[Interview] "AI Can Also Become Creators"... Expanding Access Protocol with Agents and NFT Market

[Block Media Editor Park Hyun-jae] The Solana-based content subscription protocol Access Protocol has embarked on ecosystem expansion by introducing AI agents and its own NFT marketplace. The mobile app for Web2 users, which was announced last year, has been deprioritized. Instead, the 'Access Agent', which handles tasks for creators, has been prominently featured. There are also plans to attract AI-generated content and AI creators into the ecosystem.

Leo Wong, the Access Protocol Asia-Pacific (APAC) lead, shared these plans during a meeting with Block Media at the Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) 2026 event. This is the third interview with Block Media. This year's KBW was held from September 29 to October 1 in Seoul, organized by FactBlock, with the convergence of AI and blockchain emerging as a major theme.

Wong described Access Protocol as "a protocol that tokenizes the relationship between creators and subscribers." He highlighted that the most commendable aspect this year is that they "did not stop." Wong stated, "Many projects in the Solana and NFT ecosystem have closed or gone quiet, but we continued building," adding, "We traveled to various countries to promote the creator economy and held community events weekly." Indeed, Access Protocol joined the Warsaw Conference in July as a community and ecosystem partner and discussed integration plans with local developers at WebX in Tokyo.

One unexpected aspect has been the resilience of creators. He noted, "In a bear market, people tend to leave crypto, but our creators are still actively engaging with their communities and subscribers," revealing that there are currently 280,000 on-chain subscriptions, amounting to approximately $8 million.

Agents and NFT Marketplace... "We Changed the Roadmap According to Market Demands"

Wong cited market changes as the reason for modifying the roadmap released last year. He explained, "Just a year ago, agents were merely speculative talk, but this year, everyone is creating agents," emphasizing that they needed to observe what the market and people actually wanted rather than sticking rigidly to the roadmap. While mobile app development continues, it has been deprioritized, and the focus has shifted to enhancing convenience for creators.

The result is the Access Agent. This cloud-based agent, based on the open-source agent framework OpenClaw, does not require connecting a private key or setting up a separate device. It can also integrate with desired channels like Telegram. Wong stressed, "As cases of agents stealing information have increased, user concerns have grown," stating that they prioritized security over efficiency.

Since its initial launch in August, the agent's functionality has significantly expanded. The initial version only provided market information by receiving APIs from media partners and CoinGecko. After the upgrade, it now supports reminder settings, task automation, notifications upon meeting conditions, and subscriber-based analytics. Wong explained, "In crypto, one must keep up with the market and continue learning, which is too difficult for creators who just want to create," adding, "The agent is a buddy and partner for creators." He mentioned, "I can't run the agent myself without a Mac Mini, but I'm doing the same work with Access Agent," noting that he is also a user.

They also recently launched their own NFT marketplace. Observing that major NFT marketplaces have faced security incidents and some NFT partners have closed, they determined that an ecosystem-specific marketplace was necessary. Wong reported, "Users have been actively participating just days after the launch." The previously announced 'Access Studio' is being developed to integrate Access Hub, agents, and the marketplace into one.

The ACS token will continue to serve as the core currency for staking and rewards, as before. Wong stated, "I don't want to add too many variables to ACS," but mentioned that "we could consider rewarding agent users with ACS." He explained, "The key is to make more people aware of ACS through agents and the marketplace, leading them back to Access Hub."

"AI Creators Are an Opportunity, Not a Threat"

Regarding the rapid changes AI is bringing to the creator industry, Wong stated, "I have never seen it as a threat. On the contrary, I look forward to AI creators coming in." He elaborated, "Now, with just one click, anything can be created, so it is entirely possible for agents to have their own identity and create content. Creators do not necessarily have to be real people. As long as they are legitimate and genuine, AI can also be a creator."

The vision he envisions is a structure where AI creators have their own fan base and staking pools, attracting supporters to Access. Wong noted, "One of the most necessary things for agents is crypto." He explained that for agents to work independently, stablecoins are needed, and people will entrust crypto to agents for transactions or to try out protocols. He expressed, "Agents and crypto are interlinked," and he looks forward to the day when agents with identities become creators of Access.

When asked about the mass production of AI creator content in China, he mentioned specific business opportunities. Wong said, "When you see AI videos on Instagram and want to see more, the site asks for a credit card," adding, "Just as media partners are opening premium content through subscriptions, AI videos can also be opened through subscriptions." He continued, "Partnerships with AI content companies are definitely an area worth exploring," emphasizing that "the protocol must continue to evolve."

"Not a Meme Coin, but an Operating Business... Creating Success Stories in Korea"

Regarding the Korean market, Wong stated, "Korea has always been a key market in APAC and the second home of ACS." He is expanding local partnerships with Block Media, SuperTeam Korea, and others. He was also named a speaker at BLOCKFESTA 2026, held at the IFC The Forum in Yeouido on October 1 during KBW. He said, "I came to listen to the stories of the Korean community and to see firsthand what they want from Access."

He emphasized a realistic approach to the Korean creator industry, represented by webtoons and K-pop. Wong remarked, "Webtoons and K-pop have already built massive empires, so we cannot simply demand a change in approach," stating, "It must be shown through success stories, not forced." He noted, "Creators feel that platform fees are too high, and fans feel they pay money without receiving anything in return," diagnosing that the demand is clear. With models already validated in Southeast Asia and APAC, the strategy is to onboard Korean creators, such as NFT artists and writers, and expand into large industries like webtoons.

Regarding the key to mass adoption, termed 'Invisible Onboarding', he described it as "not a destination but a continuous journey." He stated that while eliminating the hassle of wallet creation or private key management, users must be made aware that they own assets. Wong emphasized, "No matter how easy our app is, if the process of buying tokens is complicated, it is useless," asserting that "this is a problem the entire industry must solve together." Access Protocol is currently ranked among the top 45 protocols on the Phantom wallet, ensuring that wallet users have a natural path to discover it.

Finally, Wong expressed a desire to clarify misunderstandings among Korean users. He stated, "Many Korean users first encountered ACS through trading, and due to the large price fluctuations, it may appear like a meme coin," emphasizing, "But upon closer inspection, Access is actually an operating business." He added, "There are cases where a creator with no fans has built a fan base of 10,000 through Access," stating that "currently, 370 creators are actually generating revenue. Please evaluate us not as a transaction but as what we are creating."

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