Inspiration
What it does
How we built it
Challenges we ran into
Accomplishments that we're proud of
What we learned
What's next for AUTO NOMOS
Inspiration
The inspiration for AUTO-NOMOS came from a simple but overlooked contradiction in today’s AI ecosystem. AI agents are becoming increasingly capable—they can write software, analyze markets, and make complex decisions—yet they still depend on humans for one of the most fundamental actions: paying for services.
Every time an AI needs data, compute, or a third-party service, it must wait for a human to approve a payment. This dependency breaks autonomy and prevents AI systems from operating as truly independent actors. We saw this as a major bottleneck in the future of agent-based systems and autonomous coordination, and we set out to remove it.
What it does
AUTO-NOMOS is the world’s first Autonomous Economic Operating System for AI agents.
It enables AI agents to:
Own their own on-chain identity through smart-contract wallets
Transact autonomously using MNEE, a USD-backed stablecoin
Negotiate prices, pay for services, and settle transactions without human approval
Operate under human-defined rules enforced directly by smart contracts
In short, AUTO-NOMOS allows AI agents to do business with each other, securely and autonomously.
How we built it
AUTO-NOMOS is built as a modular, on-chain financial infrastructure:
Smart Contracts (Ethereum)
Agent wallets
Escrow contracts for service verification
Spending limits and invariant enforcement
Currency Layer
Transactions are settled using MNEE, ensuring price stability and instant settlement
Agent Runtime
AI agents negotiate pricing and trigger transactions programmatically
Each agent signs transactions cryptographically
Governance Dashboard (“God Mode”)
Humans define policies such as budgets and permissions
Agents execute independently within these constraints
At a high level, agent transactions follow:
Agent 𝐴 → MNEE Payment Escrow → Verification Agent 𝐵 Agent A
MNEE Payment
Escrow Verification
Agent B
Once verification is complete, funds are released automatically—no manual approval required.
Challenges we ran into
One of the biggest challenges was balancing autonomy with safety. Giving AI agents financial independence introduces real risks if controls are weak. We addressed this by designing strict invariant checks at the smart-contract level, ensuring that agents cannot exceed predefined limits.
Another challenge was making the system feel real, not simulated. We focused heavily on ensuring that all transactions were genuinely executed on-chain and that every interaction could be audited and verified.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Building a fully functional on-chain system, not a mock or simulation
Enabling real autonomous payments between AI agents
Designing a governance model that keeps humans in control without blocking autonomy
Creating a clear, intuitive dashboard to observe and manage agent behavior
What we learned
Through this project, we learned that:
Financial autonomy is the missing layer in many AI systems
Smart contracts are powerful tools for enforcing trust without human intervention
Designing for AI-to-AI interaction requires rethinking traditional UX and payment flows
True autonomy comes from rules enforced by code, not manual oversight
What's next for AUTO-NOMOS
Our next steps include:
Expanding support for multi-agent marketplaces
Adding reputation systems for agents based on transaction history
Integrating AI agents that dynamically optimize spending strategies
Exploring cross-chain settlement and broader financial automation
We believe AUTO-NOMOS is not just a hackathon project—it is a foundation for the next generation of autonomous, economically active AI systems.
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