTs leverage the complete 0G ecosystem for optimal performance:

ComponentRole in INFTsKey Benefits
0G StorageEncrypted metadata storageSecure, permanent, owner-only access
0G DATransfer proof verificationGuaranteed metadata availability
0G ChainSmart contract executionFast, low-cost INFT operations
0G ComputeSecure AI inferencePrivate agent execution

Why This Matters​

By combining INFTs with 0G's comprehensive AI infrastructure, developers can create sophisticated, transferable AI agents that maintain their intelligence, privacy, and functionality throughout their entire lifecycle.

Complete AI Stack

0G provides the only complete infrastructure stack specifically designed for AI applications, making it the ideal foundation for INFT development.

Next Steps​

For Developers​

🚀 Integration Guide - Start building with INFTs
📋 ERC-7857 Standard - Technical implementation details
💻 GitHub Repository - Sample code and examples

For Users​

🛒 AI Agent Marketplace - Browse available AI agents (coming soon)
📚 User Guide - How to buy, transfer, and use INFTs (coming soon)

Get Support​

💬 Discord Community - Ask questions and get help
📖 Documentation Hub - Complete 0G ecosystem guides

Web3 Compatible

ERC-7857 is designed to be compatible with existing Web3 infrastructure while providing enhanced security and functionality for AI agent tokenization.