Since Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) became a hot topic in the market and won the championship, many applications related to AI tokens have also emerged. Focusing on simplifying user operations on the blockchain, the founder of the AI-driven cryptocurrency application Griffian, Tony Plasencia, was interviewed on 1/5, sharing the problems users currently face on-chain, as well as Griffian's future vision, challenges, and development plans.
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ToggleIntroduction to Tony Plasencia
Plasencia, who previously worked as a policy analyst at Uber, has invested in multiple startups, including Thumbtack, a US home services website supported by well-known venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, and Ritual, a social platform for self-ordering meals.
In 2022, Plasencia founded his first blockchain project, Underdog Protocol, as a stepping stone into the blockchain industry. Underdog is a platform that can issue Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and Solana on-chain tokens (SPL) without requiring any code, featuring "personal future value" as the token to allow users to support the token issuer's future development.
He also developed the Blinks token and NFT issuance platform Blinkdotfun, which combines the characteristics of social media, allowing users to share links and directly promote or issue tokens.
Plasencia's most successful project to date is Griffian, developed last November 1st, which can automatically invoke the most suitable AI agent to complete tasks based on user needs. Griffian has also received strong support from the Solana ecosystem.
Griffian wants to make cryptocurrency operations as simple as typing
Plasencia positions Griffian as an AI app designed specifically for cryptocurrency enthusiasts, abandoning complex operations. Users only need to input their needs with a few taps, and everything will be handled by AI, making it as simple as typing.
Plasencia said the concept first emerged at a hackathon in San Francisco, sponsored by Robinhood, Solana, and OpenAI. He added, "At the time, we developed an AI agent that could conduct transactions through Telegram, but later found that AI could be used to solve many difficulties in on-chain operations, which led to the current Griffian."
On-chain operations are too troublesome, Griffian wants to use AI to solve this problem
Plasencia pointed out that the threshold for cryptocurrency operations is still too high for many people, from researching coins to trading, requiring a series of cumbersome processes. "To teach a friend how to use cryptocurrencies, it might take several hours to walk them through it, researching Twitter accounts, looking at charts, analyzing market conditions, all of which is super annoying," he said with a laugh.
Plasencia said Griffian's goal is to use AI to solve these pain points, combining natural language processing (NLP) with the blockchain, so that users only need to input their needs with a few taps to complete transactions, research coins, or even create Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and other complex tasks.

Griffian's current features and future goals
Plasencia said Griffian's current focus is on two tasks:
- Product stability: Ensuring that users can complete each operation smoothly without any bottlenecks.
- Expanding application features: Launching more features in the "Griffin App Store", such as the AI agent function in collaboration with the investment portfolio tracking platform Asset Dash, allowing users to analyze market data through NLP interaction. Plasencia revealed, "This is not just about monitoring wallets, but will also have more powerful trading function support, with details to be announced in the next two weeks."
Additionally, Plasencia mentioned that with the upcoming tax season, Griffian is also developing a feature called Agent Runner to help users handle cryptocurrency-related tax issues.
Building a one-stop on-chain experience, Griffian faces market competition easily
Plasencia has a clear vision for Griffian's future. He said that current on-chain operations are too scattered, from connecting wallets to switching networks, each step making users feel impatient. Griffian can allow users to complete all operations without frequently switching networks and pages.
Regarding the fierce market competition between AI and cryptocurrencies, Plasencia actually has his own unique perspective. He stated: "We focus on our own products and future vision, and will not be led by our competitors. The important thing is to ensure that Griffian can provide users with a stable and interesting user experience." Plasencia revealed that Griffian has already attracted many partners, and plans to cooperate with Solana's mobile devices in the future, and continue to expand its functions and promote it to more users.
According to CoinGecko data, Griffian's current market capitalization is about $430 million, and the token GRIFFIN is priced at $0.42. Whether Griffian will continue to develop more AI agent functions as the AI token topic gradually heats up, we will have to wait and see.
Risk Warning
Cryptocurrency investment is highly risky, and its price may fluctuate violently, and you may lose all your principal. Please carefully evaluate the risks.