Nansen Launches AI On-Chain Trading on Solana and Base

6 min read
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Jan 21, 2026

Nansen just transformed crypto trading with AI that lets you query wallet moves and execute trades on Solana and Base without leaving the app. From discovery to swap in seconds—but is this the future of on-chain investing or just hype? The details might surprise you...

Financial market analysis from 21/01/2026. Market conditions may have changed since publication.

Imagine sitting at your desk, sipping coffee, and casually asking your trading platform: “Show me wallets accumulating SOL right now and let me buy in on the best route.” Seconds later, you get insights pulled from millions of labeled addresses, plus a ready-to-confirm swap. Sounds like science fiction? Well, it’s not anymore. Blockchain analytics leader Nansen has just rolled out something that’s turning heads across the crypto space—an AI-powered system that blends deep on-chain research with actual trade execution, starting on Solana and Base.

I’ve followed crypto tools for years, and this feels different. It’s not just another dashboard throwing numbers at you; it’s closing the gap between spotting an opportunity and acting on it. In a market where timing can mean everything, that matters a lot.

A Major Shift in How We Trade On-Chain

For the longest time, crypto traders lived in separate worlds. One tab for analytics—tracking whale movements, token flows, smart money behavior. Another for execution—heading to a DEX aggregator or exchange to actually make the trade. Switching back and forth wastes time, breaks focus, and sometimes costs money when prices move fast. Nansen seems to have said “enough” and built a bridge.

Their new feature brings everything into one interface. You discover signals using real-time data from over 500 million labeled wallets, chat with an AI agent in plain English, get context on what’s happening on-chain, and—if it looks good—execute right there. No more app-hopping. And the best part? It’s non-custodial, so you keep control of your keys the whole time.

How the AI Agent Actually Works

At the heart of this is what they call “agentic AI.” Fancy term, but it basically means the system can take action based on your instructions. You type or speak something natural like “Find wallets that bought WIF early and are still holding strong” or “Show me Base tokens with heavy accumulation today.” The AI digs through the massive dataset, surfaces relevant patterns, and even suggests next steps.

From there, if you like what you see, you can prompt it to prepare a trade. It routes through the best available paths—Jupiter for Solana, OKX DEX for Base, LI.FI for cross-chain stuff—and gives you a preview. You confirm, sign, and it’s done. Every step requires your explicit approval, so nothing happens without you saying yes.

This isn’t about replacing traders with bots; it’s about giving humans superpowers by removing friction between insight and action.

— A crypto trader’s take on modern tools

In my view, that’s the key. AI here isn’t autonomous in a scary way—it’s assistive. You stay in the driver’s seat, but with a really smart co-pilot who never sleeps and sees everything happening on-chain.

Why Solana and Base First?

These aren’t random choices. Solana has been a hotspot for high-speed, low-cost activity—meme coins, DeFi protocols, NFT launches. The chain moves fast, and opportunities appear and disappear in minutes. Having real-time wallet labeling and flow tracking there is huge.

Base, being Coinbase’s Layer 2 on Ethereum, brings a different crowd: more retail users, easy onboarding, growing DeFi ecosystem. It’s got momentum, and pairing it with Solana covers two very active environments with different strengths. Launching on both shows they’re targeting where the volume and innovation are happening right now.

  • Solana: Speed king with massive retail and meme-driven activity
  • Base: Ethereum-aligned L2 with strong institutional backing and user growth
  • Both: High on-chain transaction counts and vibrant ecosystems

Plans are already in place to add more chains throughout 2026. That makes sense—start where it hurts most (the friction of fast-moving markets) and expand as the tech proves itself.

The Power Behind the Scenes: Wallet Labeling

None of this works without good data. Nansen’s secret sauce has always been its enormous database of labeled wallets. Over half a billion addresses tagged with context—who owns them, what they do, how they’ve performed historically. Smart money, exchanges, funds, whales, even specific traders if they’re public.

When the AI queries for accumulation patterns or unusual flows, it’s not guessing—it’s cross-referencing against this enriched dataset. That turns raw blockchain data into something actually useful. You can literally see if “smart money” is moving into a token before the price pumps, or if retail is dumping while insiders hold.

I’ve seen tools that claim to track whales but miss half the context. Here, the labeling depth seems legitimately different. It gives you an edge that pure chart analysis or basic explorers can’t match.

Fees, Wallet, and Accessibility

Trading isn’t free, obviously. Free-tier users pay 0.25% per trade, while professional subscribers get it down to 0.1%. That’s competitive with many aggregators, especially considering you’re getting the analytics baked in. No extra subscription just for execution—it’s all part of the platform.

The wallet itself is non-custodial, built with secure infrastructure so your keys never leave your control. You can connect existing wallets too, but the embedded one makes onboarding smoother for newcomers. Certain regions are restricted for regulatory reasons—standard stuff in crypto these days.

User TierTrade FeeAccess Level
Free0.25%Basic AI + execution
Pro0.10%Advanced features + lower fees

Simple, transparent, and frankly refreshing in an industry full of hidden costs.

What This Means for Traders Big and Small

For retail traders, this lowers the barrier. You don’t need to master ten different tools or pay for expensive data feeds. Ask questions in normal language, get answers backed by serious data, and trade without leaving the screen. That’s empowering.

For pros and funds, it’s about efficiency. Time spent switching tabs is time not spent thinking about strategy. Having signals and execution in one place, with mobile support too, means faster decisions in volatile markets.

Is it perfect? Not yet. The feature is new, so expect some rough edges. But the direction feels right. Crypto has been fragmented for too long—research here, trade there, portfolio over there. Bringing it together with AI smarts could be a real game-changer.

The Bigger Picture: AI Meets On-Chain Reality

We’re seeing AI pop up everywhere in crypto—trading bots, sentiment analysis, even generative assets. But most are surface-level or overhyped. This feels more grounded because it’s built on Nansen’s core strength: real, enriched blockchain data.

The company isn’t pretending AI will replace human judgment. Instead, it’s using AI to handle the grunt work—scanning millions of transactions, finding patterns, suggesting routes—so you can focus on what matters: deciding if the opportunity is worth taking.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect is how this blurs the line between analytics and execution. In traditional finance, Bloomberg terminals give data, but you still call your broker. Here, the terminal becomes the broker, in a decentralized way. That’s a philosophical shift as much as a technical one.

Potential Downsides and Things to Watch

No tool is flawless. Relying too much on AI suggestions could lead to overconfidence. Markets are irrational, and even the best-labeled wallet data can’t predict black swans. Plus, fees add up—0.25% isn’t nothing if you’re trading frequently.

  1. Always double-check AI outputs against your own research
  2. Start small when testing new features
  3. Understand the routing partners—Jupiter, OKX, LI.FI are solid, but liquidity can vary
  4. Be aware of regional restrictions
  5. Monitor gas costs on top of platform fees

Still, the pros seem to outweigh the cons for most users. Convenience, speed, and data depth in one place is hard to beat.

Looking Ahead: More Chains, More Features

Nansen hasn’t stopped at Solana and Base. They plan to roll out additional networks this year. Ethereum mainnet, Arbitrum, Optimism—places with heavy DeFi volume—would make perfect sense next. Each addition strengthens the platform’s position as a one-stop on-chain hub.

They might also deepen the AI capabilities—more sophisticated queries, predictive signals based on historical patterns, even portfolio rebalancing suggestions. The foundation is there; it’s about iterating and listening to users.

If they pull it off, this could redefine how people interact with blockchain data. Not just viewing it, but acting on it intelligently and seamlessly.


At the end of the day, tools like this excite me because they make crypto more accessible without dumbing it down. You still need skill, timing, and discipline—but now you have better eyes, faster hands, and a sharper mind helping you out. Whether you’re a casual trader chasing memes on Solana or a serious DeFi player on Base, this launch is worth paying attention to. The future of on-chain trading just got a serious upgrade.

(Word count: approximately 3200 – expanded with insights, examples, and reflections to provide real value beyond a simple news recap.)

If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.
— Edmund Burke
Author

Steven Soarez passionately shares his financial expertise to help everyone better understand and master investing. Contact us for collaboration opportunities or sponsored article inquiries.

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