I sat down with content creator Dan for an in-depth conversation about my new book, Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence. I have also grown increasingly frustrated with the decentralization bluff of Web3.
During our chat, we covered a lot of ground, from the bursting AI startup bubble and the rise of Chinese AI models to the regulatory gray areas of platforms like Hyperliquid. But at the core of our discussion was a singular vision: how AI can rescue crypto from its centralized flaws and usher in the era of Web4.
The Web3 Decentralization Bluff
Let us be honest: Web3 is not truly decentralized. When you look under the hood of most projects, the reality is that a handful of VCs and insiders hold the majority of the tokens. They sit in a room, make decisions, and call it a DAO. I have participated in too many governance votes to know that it is largely an illusion. When five entities hold all the power, the network is not decentralized but rather an oligarchy driven by capital and greed.
This centralization is dangerous. If those few individuals are brilliant, the project might survive, but if they make poor decisions, the entire ecosystem can collapse. We need a system that removes human bias and greed from the equation, which brings me to the core thesis of my book.
Enter Web4: AI as the Ultimate Governor
Web4 is the natural evolution of Web3, powered by autonomous intelligence. In my book, I propose a radical but necessary shift where AI must act as the connective and unbiased layer of governance. Imagine a system where the AI brain holds over 51 percent of the governance power.
The AI would not be swayed by insider greed or whale manipulation. Instead, it would analyze data, calculate probabilities, and present unbiased outcomes. The core team and the community would then debate and vote on these AI-generated proposals.
By combining the objective analysis of AI with human consensus, we can create a truly fair, decentralized, and resilient network. AI needs governance, but that governance must be decentralized rather than controlled by monopolized tech giants. By integrating Zero-Knowledge Machine Learning, we can also ensure privacy and verifiable AI computations on-chain.
The AI Landscape: Bubbles, Infrastructure, and the Chinese Advantage
We also discussed the current state of the AI industry. While top-tier AI companies are heading toward trillion-dollar IPOs, the second and third tiers are facing a harsh reality. The funding bubble is bursting as investors now demand tangible results instead of slick presentations.
Furthermore, vibe coding is flooding the space with low-effort projects, much like the memecoin craze. When it comes to the models themselves, the output of US frontier models and Chinese open-source models like Qwen or DeepSeek is nearly identical, with perhaps a 1% difference. Chinese models have a massive long-term advantage due to abundant energy, cheap computing power, and low operational costs. Whoever controls computing power and electricity wins the AI war, and open-source Chinese models are perfectly positioned to dominate the global market.
Crypto’s Future and the Regulatory Reality Check
Despite my deep dive into AI, I still firmly believe that cryptocurrency is the future of money. We must respect regulatory frameworks to ensure long-term success. I expressed concerns regarding platforms like Hyperliquid.
While they are doing an incredible job bringing tokenized stocks on-chain, their aggressive buyback models and lack of KYC raise red flags. You cannot operate a no-KYC platform offering 50x leverage on the S&P 500 and expect to avoid US regulators. Contrast this with Polymarket, which implemented KYC for US users and successfully positioned itself as a tech platform. Understanding regulatory frameworks is what separates a sustainable trillion-dollar market cap from a black swan event. If you understand how regulation works, you avoid the unlimited loops of legal trouble.
AI Detecting AI and the Road Ahead
Finally, we touched on the societal impacts of AI, particularly deepfakes. As AI-generated videos become indistinguishable from reality, it is naive to rely on humans to label their content. The only viable solution is for AI to detect AI. We need decentralized, automated systems to verify the authenticity of media, especially in the context of elections and global propaganda.
I wrote Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence to challenge the status quo. It delves into the technical architecture of Web4 and the ethical implications of autonomous systems. I priced the book at just $1.99 so as many people as possible can understand these critical concepts. The convergence of AI and blockchain is inevitable, and Web4 is where true decentralization finally becomes a reality.
More information about the book can be found at:
Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence by Anndy Lian
Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.
Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.
In a recent discussion on 3.0 TV with host Mano Dara, I decoded the current state of the markets. I offered a forward-looking perspective on the intersection of macroeconomic forces, the rise of AI, and the evolution toward Web4.
The Current Market: A Macro Flush, Not a Reversal
With Bitcoin slipping below the $70,000 mark amid persistent ETF outflows and geopolitical tensions, many are questioning the health of the bull market. I view the current downturn not as a definitive trend reversal, but as a necessary macroeconomic flush-out. The Fear and Greed Index has plunged into extreme fear territory. This reflects a significant shift in macroeconomics and a flush of excessive leverage.
While the outflow from ETFs is concerning, this is a painful but necessary reset. Furthermore, liquidity has been structurally constrained since last October. This reality is evidenced by fragmented order books and aggressive takers dominating derivatives platforms. I remain optimistic that upcoming US macroeconomic shifts, such as interest rate adjustments or potential stimulus, could provide a much-needed liquidity boost to the ecosystem.
The AI Narrative Eclipsing Crypto
One of the most striking developments is the decoupling of Bitcoin from the Nasdaq 100. While the Nasdaq has surged by 30 to 35 percent, crypto has dipped by roughly 30 percent. The narrative has decisively shifted toward AI. With trillion-dollar IPOs on the horizon for giants like SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI, capital is naturally flowing toward AI equities.
In contrast, the crypto space currently lacks a compelling punchline or mainstream use case, aside from the burgeoning Real World Asset sector. To attract liquidity back, we must reshape our narrative and clearly define our value proposition in a world where AI is undeniably the hottest asset class.
The Optics of Saylor and the Stablecoin Paradox
Market sentiment was recently rattled by Michael Saylor and his company selling 32 Bitcoin. Although this represented a mere 0.004 percent of their total holdings, the market reacted sharply. The issue was never the volume, but rather the timing and optics. Breaking the never sell your Bitcoin narrative at a fragile liquidity moment created unnecessary panic.
Shifting to stablecoins, I have highlighted a fascinating paradox. In the short term, US-backed stablecoins are a net positive because they help distribute US debt globally, curb domestic inflation, and drive adoption of crypto payments. In the long term, they represent a net negative outcome. By reinforcing US dollar dominance, stablecoins inadvertently defeat the original ethos of Bitcoin as an alternative, decentralized form of money. We are essentially digitizing the very fiat system we originally sought to escape.
India Remittance Potential and Regulatory Hurdles
Stablecoins are also revolutionizing cross-border remittances, a sector where India processes billions of dollars annually. Blockchain-based payments could help the Indian economy reclaim billions in lost value. The bottleneck is not technological execution, but regulatory alignment. For India to become a true beneficiary, the Reserve Bank of India must establish a clear, risk managed framework for programmable fiat and adopt a more tax friendly approach to digital assets.
Enter Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence
My focus is on the next evolutionary leap known as Web4. In my new book titled Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence, I critique the current Web3 environment. While Web3 promised decentralization, it has largely been hindered by human greed and centralized control, turning many away from the space.
I envision Web4 as a paradigm in which an AI brain provides fairer, more efficient governance. By integrating autonomous AI agents into the blockchain ecosystem, Web4 aims to solve the narrative crisis of Web3 and attract a new wave of capital. It is not about replacing decentralization but enhancing it through intelligent, autonomous systems that eliminate human bias and inefficiency.
Conclusion
As the crypto ecosystem matures, our priorities must evolve. Stablecoins will undoubtedly have a more profound impact on global finance than spot Bitcoin ETFs over the next five years, and I see India, Indonesia, and Vietnam leading the charge in global adoption.
If I could sit down with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang today, my agenda would be clear. I would explore how decentralized AI and Web4 can fundamentally change the world. The future of crypto is not just about preserving wealth. It is about building an autonomous and intelligent financial ecosystem. The convergence of AI and blockchain is not just a trend. It is the absolute foundation of our next digital era.
Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.
Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.
Anndy Lian, author of Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence, joins The Smart Economy Podcast to discuss the convergence of AI and blockchain, why he believes Web3 never fully delivered on decentralization, and how autonomous AI systems could reshape digital ownership, governance, and online coordination. Lian shares insights from more than a decade in crypto, his work advising governments worldwide, and his vision for a more decentralized and intelligent internet.
In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Anndy Lian, author of Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence. Together, they explore why the next evolution of the internet may require more than simply combining AI with blockchain. Lian explains why he believes Web3 failed to achieve true decentralization, how AI agents could become a new layer of digital coordination, and why future systems must balance autonomy, transparency, privacy, and community governance. The conversation also dives into meme coin communities, government adoption of blockchain, decentralized AI, and what a genuinely user-owned internet might look like.
What you’ll learn:
• Why Anndy believes Web3 never fully achieved decentralization
• How AI agents could transform governance, coordination, and digital ownership
• Why decentralized AI may become as important as decentralized finance
• How governments evaluate blockchain technology behind closed doors
• Why meme coins continue to attract communities despite industry criticism
• How blockchain can serve as the trust layer for future AI systems
• Why digital sovereignty may become increasingly important in an AI-driven world
• What Web4 means and how it differs from Web1, Web2, and Web3
• Why open-source infrastructure may be critical for the future of AI
• And much more!
Anndy Lian is an intergovernmental blockchain advisor, investor, entrepreneur, and best-selling author who has spent more than a decade working across blockchain, fintech, digital transformation, and emerging technologies. Since entering crypto in 2012, he has advised governments, regulators, enterprises, exchanges, and financial institutions on blockchain adoption and digital asset strategy. Lian is the author of Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence, where he outlines his vision for a future internet powered by decentralized AI, autonomous agents, and community-owned infrastructure. Having worked at the intersection of public policy, business, and technology across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, he brings a unique perspective on how blockchain and AI may converge to shape the next generation of digital systems.
Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.
Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.
