Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange Binance BNB/USD, advised artificial intelligence agent services to focus on utility rather than launching their own coins on Monday.

What Happened: Zhao, popularly known as CZ, posted his “unpopular opinion” on AI agents and their connection to the cryptocurrency world.

“While crypto is the currency for AI, not every agent needs its own token,” CZ stated. “Launch a coin only if you have scale. Focus on utility, not tokens.”

Binance’s former CEO added that agents can utilize existing cryptocurrencies to get paid for the services they provide.

CZ’s remarks invited reactions, with influential cryptocurrency analyst Benjamin Cowen presenting the same argument, although this time about cryptocurrency exchanges collecting fees in existing tokens rather than launching their own tokens. The retort appeared to be directed at Binance’s exchange token, BNB.

See Also: Crypto Leaders Step Up Pressure On SEC As Trump’s Policies Reshape Regulatory Landscape

Why It Matters: Zhao’s viewpoint comes at a time when the AI agent cryptocurrency market is experiencing significant contraction.

According to Coingecko, the market cap of AI agent coins has plunged 67% year-to-date, while its share in the AI market has shrunk from 67% to 45.52% as of this writing. Key AI agent coins such as Artificial Super Intelligence (FET) and ai16z (AI16Z) have fallen 60% and 88%, respectively, since 2025 began.

It’s worth noting that the AI agent bot market is expanding, with these virtual agents becoming increasingly adept at problem-solving. Additionally, the Web3 AI sector is projected to grow by a staggering 89.7%, outpacing the overall AI market’s 44% growth by 2030.

Photo: Koshiro Kao via Shutterstock

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