Intent based protocols transform how users invest in crypto and DeFi
Unless you're an investment genius you probably don't like today's highly technical investor ecosystem, intent based investing will make it easy for everyone.
Key takeaways
- The average crypto user still clicks through multiple screens to complete a basic swap.
- Today, most DeFi users still swap tokens manually, deposit their funds into lending markets, and rebalance their portfolios themselves.
- Out of 659 million estimated wallet holders worldwide, only about 83 million have ever interacted with a DeFi app, that’s just 12 to 15%, depending on the estimate.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2025) 'Intent based protocols transform how users invest in crypto and DeFi', 311 Institute, 16 October. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/intent-based-protocols-transform-how-users-invest-in-crypto-and-defi/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
The average crypto user still clicks through multiple screens to complete a basic swap. They choose tokens, pick chains, confirm prices, approve transactions one-by-one, and hope they get the best execution. That’s the state of crypto UX in 2025: transactional, mechanical, and full of friction. We’ve accepted too much friction as normal. We can do much better, and some already are.
Leading DeFi protocols are already moving toward a more intelligent model of interaction, one where users no longer execute steps; they express goals – or “intent.” Just as you ask ChatGPT a question and get a synthesised response similarly crypto interfaces will evolve into intelligent agents that act on your behalf. These agents will interpret your intent, manage the complexity under the hood, and optimise for your desired outcome. And, this isn’t a distant future, the infrastructure is already here.
The Future of Banking and Payments, by Futurist Matthew Griffin
Intent-based protocols represent the most important UX shift in crypto since smart contracts. They remove the requirement for users to understand or execute individual transactions. Instead, users sign intents, which are declarations of what they want to accomplish, and delegate execution to agents competing to fulfil those intents securely and optimally.
Today, most DeFi users still swap tokens manually, deposit their funds into lending markets, and rebalance their portfolios themselves. This works great for experts and degenerates, but it doesn’t scale to everyone else.
Now consider a different interface: one where you say, “Optimise my stablecoin yield,” and your AI assistant handles the rest, selecting the protocol, rebalancing positions, minimising gas, and responding to market changes. You care about the result. Not how many approvals it took to get there.
Today, most people with a crypto wallet don’t use DeFi. Out of 659 million estimated wallet holders worldwide, only about 83 million have ever interacted with a DeFi app, that’s just 12 to 15%, depending on the estimate. Globally, DeFi usage barely touches 0.7% of the population.
That’s the gap that these new intent based AI agents are built to close.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Unless you're an investment genius you probably don't like today's highly technical investor ecosystem, intent based investing will make it easy for everyone.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- 659 million estimated wallet holders crypto.com
- Defi statistics socialcapitalmarkets.net
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 16 October 2025. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2025). Intent based protocols transform how users invest in crypto and DeFi. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/intent-based-protocols-transform-how-users-invest-in-crypto-and-defi/
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