Ava Protocol
6 known investors
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Ava Protocol builds decentralized, trustless automation for Web3, aiming to integrate automated interactions into everyday users' blockchain activity. The company focuses on private and composable automation tools within the crypto space.
Also known as OAK Network · Onchain Autonomous Kernel · Turing Network
Founders & leadership
Investors · 6
Also in the syndicate · 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Ava Protocol, formerly OAK Network, develops intent-based, event-driven automation infrastructure for on-chain transactions. Its core technology lets smart contract functions and transactions be triggered automatically when predefined conditions are met — time, price, or computation-based events — without custom code, an approach the company compares to Stripe-like one-click payments for Web3. The protocol runs as an Actively Validated Service (AVS) on EigenLayer on Ethereum mainnet, alongside a mature Polkadot/Substrate implementation originally delivered as the Turing Network Kusama parachain, with plans stated in 2024 to move to Polkadot JAM when live.
The product line has evolved from developer infrastructure toward consumer-facing applications. Ava Protocol Studio, introduced in February 2025, is a no-code interface for building event-driven crypto workflows across Ethereum and layer-2 networks, later extended with workflow templates and AI automation features. In 2025 the company positioned itself around "verifiable AI agents," combining AI decision-making with verifiable on-chain triggers and execution. Its most recent product is an AI DeFi Guardian: a non-custodial assistant that monitors a user's wallet and DeFi positions (for example Aave health factors), warns of liquidation or depeg risk, and prepares transactions that the user approves before execution, operated primarily through a Telegram chat with a web app (Studio) for wallet signatures, custom limits and full position controls. The company states funds remain in the user's wallet, actions are constrained by user-set limits, and every step is visible in chat and verifiable on a block explorer.
Founding story
Founder Chris Li attended his first Bitcoin meetup at Stanford University in 2014 while working as a software developer on distributed systems at Microsoft, and left Microsoft after the Ethereum whitepaper drew him into the space in 2017. He worked on Ethereum components including the web3.js SDK, gas station smart contracts and the Truffle suite, and joined a San Francisco prediction-market startup that did not survive the 2018-2020 bear market. In 2021, inspired by Polkadot's multi-chain architecture and after meeting Polkadot founder Gavin Wood at the mainnet event in New York City, Li and his team began building an autonomous transaction protocol able to auto-trigger on time, price and smart contract events. The project launched as OAK — Onchain Autonomous Kernel — choosing Polkadot for its smart wallets and XCM cross-chain messaging to automate transactions on Moonbeam and Astar.
Business model
Ava Protocol operates protocol infrastructure and applications on top of it: a decentralized automation network (EigenLayer AVS and Polkadot-side implementation) with a developer SDK, plus end-user products (Ava Studio no-code workflow builder and the Telegram-based AI DeFi Guardian). The network has an associated token, AP, which succeeded the OAK token, with a legacy token conversion opened in March 2025 ahead of a token generation event.
Traction
As of June 2024 the company reported more than 10,000 unique wallets on its testnet, over 1,000 automated transactions per day, more than 30 ecosystem partners committed to building dapps on the protocol, and product partnerships with Polkadot, Moonbeam and Astar. Its EigenLayer AVS launched on Ethereum mainnet on July 18, 2024; within two weeks operator TVL was reported above $1.7B worth of ETH. Its open-source GitHub repository had over 100 stars and more than 20 contributors as of July 2024. Earlier Polkadot-ecosystem traction included an oversubscribed Kusama crowdloan for the Turing Network testnet parachain slot and a won Polkadot parachain auction whose crowdloan rewards sold out within four hours. The AI DeFi Guardian moved from months of private beta to general availability per an August 10, 2026 announcement.
Latest developments
The AI DeFi Guardian became generally available after months of private beta, offering wallet protection through a single Telegram chat with access from ChatGPT or Claude (announcement dated August 10, 2026). The company's 2025 year-in-review cited Studio plus EigenCloud bringing AI on-chain workflows to more users and flagged x402 payments and a chat-based GPT experience for 2026. Earlier 2025 updates added workflow templates, AI automation and workflow upgrades to the automation layer.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, history, risks & controversies
Market position
The company describes itself as a first mover in the automation track on EigenLayer and as a leading developer in the autonomous transaction space covering smart contract, DeFi, NFT and RWA automation. It frames its offering as bringing Zapier-like automation and Stripe-like transaction simplicity to Web3.
Positioning rests on decentralized, trustless execution rather than centralized keepers: automation is validated through an EigenLayer AVS, private and composable, with no custom code required. On the consumer side, differentiation is non-custodial design — user-held keys, user-set spending limits, mandatory approval before execution, and on-chain verifiability of every action — combined with a chat-first interface.
Technology
The protocol supports automation triggered by time, price and smart contract events, described by the company as "super-transactions" that can execute autonomously and privately. Time Automation launched in 2022 on the Turing Network Kusama parachain, followed by Dynamic Dispatch, Price Automation in 2023, and an Automation Hub in late 2023 with auto-staking, auto-bridge and cross-chain auto-pay. Cross-chain functionality on Polkadot relies on smart wallets and the XCM messaging protocol. On Ethereum, automation is delivered as an EigenLayer AVS providing off-chain computation with on-chain verification. Developer access is via a JavaScript/TypeScript SDK that the company says enables permissionless automation in about three lines of code. The 2024 acquisition of Openstory added on-chain data streaming and analytics for EVM chain activity. Recent work centers on verifiable AI agents that couple AI decisioning with verifiable execution, plus a stated 2026 roadmap including x402 payments and a chat-based GPT experience.
Go-to-market
Distribution combines developer adoption and consumer channels. On the developer side the company ships a JavaScript/TypeScript SDK, runs an open grant program, sponsors hackathons and startup competitions (including a dedicated track at the Permissionless III hackathon and sponsorship activity at Consensus 2024), and publishes technical content and quick-start guides. Ecosystem and chain partnerships (Polkadot, Moonbeam, Astar, BNB Chain via Kernel, Zoth) bring integrations, while consumer acquisition runs through the Telegram bot, the Ava Studio web app, and stated interoperability with ChatGPT and Claude.
Two groups: Web3 developers and dapp teams needing automated or recurring on-chain execution across DeFi, gaming, insurance, automated trading, NFTs and RWAs; and retail DeFi users with active lending, stablecoin or LP positions who want monitoring and semi-automated risk management without writing code.
History
OAK Network raised a $5.5M seed round led by Electric Capital, Greylock and Foundation Capital and grew to about 15 people, launching a Kusama crowdloan that secured a parachain slot for the Turing Network testnet and later winning a Polkadot parachain auction. The 2022 downturn following the Luna, Three Arrows Capital and FTX collapses forced the company to lay off half its team; it subsequently closed an additional $4.5M Seed+ round, bringing total funding to $10M. Through 2022-2023 it shipped Time Automation, Dynamic Dispatch, Price Automation, cross-chain demos with ArthSwap, a data insights dashboard and API, and the Automation Hub. In June 2024 the company rebranded from OAK Network to Ava Protocol to mark expansion from Polkadot to Ethereum, announced that OAK tokens would become AP, and acquired Openstory. Its EigenLayer AVS went live on Ethereum mainnet on July 18, 2024. In 2025 it launched Ava Protocol Studio, joined Kernel to extend automation to BNB Chain, opened legacy TUR and OAK crowdloan conversion to AP ahead of a token generation event, and shifted toward AI-native automation; the AI DeFi Guardian reached general availability in 2026.
Risks & controversies
The founder's public account describes a 2022 layoff of half the team amid the Luna, Three Arrows Capital and FTX collapses and the difficulty of raising in a bear market. Token-related uncertainty affected the Turing Network token (TUR) after the rebranding of MangataX, the DEX where it traded, prompting the company to assess options for TUR's continued tradability; legacy TUR and OAK crowdloan holders were later offered conversion to AP. The consumer product carries the usual smart contract and DeFi risks: the company states it surfaces information and proposes actions and is not providing financial advice.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 12
launches, deals, and filingsAfter months in private beta, the AI DeFi Guardian became generally available, protecting existing wallets via a Telegram chat and usable from ChatGPT or Claude.
Enhancements to the Web3 automation layer making it easier to build onchain workflows.
Partnership to deliver verifiable, AI-native, event-driven automation on BNB Chain for use cases including DeFi and gaming.
Ava Protocol opened conversion of legacy TUR tokens and OAK crowdloan positions into AP tokens ahead of its token generation event.
Launch of a no-code interface for building event-driven automated crypto workflows across Ethereum and layer-2 networks.
Integration applies event-driven automation to RWA fixed-income products with cross-chain scalability.
Ava Protocol launched its EigenLayer Actively Validated Service on Ethereum mainnet, enabling code-free private and composable automation of smart contract functions.
The company announced completion of $10M in seed funding, composed of an initial $5.5M round and a subsequent $4.5M Seed+ round, to fund its intent-centric, event-driven EigenLayer AVS.
$10M source ↗
OAK Network announced its evolution into Ava Protocol, expanding autonomous transaction infrastructure from Polkadot to Ethereum; OAK tokens were to be renamed AP with supply, category percentages and unlock schedule unchanged.
Ava Protocol acquired Openstory, a data streaming platform for on-chain data and analytics, to strengthen insights into EVM chain activity.
OAK ran an oversubscribed Kusama crowdloan securing a parachain slot for the Turing Network testnet, then won a Polkadot parachain auction with all crowdloan rewards sold out within four hours.
Amid the 2022 collapses of Luna, Three Arrows Capital and FTX, the company let go of half its team to remain sustainable.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Ava Protocolavaprotocol.org · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Ava Protocol do?
- Ava Protocol builds event-driven Web3 automation and an AI DeFi guardian that monitors wallets and prepares on-chain actions.
- Who founded Ava Protocol?
- Ava Protocol was founded by Chris Li.
- Who are Ava Protocol's investors?
- Ava Protocol's investors include Bloccelerate VC, Electric Capital, Greylock Partners, Foundation Capital.