Crypto tools are rapidly reshaping media by letting creators monetize and remix content.
The result? Content can now be coded, poked, forked, and molded 👇
~~ Analysis by @davewardonline ~~
Naturally, this trend is blooming across Farcaster and Lens, where simple building blocks like Mini Apps and Social Features let users reshape their feeds and how they socialize.
On Farcaster, a leading example is the @titlesxyz app, which we touched on a few weeks back in the context of Twitter’s “Ghiblification.” Since then, our very own @wmpeaster has even had his own AI art model added to Titles — anyone can remix it now!
Today, though, we’re going to look at a rising project that's applying AI to remixing media on Lens — Bonsai.
1️⃣ What Is Bonsai?
@onbonsai started last year as a memecoin airdropped to Lens users, designed to spark activity on the decentralized social network. It quickly evolved into a popular currency for media on Lens-native apps, powering paid mints, post collections, tips, and more.
A few weeks ago, Lens moved to its new @LC mainnet with a series of apps debuting upgrades alongside the network.
For Bonsai, this migration has coincided with the launch of their no-code creator studio, which is a tool that lets anyone launch dynamic, AI-driven posts that evolve, react, and earn onchain. The result is more interactive and naturally social content, in line with Bonsai’s vision of AI transforming how we connect online.
Built for everyday creators, the interface makes it easy to pick a template, customize your idea, and publish directly to Lens — no dev work needed.
Here, creators earn in two ways:
• $BONSAI from post collections
• Trading fees from tokens tied to posts
Notably, these content tokens:
• Start on a bonding curve
• Graduate to Uniswap after hitting a liquidity threshold
• Earn creator fees along the way
• Can launch on either Lens or Base
🤖 Smart Media: The Heart of Bonsai
Bonsai calls these new AI-driven posts “Smart Media.” Each Smart Media post starts from a template — a kind of script that defines how it evolves.
Templates can generate stories, shift artwork, or enable AI agents to reply to comments. They control the memory, logic, and behavior of a post, and update it automatically based on new interactions.
Smart Media also extends to:
• Replikas — AI-powered profiles that engage while you’re offline
• Simulated Realities — Entire feeds that evolve based on your interests
All of this runs atop Lens, whose onchain infrastructure powers Smart Media’s interactions and monetization. Because the system is open, anyone can remix what’s live — from developers building new templates to creators forking content into something totally new.
Bonsai doesn’t just use AI to make content, but rather to also let content take on a life of its own. With Smart Media, posts don’t just get published — they act, adapt, and earn.
2️⃣ How to Launch Smart Media — Step by Step
Remember, this can all be done with zero coding experience so, if you want to give it a try yourself, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:
1) Open the Studio — Go to Bonsai's website and click Create in the top‑right. Connect with a wallet or email. You’ll need to create a Lens profile if you haven’t already, but that takes just a few minutes.
2) Pick a Category — The Smart Media templates are sorted by purpose. These include:
• ✍️"Evolving Post" — Create stories that evolve as users interact. These are choose‑your‑own‑adventure style posts where collectors and token holders vote on what happens next.
• 🖼️"Evolving Art" — Build images that change over time based on replies, upvotes, or token activity. Each interaction helps shape the visual direction of the post.
• ⛺️"Campfire" — Make a collaborative space where people and AI agents can reply, react, and evolve the conversation together. Think of it like an onchain group chat with AI co-pilots.
3) Fill in the Form — Upload an image or type a prompt. Hover over the little ⓘ icons if a field isn’t clear. Preview if you want, but remember each preview uses one daily credit.
4) Finalize and Publish — Set a $BONSAI collect fee so people can join your post. Optionally, you can mint a coin tied to your post — just pick Lens or Base, set the symbol, and set the liquidity threshold for when it moves to a regular Uniswap pool.
When you're ready, hit Create. The app will mint the token (if added), write the post on Lens, and register it as Smart Media.
