Before the advent of blockchain, database records (even when textbooks called them ‘objects’) were essentially static data trapped within specific system architectures. Their operations depended entirely on database administrator permissions and predefined interfaces, lacking autonomy and portability.

In contrast, physical objects in the real world (such as cash) exist in an open environment where they can be freely transferred and traded. Blockchain, through the innovation of tokens, places database records on an open, globally shared protocol layer. In this programmable space, tokens are no longer passive lines of data waiting for instructions, but ‘digital entities’ that can be autonomously transferred, traded, staked, and even composed into innovative new forms.

From Static Records to Flowing Entities #

The fundamental limitation of traditional database architectures lies in their closed nature. A user’s account balance can only be operated within the bank’s system, a game item can only be used in a specific game, and loyalty points can only be consumed within the issuer’s ecosystem. These “values” are essentially siloed, unable to flow freely across systems.

Tokens changed everything. They are not merely data records, but digital entities with inherent portability. A token can:

• Transfer autonomously: Move between addresses without requiring centralized institutional approval
• Interact programmably: Implement complex conditional logic through smart contracts
• Cross-platform compatibility: Be recognized and operated in any system supporting the protocol
• Compose innovations: Combine with other tokens and protocols to generate new forms of value

Building Digital Mirrors for Real-World Assets #

This technical foundation provides the possibility for trustworthy digital mapping of real-world assets and rights. Property ownership, corporate equity, intellectual property, and even personal credit records can all gain operable representation in digital space through tokens.

Of course, the ultimate validity of such mapping still requires support from offline factors like legal frameworks. But the technological breakthrough provides solid infrastructure for this bridging. More importantly, it brings native, freely flowing value carriers to the digital world for the first time.

New Infrastructure for AI Agents #

For AI agents, this value infrastructure holds revolutionary significance. Before tokens emerged, AI systems could only manipulate information, unable to directly handle value. Even the most advanced AI assistants required humans to execute any operations involving money or assets on their behalf.

Tokens changed this dynamic. They provide a permissionless protocol for operating value, giving AI agents unprecedented autonomous economic capabilities:

• Autonomous payments: AI agents can directly pay for computational resources and data access fees
• Value creation: Earn tokens as income by providing services
• Resource optimization: Automatically adjust resource allocation based on price signals
• Economic collaboration: Engage in direct value exchange with other AI agents

Toward an Autonomous Economic Future #

This bridging of ‘digital entities’ with ‘physical entities’ paints a picture of an entirely new economic paradigm: AI agents are no longer passive tools, but autonomous actors capable of independently participating in economic activities. They can own assets, bear responsibilities, create value, and form complex economic networks with humans and other agents.

Realizing this vision will take time, requiring further technological maturation as well as improvements in regulation and social acceptance. But the infrastructure is already in place, and the seeds of transformation have been planted. We stand at the threshold of a new era—an economic ecosystem jointly built by AI agents and humans is about to arrive.

Tokens are not merely products of blockchain; they are the key catalyst for the digital world’s evolution toward a real economy.