SKALE Launches on Base in New Initiative for Onchain Agents

SKALE, a blockchain platform focused on AI agent-driven applications, on Tuesday launched its “Expand” initiative on Base – Ethereum’s second-largest Layer 2 (L2) with a total value locked (TVL) of over $4.3 billion.

The initiative allows SKALE’s main smart contracts, called SKALE Manager, to run on any EVM-compatible blockchain. This gives developers access to SKALE’s gasless transactions, instant execution, and private, encrypted processing.

Expand is also designed so the same agent code and x402 payment flows can run across multiple blockchain ecosystems without needing to adjust for different gas models or user experiences, according to a press release viewed by The Defiant.

“Agents and users never manage gas. Apps fund compute with Credits, so interactions feel like Web2 while still settling on-chain," the release reads. “The same gasless model can be rolled out to any ecosystem where SKALE Expand deploys.”

The move combines SKALE’s agent-focused infrastructure with Base’s liquidity and user base, which currently totals around 8.4 million monthly active users, according to data from Token Terminal.

The rollout also reflects SKALE’s broader push to streamline agent execution across networks, making it easier for developers and users to operate across multiple ecosystems. “The goal is simple: give agents a consistent environment everywhere they operate, instead of forcing them to relearn gas models and UX on every chain,” the release added.

Interest in AI Agent Protocols Wanes

The launch comes at a time when interest in AI agent protocols in decentralized finance (DeFi) appears to be waning. Data from DeFiLlama shows that the total TVL of AI agent protocols is currently $52.2 million, down sharply from $575 million in May 2024.

The rollout follows SKALE’s V4 upgrade, which was designed to make the network faster and more private for agent-driven apps. SKALE already runs apps in gaming, DePIN, and AI.

Skale’s native token SKALE is flat over the past 24 hours at $0.014, according to CoinGecko.