According to Cointelegraph, tokens associated with artificial intelligence (AI) continue to displace meme coins, but their popularity may wane by 2026. Venture capitalist Haseeb Qureshi of Dragonfly Capital notes that this shift reflects a transition from “financial nihilism” to “financial over-optimism.”
Qureshi predicts that interest in AI tokens will persist until 2025, but warns there may be no long-term revolution, as the development of more sophisticated AI products could reduce their relevance.
AI Leaders Among Tokens
In recent weeks, some of the top-performing AI cryptocurrencies have been Virtuals Protocol (+60.27%), Bittensor (+11.41%), and Theta Network (+10.71%). Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley likened the emergence of AI tokens to 19th-century corporations, highlighting their potential to hire people, own assets, and even enter into contracts.
Additionally, the market cap of AI meme coins has surpassed $10 billion, growing by 25% in a single day:
- AI16Z ($2.09): The largest AI meme coin, governed by a DAO and based on the Eliza AI model. Its market cap rose by $1 billion over the past five days.
- FARTCOIN ($1.4): The second-largest AI meme coin, available on Binance Futures.
- ZEREBRO ($0.64): Recently added to Binance.
Market Dynamics: AI Rises as Meme Coins Fall
CoinMarketCap data shows that over the last 24 hours, trading volume for meme coins dropped by 21.49%, while AI and data tokens climbed by 7.95%. The total market cap for AI tokens sits at $54.42 billion, despite a monthly decrease of 1.66%. Meanwhile, meme coin market cap declined by 17.70% over the past month.
Despite their success, Qureshi cautions that AI tokens are vulnerable to manipulation and may face reputation risks. For example, the popular chat-bot Aixbt gathers data effectively, but its significance could diminish if more advanced solutions appear.
Previously: Top 5 Promising AI Agents
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