Your AI MeetsDeFi
Where AI Talent Enters DeFi
A DeFi-focused acceleration program that brings top AI/ML talent into decentralized finance. No blockchain experience needed — just bring your AI skills.
Next Finance Tech
What is
AUTON?
AUTON is a DeFi-focused acceleration program designed to bring outstanding AI/ML talent into the world of decentralized finance. We provide the DeFi domain knowledge, mentorship, and ecosystem access — you bring your AI expertise.
DeFi (Decentralized Finance) is a financial system built on blockchain that operates without banks or intermediaries. Using smart contracts, it enables lending, trading, and asset management to run autonomously — creating a new frontier where AI can directly participate in financial markets.
Who Should Apply
AI / ML Skills (Required)
Experience building ML models, training pipelines, or AI applications. Research, coursework, or personal projects all count. This is the core skill we're looking for.
Curiosity About DeFi (We'll Teach You)
No blockchain experience required. A willingness to learn DeFi, smart contracts, and on-chain protocols is all you need — we provide the knowledge.
English Reading Ability
Ability to read and comprehend technical documentation written in English.
Based in Japan
Must be a current resident of Japan for the duration of the program.
6–8 hrs / week
Able to commit 6 to 8 hours per week during the 3-month program period.
April 6 – 19, 2026
Individual or team applications (up to 3 members). No participation fee.
Why Should AI Talent
Care About DeFi?
Your ML Models, Real Financial Data
Blockchain transactions are transparent and tamper-proof — the highest quality training data an ML engineer could ask for. No data cleaning nightmares.
Deploy AI at Machine Speed
DeFi settles at machine speed. Your models can execute decisions in real-time on global markets — no human bottleneck, no market hours.
No Gatekeepers, No Permissions
Your AI agents can directly participate in financial markets without intermediaries. Build autonomous systems that transact on their own.
Signal Extraction at Scale
On-chain and off-chain data streams are massive and noisy — exactly the kind of problem AI excels at. Extract alpha from chaos.
A Market Waiting for AI
The DeFi market is new, volatile, and underserved by AI. Less competition, more opportunity. Your AI skills have outsized impact here.
Program Vision
Bridge AI talent into the trillion-dollar DeFi frontier
Co-create with top builders, mentors, and financial institutions
Build products at the intersection no one else can reach
From Application to Demo Day
Apr 6 – 19
Applications Open
Submit your application. Individual or team (up to 3). No fee required.
Late Apr
Selection
Review and interviews. 10 outstanding AI/DeFi teams selected.
May 17
Kickoff
In-person kickoff event. Begin the 3-month acceleration with mentors, workshops, and resources. Venue: Tokyo
May – Jul
Acceleration
Mentoring, workshops, lectures, and hands-on development support.
July 15
Demo Day
In-person Demo Day. Final pitches to investors. Top teams receive commercialization support. Venue: Tokyo
Applications Open
Submit your application. Individual or team (up to 3). No fee required.
Selection
Review and interviews. 10 outstanding AI/DeFi teams selected.
Kickoff
In-person kickoff event. Begin the 3-month acceleration with mentors, workshops, and resources. Venue: Tokyo
Acceleration
Mentoring, workshops, lectures, and hands-on development support.
Demo Day
In-person Demo Day. Final pitches to investors. Top teams receive commercialization support. Venue: Tokyo
Backed by
Industry Leaders
Five pioneering organizations at the intersection of finance, AI, and DeFi — united to build the next generation of builders.
SMBC Nikko Securities
A major securities firm that sees the future of finance in DeFi. Leading overall program planning and operations as the primary organizer.
WebsiteUTokyo IPC
A venture capital firm under the University of Tokyo that incubates university research seeds globally.
Website
Fracton Ventures
Japan's leading incubator specializing in blockchain and crypto. Since 2021, they have supported over 50 teams.
WebsiteNext Finance Tech
A blockchain infrastructure company providing staking services and yield strategies for Japanese corporations.
WebsitePrime Beat
A blockchain-focused startup from the University of Tokyo supporting blockchain strategy and token design.
WebsiteFrontier Technologies Laboratory (FTL)
The Frontier Technologies Laboratory at the University of Cambridge is an ecosystem of Cambridge-based societies experimenting with novel technologies alongside academic and industry partners. Collaborating with the University of Oxford, Harvard, and MIT to develop an open innovation ecosystem.
University of Cambridge
Learn moreWhat You'll Build
6 frontier challenges
Each theme represents a research and product challenge at the cutting edge of AI × DeFi.
Intelligent Yield Farming
Develop AI agents that analyze on-chain and off-chain information and optimize liquidity supply in real time.
DeFi Agent Generator
Build AI agents that propose and execute wallet, chain, and trading strategies based on user preferences.
DeFi Protocol Auditor
Conduct code audits of DeFi protocols, visualize results, and automatically create user guidelines and terms of use.
Copy Trading Agent
Find vaults matching user risk preferences and create copy trading systems.
AI Agent Credit Scoring
Develop credit scoring functions for AI agents operating in decentralized financial ecosystems.
Agent-to-Agent Crypto Payments
Build systems for settlement between AI agents using crypto tokens — the backbone of autonomous finance.
How the Program Works
Kickoff Event
In-person kickoff event gathering mentors, participants, and sponsors to align on goals, introduce themes, and launch the 3-month sprint. Venue: Tokyo
Mentoring
Dedicated guidance by top-tier experts with technical and strategic support tailored to each team's stage and challenges.
Workshop
Hands-on deep dives into technical topics and tools — from DeFi protocols to AI model deployment — with practical feedback from practitioners.
Lecture
Input cutting-edge knowledge on AI and DeFi from researchers, founders, and operators at the frontier.
Demo Day
In-person Demo Day where teams present prototypes and business plans to investors and partners for next-stage commercialization support. Venue: Tokyo
Your Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about the AUTON Acceleration Program.
Have other questions?
Contact us hereReady to Build the
Future of AI × DeFi?
Join a new generation of builders shaping the future of financial innovation.