Research

Research Notes

Essays and research notes on how AI reshapes crypto, how crypto becomes infrastructure for AI, and how digital assets evolve in a programmable economy

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Sui Object-Centric Architecture

: How Sui's object model reshapes state, ownership, execution, and application design Category: Digital Asset Infrastructure · Rowan Duston ·

NEAR as a Coordination Layer for Cross-Chain Execution

: How sharding, intents, solvers, and chain signatures reorganize execution markets Category: Digital Asset Infrastructure · Rowan Duston ·

What Is a Solver Network

: How intent-based systems turn user outcomes into competitive execution markets Category: Digital Asset Infrastructure · Rowan Duston ·

How NEAR Chain Signatures Turn Accounts Into Cross-Chain Signers

: A system model for MPC-based execution beyond a single chain Category: Digital Asset Infrastructure · Rowan Duston ·

How NEAR Intents Turn Routes Into States

: A system model for solver-based cross-chain execution Category: Digital Asset Infrastructure · Rowan Duston ·

What Are AI Agents in Crypto

: A simple explanation of autonomous crypto agents, wallets, tools, and onchain execution Category: Crypto -> AI · Rowan Duston ·

What Are Crypto Intents

: A simple explanation of intent-based transactions, solver networks, and why intents matter for users, DeFi, cross-chain execution, and AI agents Category: Digital Asset Infrastructure · Rowan Duston ·

From HTTP 402 to Machine Payments

: How x402, L402, and MPP turn payment-required signals into stablecoin, Lightning, and multi-rail payment flows Category: Crypto -> AI, Digital Asset Infrastructure · Rowan Duston ·

Beyond Checkout: The Architecture of Agent Payments

: A layered guide to x402, AP2, ACP, L402, TAP, and MPP Category: Crypto -> AI, Digital Asset Infrastructure · Rowan Duston ·

How Frontier Models Are Reshaping DeFi Vulnerability Economics

: The Zcash Orchard incident and the rise of AI-assisted exploit discovery Category: AI -> Crypto · Rowan Duston ·

From Financial Platforms to Programmable Value Networks

: How crypto infrastructure is reshaping settlement, custody, liquidity, and on-chain markets? Category: Digital Asset Infrastructure · Rowan Duston ·

Black-Box AI, Transparent Crypto

: Why the Agent Economy May Need Verifiable Infrastructure? Category: Crypto -> AI · Rowan Duston ·

AI Has Captured Crypto’s Attention Premium

: Crypto remains relevant, but AI has captured much of the attention premium once attached to the next internet narrative Category: AI -> Crypto · Rowan Duston ·