ai16z Founder Claims $ai16z as Auto.fun's Native Token, Hints at Strategic Push in AI Token Space

The statement suggests a potential direction for Auto.fun's ecosystem.

April 21, 2025 — Shaw, the founder of ai16z and Elizalabs, stated on X that $ai16z is the native token of Auto.fun, a no-code platform for AI agent development launched on April 18. While Auto.fun has been designed to streamline autonomous AI agent creation, Shaw's claim has not been officially verified by the platform, which focuses on AI-driven DeFi applications, per crypto.news. The statement hints at a potential strategic move to integrate $ai16z into Auto.fun's ecosystem amid competition with platforms like Pump.fun.

Auto.fun's Features and Market Performance

Auto.fun enables users to develop and deploy AI agents for tasks such as DeFi yield farming, social media management, and trading, integrating with Web3 services. Since its launch, the platform has seen early adoption, with X users noting its potential to 'drive value to $ai16z' through mechanisms like requiring $ai16z holdings for new agent launches and pairing agent tokens with $ai16z in liquidity pools, per auto.fun's governance forum. However, some community members have questioned its value, arguing Auto.fun 'seems a xerox copy' of existing platforms, per their X reply.

The $ai16z token has shown signs of recovery, trading between $0.10 and $0.20 since March 7. Auto.fun's fee structure—where creators claim a portion of trading fees—has also been praised for providing capital without requiring supply sales, as noted in its official posts on auto.fun.

Strategic Context and Community Skepticism

Shaw's claim follows his earlier statement regarding $FUN tokens on Pump.fun, where he clarified there were 'no plans for an official Auto.fun token' and that his $FUN purchases were for promotional purposes, per his X post. This shift to claiming $ai16z as the native token has sparked mixed reactions. While some see it as a potential step to bolster Auto.fun's ecosystem, others remain skeptical.

Shaw's broader vision, as shared in a Bitget News interview, focuses on bridging DeFi with ordinary users through tools like automatic liquidity pool agents, per bitget.com. However, without official confirmation from Auto.fun, $ai16z's role remains uncertain. The token must also overcome price stagnation and competition from Pump.fun, which boasts a 0.4% graduation rate on Solana, per solanafloor.com.

Auto.fun's potential integration with $ai16z could position it as a contender in AI-driven token creation, but its success will hinge on official adoption, community trust, and sustained growth.