AI Agents become exponentially more powerful when they’re onchain! By deploying AI agents on Base, you unlock access to stablecoins, tokens, NFTs, and a vast ecosystem of DeFi protocols. This significantly increases their autonomy and the universe of tasks they can perform, from automated trading to complex multi-step financial operations.

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What You’ll Build

By the end of this guide, you’ll have deployed a fully functional AI agent that can:
  • Execute onchain transactions autonomously
  • Interact with DeFi protocols for trading and liquidity
  • Manage digital assets including tokens and NFTs
  • Respond to market conditions with intelligent automation

Onchain Autonomy

Agents can execute transactions, trade tokens, and interact with smart contracts

DeFi Integration

Access to DEXs, lending protocols, and yield farming opportunities

Asset Management

Manage portfolios, NFT collections, and cross-chain assets

Market Intelligence

Real-time market analysis and automated trading strategies

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Prerequisites

Before launching your AI agent, ensure you have the following setup:
1

Development Environment

Choose your preferred development environment and ensure you have the necessary tools installed.For Local Development:
  • Node.js 18+ or Python 3.10+
  • Git for repository management
  • Code editor (VS Code recommended)
For Replit (Browser-based):
  • Replit account for cloud development
  • No local installation required
Replit is perfect for quick prototyping, while local development gives you more control and flexibility.
2

API Keys and Credentials

Gather the required API keys for your AI agent:
Store all API keys securely and never commit them to version control. Use environment variables for all sensitive credentials.
3

Understanding Agent Frameworks

Choose the framework that best fits your needs:
  • LangChain: Full-featured framework with extensive integrations
  • Eliza: Lightweight, fast setup for simple agents
Each framework has different strengths. LangChain offers more customization, while Eliza provides rapid deployment.

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Choose Your Agent Framework

Select the framework and environment that best matches your development preferences and project requirements:
LangChain provides a comprehensive framework for building sophisticated AI agents with extensive tooling and integrations.
Best for: Complex agents requiring custom tools, advanced reasoning, and extensive integrations with external services.

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Development Environment

Perfect for getting started quickly without local setup requirements.

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LangChain Replit Setup

1

Set Up Your Development Environment

  1. Fork the template from our NodeJS or Python Replit templates.
  2. Modify your forked project as needed.
2

Configure Environment Variables

  1. Click on “Tools” in the left sidebar and select “Secrets”.
  2. Add the following secrets:
CDP_API_KEY_NAME=your_cdp_key_name
CDP_API_KEY_PRIVATE_KEY=your_cdp_private_key
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_key # Or XAI_API_KEY if using NodeJS
NETWORK_ID="base-sepolia" # Optional, defaults to base-sepolia
MNEMONIC_PHRASE=your_mnemonic_phrase # Optional
3

Run the Agent

  1. Click the “Run” button to start the chatbot.
Security of wallets on ReplitEvery agent comes with an associated wallet. Wallet data is read from wallet_data.txt, and if that file does not exist, this repl will create a new wallet and persist it in a new file. Please note that this contains your wallet’s private key and should not be used in production environments. Refer to the CDP docs on how to secure your wallets.
Replit Advantages:
  • No local environment setup required
  • Built-in collaboration features
  • Automatic deployment and hosting
  • Great for learning and prototyping

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Advanced LangChain Features

Once your basic agent is running, you can enhance it with:

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Testing Your AI Agent

Before deploying to mainnet, thoroughly test your agent’s capabilities:
1

Testnet Validation

Test all functions on Base Sepolia testnet:
  1. Wallet Operations: Create wallets, check balances, transfer tokens
  2. DeFi Interactions: Test swaps, liquidity provision, lending
  3. NFT Operations: Mint, transfer, and trade NFTs
  4. Error Handling: Ensure graceful handling of failed transactions
Your agent should handle all basic operations without errors before proceeding.
2

Performance Testing

Evaluate agent performance under various conditions:
  • Response time to market changes
  • Transaction success rates
  • Gas optimization effectiveness
  • Resource utilization
Monitor your agent’s performance metrics to identify optimization opportunities.
3

Security Audit

Verify security measures are in place:
  • API keys are properly secured
  • Wallet private keys are encrypted
  • Rate limiting is implemented
  • Transaction limits are configured
Never deploy to mainnet without proper security auditing. Consider professional security reviews for high-value operations.

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Deployment and Monitoring

1

Production Deployment

Deploy your agent to a production environment:
# Deploy to cloud provider
npm run build
npm run deploy:production

# Set production environment variables
export CDP_API_KEY_NAME="your_production_key"
export NETWORK_ID="base-mainnet"
Ensure your deployment includes proper logging, monitoring, and backup systems.
2

Monitoring and Alerts

Set up comprehensive monitoring:
  • Transaction Monitoring: Track success rates and gas usage
  • Performance Metrics: Monitor response times and throughput
  • Financial Tracking: Watch portfolio performance and P&L
  • System Health: Monitor server resources and uptime
Use tools like Grafana, DataDog, or custom dashboards to visualize your agent’s performance.

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Troubleshooting

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Advanced Use Cases

Explore advanced patterns for sophisticated AI agents:

Arbitrage Bot

Build agents that identify and execute arbitrage opportunities across DEXs

Portfolio Manager

Create agents that rebalance portfolios based on market conditions

Yield Optimizer

Deploy agents that automatically find and compound the best yields

NFT Trader

Develop agents that analyze and trade NFTs based on market trends

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Next Steps

Expand your AI agent’s capabilities:
1

Integrate Additional Protocols

Connect your agent to more DeFi protocols:
  • Uniswap for advanced trading strategies
  • Aave for lending and borrowing
  • Compound for yield generation
  • 1inch for optimal trade routing
2

Implement Advanced Strategies

Build sophisticated trading and management strategies:
  • Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) algorithms
  • Mean reversion trading
  • Momentum-based strategies
  • Risk-adjusted portfolio rebalancing
3

Add Cross-Chain Capabilities

Extend your agent across multiple chains:
  • Ethereum for additional DeFi access
  • Polygon for low-cost operations
  • Arbitrum for advanced trading
  • Cross-chain bridging automation

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Resources and Community

CDP AgentKit Documentation

Complete documentation for building agents with CDP

Base Developer Discord

Connect with other developers building AI agents on Base

GitHub Repository

Access source code, examples, and contribute to the project

Video Tutorials

Watch step-by-step tutorials for agent development

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Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully launched an AI agent on Base with full onchain capabilities. Your agent can now: ✅ Execute autonomous transactions with real-world financial impact
✅ Interact with DeFi protocols for advanced financial operations
✅ Manage digital assets including tokens and NFTs
✅ Respond intelligently to market conditions and opportunities Ready for production? Consider implementing advanced monitoring, security audits, and gradual scaling as your agent proves its effectiveness in live markets.
Your AI agent is now part of the onchain economy, ready to operate 24/7 in the world of decentralized finance. Happy building on Base!