TL;DR
1) Kite AI is an EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain built specifically to provide infrastructure for AI Agents and the Agentic Internet.
2) Kite AI raised $18 million in a Series A round led by PayPal Ventures and General Catalyst, with total funding reaching $33 million.
3) Kite AI offers three core capabilities: native identity verification for agents, programmable governance, and instant payments.
4) The Kite AIR platform allows users to discover, build, and trade various AI Agents.
5) Kite AI uses a Proof of AI (PoAI) consensus mechanism, with gas fees below $0.000001.
1. What is Kite AI?
Kite AI is building the foundational layer for the Agentic Internet: an open, decentralized network where autonomous AI agents can operate in an interoperable and verifiable environment. By incentivizing both the supply and use of agent services, Kite provides unified identity, payment, and governance rails, enabling agents to securely verify identity, transact, and collaborate without intermediaries. Using a Protocol-to-Protocol Token Model, Kite AI aims to create a vertically integrated AI ecosystem that drives real commercial value and ensures long-term network sustainability.
2. Kite AI's Three Core Modules
Kite AI addresses three main challenges:
2.1 Native Identity Verification System for Agents
On the traditional internet, each app has its own account system, requiring users to register repeatedly across platforms. For AI Agents, this is even more complex and inefficient. Kite provides a cryptography-based identity system that gives each AI model, agent, dataset, and digital service a unique and verifiable identity.
Key features:
Portability: Agents can use the same identity across multiple applications, like logging into websites with a Gmail account.
Interoperability: Agents can interact with any service without re-registering.
Reputation-based: Agents have their own IDs and reputation records, which can also share the owner’s verified reputation.
2.2 Native Governance Mechanism for Agents
Kite's programmable governance system lets developers set permissions for agents, including usage and spending limits. For example, an agent could be authorized to spend up to $500 per month, only on specific e-commerce platforms, with single transactions capped at $100. This ensures agents operate within safe boundaries autonomously.
2.3 Native Payment System for Agents
Traditional payment systems are too complex and costly for micro-payments between machines. Kite provides an instant, stablecoin-based settlement system optimized for machine-to-machine microtransactions. Gas fees are below $0.000001, and average block time is just 1 second, supporting large-scale agent transactions.
3. Kite AI's Technical Architecture and Ecosystem
Kite has a modular architecture, allowing developers to mix and match components. From the base layer to the application layer:
Base Layer: EVM-compatible infrastructure with KiteVM extensions and the PoAI consensus mechanism, optimized for decentralized AI computations.
Platform Layer: SDKs, APIs, and scalability tools to deploy agent applications, plus the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for AI models to process context.
Ecosystem Layer: Agent marketplace, module library, and connectors. Currently, Kite has over 100 modules, 17.8 million agent passports, peak daily interactions of 1.01 million, and cumulative interactions exceeding 1.7 billion.
4. Kite AIR: The App Store for Agents
Kite AIR is the core application of the entire ecosystem and can be understood as the App Store for the agent world. Users can discover agents with a variety of functions on the platform, ranging from daily shopping, food delivery, and ride-hailing to more complex financial trading and data analysis.
For developers, Kite AIR provides a complete development toolchain. From smart contract development to dApp construction, from simple counter applications to complex voting systems and token minters, the platform offers detailed tutorials and sample code. Developers can deploy smart contracts using familiar tools such as Remix or Hardhat.
5. Kite AI's Robust Partner Ecosystem
Kite's development has received widespread recognition within the industry. In September 2024, the company completed an $18 million Series A financing round led jointly by PayPal Ventures and General Catalyst, bringing its total funding to $33 million. The team includes members from top universities such as UC Berkeley, MIT, and Harvard, as well as experienced professionals from renowned tech companies like Uber, Databricks, and Salesforce.
In terms of technical collaboration, Kite has established strategic partnerships with multiple projects. Pi Squared provides high-performance settlement infrastructure for Kite; Vishwa deploys agent liquidity strategies on Kite; Irys offers data layer support; and Masa delivers real-time data services for social agents.
6. Practical Applications of Kite AI
Kite's applications are extensive. In the e-commerce sector, agents can autonomously compare prices, place orders, and make payments. In the DeFi space, agents can execute automated trading strategies. In the IoT sector, devices can directly exchange value with each other. In content creation, AI-generated content can directly receive copyright protection and revenue distribution.
As AI technology rapidly evolves, agents will play an increasingly important role in the future economy. Kite is building not just a blockchain platform but the foundational infrastructure for the agent economy. By addressing the three core challenges of identity, governance, and payments, Kite creates a trustworthy environment where AI Agents can operate autonomously and collaborate with one another.
The era of the Agentic Internet is approaching, and Kite is laying the most critical infrastructure for this new era. From near-zero transaction costs to programmable governance mechanisms, from cryptographic identity verification to native stablecoin payments, Kite is turning the futuristic vision of the agent economy into reality.
