►Introduction

When we talk about "how AI changes the world", many people may think of drawing robots, AI writing assistants, or even virtual images that can chat with humans. However, in the field of e-commerce, a more practical form of AI is quietly emerging, which is called "Agent AI".

This kind of AI is not the familiar ChatGPT chat tool, but an "actor" that can perform tasks autonomously according to your instructions - not just answering questions, but helping you do things. When Agent AI is combined with Web3, it is no longer just a tool for "recommending products", but a real intelligent entity that can place orders, make payments, manage wallets, and even participate in financial operations.

Part 1

AI is precisely addressing the time pain points of e-commerce

Almost every one of us has experienced this consumption scenario: a few days before the holiday, we suddenly realize that we need to prepare gifts for our loved ones, so we open the e-commerce app and struggle, compare, and hesitate among hundreds of options. After an hour, we may not have chosen the one we like. This process reflects a key problem: e-commerce platforms are not short of "options", but they lack "decision-making efficiency".

Raphael, the head of ecology at Spree Finance, mentioned in the podcast that their team saw this "high attention cost" problem and tried to solve it with agent-based AI. For example, if you tell AI: "I need a birthday gift for a child aged 8 to 9 who likes science and Mario, with a budget of less than 200 yuan", traditional e-commerce platforms can only list dozens of pages of products, but agent-based AI can do three things directly: screening, sorting, and recommendation. It automatically grabs the most popular and most highly praised matching products based on the data in the background, and quickly outputs the optimal solution. Users only need to click to confirm to complete the purchase.

This experience is no longer "I go to find products", but "products come to me", and they are carefully selected, close to the level of a personal assistant. The key is that it can also "take action" - not only recommend, but also complete the order, payment, and send receipts autonomously.

Part 2

Why is Web3 an ideal landing place for Agent-based AI?

The above experience sounds powerful, but it still has a key obstacle in reality: the traditional financial system has strict restrictions on AI "mobilizing funds". Banks cannot easily allow an AI to access user accounts or initiate transactions, which involves multiple layers of risk control such as supervision, anti-fraud, and insurance.

This is where Web3 comes into play. In the blockchain system, each AI agent can have its own encrypted wallet and independently complete payments, remittances, and even participate in DeFi protocols through smart contracts. In other words, AI does not just "place orders on your behalf", it can actually complete the entire purchase process, including the payment link.

Some pioneers, such as Spree Finance, have already put this into practice. They have developed a set of "e-commerce infrastructure open to AI". As long as an AI agent accesses their API and smart contract network, it can access its complete merchant ecosystem and realize a long process from finding products, comparing prices to payment. All transactions are completed on the chain, which is open, transparent and auditable.

Part 3

Web3 e-commerce is not only “easy”, it is also very attractive to merchants

Let’s think about it from another perspective: In addition to being convenient for users, what appeal does such an AI+Web3 system have for merchants?

First, the payment cost is reduced. In traditional e-commerce, merchants must use payment systems such as Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal, and each transaction may be charged a 2% to 3% fee. For the high-frequency, low-profit e-commerce industry, this "invisible tax" is actually very heavy. The payment system based on Web3 is naturally not subject to this restriction, with low transaction costs and fast speed, and can even achieve instant settlement.

The second is the improvement of cash flow. In the traditional payment system, merchants usually have to wait for several days or even weeks to receive payment from the platform. The blockchain system can achieve almost real-time settlement, which greatly improves the efficiency of merchants' capital use. Especially for some cross-border sellers who need a fast turnover, this is undoubtedly a booster.

Furthermore, through the DeFi structure of Web3, consumers and merchants can be connected more closely: users are no longer just "buyers", but can also be "investors" or "liquidity providers", helping merchants to raise funds and obtain supply chain credit, thus forming a more dynamic and open business ecosystem.

Part 4

Technology is not a threshold, experience is the key

Of course, for most people, AI, blockchain, wallet, DeFi, these words sound a bit strange and even scary. But real user experience designers understand that the end user does not need to understand these terms, just like we do not need to understand how the iPhone works, we just need it to be "easy to use".

Raphael emphasized that the product philosophy he hopes to create is "as easy to use as magic, but as simple as a mobile app." They provide partners with a customizable interface that can completely hide blockchain elements, allowing users to place orders just like on a regular website. Wallets are automatically generated, payment processes are automatically processed, and all complex logic is completed in the background.

▎Write at the end

Agent AI is a new species that is evolving rapidly, and Web3 provides the "free space" it needs to act. When the two are combined, a truly intelligent, trustworthy, and autonomous e-commerce ecosystem is emerging.

This is not the future - it has already been implemented in early platforms such as Spree. If Web1.0 solves information acquisition and Web2.0 solves social connections, then Agent-type AI + Web3 is solving the last mile of "decision-making efficiency" and "transaction execution".

Next time you buy a gift, book a hotel, or even consider changing your car, you may not need to open dozens of pages yourself. You just need to say a word - AI will do everything for you.

*All content on the Coinspire platform is for reference only and does not constitute an offer or recommendation of any investment strategy. Any personal decision made based on the content of this article is the responsibility of the investor, and Coinspire is not responsible for any gains or losses arising therefrom. Investment is risky, so make decisions carefully!