At the Token2049 conference in Dubai, one of the most striking statements came from Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), who criticized the rapidly growing trend of AI tokens. He expressed concern that the vast majority of these projects have no practical value.
– “I want to see real AI agents that are truly useful, that can actually help you, and have tokens. There are platforms for launching AI tokens where you just press a button and get an AI with your name. That token is useless. 99.99% of them are useless,” CZ emphasized.
He also added that artificial intelligence will radically change the user experience in the crypto industry, and in the future, AI agents will interact with blockchains directly, bypassing traditional payment and verification methods.
Cryptocurrency as AI’s Currency
According to Zhao, cryptocurrency will become the natural form of money for AI, since traditional tools, such as bank cards, aren’t designed for machine-driven scenarios:
– “AI is not going to swipe a card or receive an SMS code — that doesn’t work for AI. It’s going to be cryptocurrency,” he said.
This highlights the importance of developing protocols and tokens with real utility, which can function in fully digital, automated environments.
USD1 Becomes Official Stablecoin for Binance Investment
Another major announcement at the conference came from Eric Trump (son of Donald Trump), speaking on behalf of the World Liberty Financial project. He stated that the USD1 stablecoin has been chosen as the official asset for MGX’s $2 billion investment in Binance.
This is not the first initiative from the Abu Dhabi-based MGX fund aimed at acquiring a stake in Binance, indicating deep interest from Middle Eastern institutional investors in the world’s leading crypto platform.
Tether Plans New U.S.-Focused Stablecoin
Amid growing competition among stablecoin issuers, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino announced the company’s plan to launch a new stablecoin targeted at the U.S. market.
– “We plan to launch this asset by late 2025 or early 2026,” Ardoino said, adding that the product will be fully compliant with U.S. regulatory standards.
This move is seen as an effort to strengthen Tether’s presence in the U.S., where competitors like Circle (USDC) and Paxos (USDP) are actively expanding.
Ethena Labs Enters the TON Ecosystem
Ethena Labs announced a strategic partnership with the TON Foundation, under which it will launch the USDe and sUSDe stablecoins on the TON network.
This step further expands the TON ecosystem, adding more supported assets and attracting major DeFi projects. For Ethena, it’s a valuable opportunity to reach a new audience, especially considering the active Telegram user base and high engagement across the CIS and Asian markets.
Token2049 once again affirmed its status as a major hub for big announcements in the crypto world. Binance’s founder challenged the AI token market, calling for real products instead of empty wrappers. Meanwhile, the broader industry continues to grow: new stablecoins, global partnerships, and institutional investments are reinforcing the foundation of the ecosystem.
The coming years promise a clash of trends between AI and crypto, but as CZ reminded the audience, only the projects that deliver real value will survive and become part of the future.
