AI Tokens Are Booming Again: What’s Fueling the Hype?
- Rachel Johnson
- Aug 11
- 3 min read
AI Tokens Are Booming Again: What's Fueling the Hype?

Any crypto trader can vouch for the sudden shift of the spotlight on AI tokens. All the crypto forums and exchanges are trending several AI tokens. Crypto enthusiasts worldwide are analysing this sudden shift in trend in 2025. Is it hype, or could it be the early stage of a bigger shift?
Let's break down the factors behind the resurgence of AI tokens like $FET, $RNDR, $TAO, and $AGIX and figure out how sustainable this momentum is.
A Second Wave for AI-based Crypto Projects
We saw a lot of AI tokens rising in value in 2023 and early 2024. Most of it was mainly due to the introduction of LLMs like ChatGPT and generative AI art. When these AI tokens entered the market, there was a lot of hype that drove speculative buying. In early 2024, Bitcoin rose in dominance, causing AI tokens to lose significance and attention.
After a downturn, these projects are regaining momentum. Here's how:
1. Ripple effects from Mainstream AI Advancements
2025 is witnessing a handful of advancements in LLMs, such as the rollout of GPT-5, OpenAI's Sora, Meta's multi-agent LLMs, and Apple's rumoured AI assistant, reigniting public interest in artificial intelligence once again. With AI becoming an inevitable part of our daily lives, investors and traders are increasingly turning to blockchain projects with ongoing infrastructure for AI.
For instance, NVIDIA saw stock surges due to AI demand. Several AI-focused crypto projects are emerging as Web3's answer to the growing artificial intelligence trend.
2. Real Development, Not Just Hype
Unlike the meme coin trend in 2021, many AI crypto projects are backed by solid progress. For instance:
$FET (Fetch.ai) – Fetch.ai is advancing self-operating AI agents that are intelligent, self-operating, and can make decisions, transact, and complete tasks independently. It has also been focusing on secure data sharing and smart city infrastructure.
$AGIX (SingularityNET) – It has been leveraging its resources to develop a decentralized marketplace for AI services. Singularity's recent efforts to build a cross-chain functionality with Cardano have brought it to the limelight yet again.
$TAO (Bittensor) – Bittensor has brought on a new decentralized machine learning model where contributors earn rewards for training AI models.
$RNDR (Render Network) – This token offers decentralized GPU rendering and has been moving towards powering AI video generation.
These tokens have grown beyond being just whitepapers. They have grown into these promising ecosystems with dev updates, active research, and evolving user growth.

Key AI Tokens & their utility
Token | Project Name | What It Does |
$FET | Autonomous agents for smart infrastructure | |
$AGIX | Decentralized AI services marketplace | |
$TAO | Train AI models on-chain & earn rewards | |
$RNDR | GPU AI video & art rendering |
3. AI x Blockchain = The Perfect Web3 Use Case?
AI aligns well with blockchain because the former needs huge datasets, trustless compute, and verifiable models, similar to many of the latter's offerings. The combination of AI and blockchain offers the perfect Web3 Use Case.
No single company controls either of the models. Both are transparent, allowing auditability and rewarding contributions and data sharing in a trustless way. This amalgamation has paved the path for a new breed of decentralized AI platforms, powering intelligence backed by tokenomics and not just speculation.
4. Narrative Cycles Drive Retail Interest
Every year, there has been a new narrative ruling the crypto space. In 2021, it was DeFi, followed by NFTs, then the metaverse, and now AI + Crypto.
The hot new story has been creating a ripple effect. Several expert traders and YouTubers have begun hyping the future of AI-powered blockchains, causing retailers to pour money into AI tokens and be a part of the next wave before it even hits.
However, the good news is that it's not all just hype. The tech has been advancing equally, making AI tokens one of the promising investment options in 2025. Always do your research (DYOR) before making any investment decisions.
Now the big question - Is It Sustainable?
The short answer is it depends.
Some AI tokens have an evolving community and real-world applications, while a few others are here to ride the wave with little substance. As is the case with any boom cycle, approach any crypto investment with due diligence.
Make sure to check if:
Is there any real AI tech under the hood?
Is the project backed by partnerships or users?
Do the tokens power the AI economy or pump price charts?
AI Tokens – Yay or nay?
The advances in both AI and blockchain aren't all speculation. The continuing trend signals a new era where decentralized intelligence lays the basis for the future of the internet. Now may be the perfect time to focus on the AI + crypto crossover.



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