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Agentic NFT Diagram

The Agentic NFT is usually one token referenced by several layers — not a separate NFT at every layer. Its contract address and token ID identify it. Other contracts attach a wallet, metadata, an agent identity, or trust records to that identifier.

A layer diagram can show the blockchain pieces more clearly than the actual agent. The missing distinction is where ownership is recorded versus where intelligence runs.

Agentic NFT layersBlockchain layers hold the token, metadata, wallet, escrow, identity, and trust records. The application layer, usually offchain, holds the model, memory, tools, and the website or agent endpoints those records point at.Blockchain layersMetadata — ERC-8048 / 721TOwnership — ERC-721Agent wallet — ERC-6551Identity binding — ERC-8217 /8004ATask escrow — ERC-8183Identity — ERC-8004Records payment outcomesReputation and validation —ERC-8004Signs authorizedtransactionsAdvertises service URLsDescribes contextand endpointsApplication layer — usually offchainAI runtime, tools, memoryand serversWebsite, MCP and A2Aendpoints

Boxes with an ERC number link to that standard’s No Jargon Explanation. Scroll sideways on a small screen. The violet boxes are chain records. The blue boxes are the application, which is usually not on the chain.

Where ownership sits, and where the agent runs

The same token can point at files and at software without holding the model inside the contract. This chart splits that into three layers: onchain records, storage that is often offchain, and compute that is usually offchain.

Ownership, storage, and computeThe agentic NFT’s contract and token ID sit onchain, with a token-bound wallet, context records, and identity or trust records. Those records describe skills, store or reference a soul, and commit to memory. An offchain runtime reads those files, calls a model, and uses tools. Authorized transactions go back to the token-bound wallet.Onchain — ownership and verifiable recordsAgentic NFT — contract andtoken IDToken-bound walletContext, endpoints, hashesand permissionsAgent identity andtrust recordsAuthorizedtransactionsDescribes or referencesStores data or referencesReferences or commits toStorage — often offchainSkills — instructions, codeand tool definitionsSoul — personality, goalsand policiesMemory — history, summariesand knowledgeCompute — usually offchainAgent runtime — orchestratesactionsLLM — hosted API orlocal modelTools — APIs, browserand applications

Violet boxes are records on the chain. Blue boxes are files and software that usually live somewhere else. A hash or a link on the token is not the file itself.

What each part actually is

ComponentWhat it actually isWhere it usually livesWhat can be onchain
Agentic NFTThe token representing ownership or controlBlockchain contractToken ID, owner, approvals, transfers
LLMThe model that generates responses and reasons over inputsA provider’s servers, your computer, or a cloud GPUModel identifier, configuration reference, model hash, or verification records
Agent runtimeSoftware that calls the model, retrieves memory, invokes tools, and schedules workA server, VM, container, or local computerAuthorization rules and transaction records
MemoryConversation history, summaries, facts, and retrieved knowledgeFiles, databases, vector stores, or decentralized storageSmall records, storage references, hashes, or commitments
SkillsInstructions, executable code, and tool configurationsSkill files, repositories, runtime packages, and servicesSkill descriptions, code hashes, references, and enforceable contract permissions
SoulA project-defined personality, purpose, values, and behavioral policyA prompt or context file, or a structured configurationThe actual text, such as an ERC-8048 context record, or a reference to it
WalletThe account used to hold assets and transactBlockchainBalances, transactions, and contract authorization

“Soul” is not a universally defined technical component. One project may use it to mean a personality prompt. Another may include memories, goals, and policies. Storing that text onchain preserves a readable record, but the runtime must load and use it for it to affect behavior.

Likewise, a memory hash is not the memory itself. It can help verify that a retrieved file matches a recorded version. It cannot reconstruct a missing chat log. Persistent memory requires actual storage, retrieval, and backups.

What “onchain” can mean

For a true onchain agentic NFT, there are several possible architectures.

ArchitectureWhat is onchainWhat remains elsewhere
Onchain identity and ownershipNFT, identity, wallet, metadata referencesModel, memory, skills, and execution
Onchain configurationThe above plus actual context text and some stateUsually model inference and tool execution
Verifiable offchain executionCommitments and verification resultsComputation, with a mechanism for checking particular claims
Fully onchain executionContract-executed logic and stateExternal information still needs an input mechanism. Substantial LLM inference is generally impractical on conventional EVM chains.

Related reading: Ethereum ERC Standards, what persists when the owner changes, and 721T, the label list for agent notes.