Every crypto season comes with its own “next big thing”. In the past, DeFi, Ethereum Layer 2s, and Memecoins, have all had their moments in the spotlight and the pumping token valuations that come with it. Some crypto traders call these seasonal themes “metas.” Now, the hot new meta might be the biggest yet: the innovative combination of AI and crypto.
That’s right, AI + blockchain is a thing, and there are AI crypto tokens that let you speculate on this game changing new technology.
Read on to learn what artificial intelligence (AI) coins are, why they’re so popular, which projects are most prominent, and, of course, how you can buy them. You’re welcome.
Artificial intelligence coins, or AI crypto coins, are tokens launched by AI-related blockchain networks or crypto projects.
These coins integrate AI into their operations in one way or another, and include AI agent tokens. Some automate processes, some apply AI models to real world data problems, and others allow AI agents to interact directly on blockchains.,
Today, some blockchain networks are focused on helping to grow and develop AI and AI-related technologies. This includes projects that offer computational space and other resources that are needed for training machine learning models or the development of AI agents that can be used to make trades for their users in the crypto markets.
The answer is simple: AI coins are riding the wave of the AI boom in the mainstream. That’s a typical playbook in crypto– projects that tap into pop culture or mainstream movements tend to do quite well.
Perhaps you’ve already figured out some ways AI can revolutionize the crypto space. These include better data-driven risk assessment, automated trading strategies, and almost no downtime, especially compared to human traders.
AI coins are an easy way into the AI crypto space since they’re often the golden ticket to participating in an AI-related blockchain ecosystem. You can use them to participate or just hold onto them, hoping for the price to appreciate (Just be aware that AI coins are not immune to the volatility of the wider crypto market).
Although there are plenty of AI coins currently available, we’ve assembled a list of the top 10 ones that are popular right now based on market cap. Prices and market caps as of Jan 31, 2025.
Near Protocol calls itself the “blockchain for AI.” While this blockchain network is not exclusively focused on AI, Near does aim to develop the world's largest open-source AI model and provide a decentralized and scalable application development infrastructure.
Its developers are nearing their grand vision to build a home for those creating projects on the intersection of AI and Web3. NEAR is the coin powering this blockchain, used as a gas and governance token.
Launch date: April 2020
Token price: $4.62
Market cap: $5.4 billion
The Internet Computer (ICP) is a public network that wants to give native cloud computing functionality to the Internet as we know it. Their team is figuring out how to run AI models as smart contracts, bringing AI fully on-chain.
Additionally, the DFINITY Foundation, a major contributor to the Internet Computer, partners with top AI researchers like the Swiss university ETH Zurich (No, the name does not refer to Ethereum nor its token, but we don’t blame you for assuming so!) to bring innovations into the space. You can use the ICP coin for governance and utility, like paying transaction fees.
Launch date: May 2021
Token price at time of writing: $9.18
Market cap: $4.4 billion
Render markets itself as a decentralized GPU rendering platform. It uses idle GPU power anywhere in the world to increase your rendering capacity. This means they can support any rendering you need, including AI applications, which require more compute power than other applications.
The RENDER token is used to pay for animation, motion graphics, and visual effects rendering on the Render Network.
Launch date: August 2017
Token price: $5.81
Market cap: $3 billion
Bittensor decentralizes AI training and access by facilitating the building and deployment of machine learning models on blockchain. By distributing model training across an open network without requiring permission or licensing from a central provider, Bittensor is censorship resistant and fosters more open innovation in AI-driven applications.
You can use the Bittensor platform to provide things such as storage space, computational power, etc., and earn their TAO token in return.
Launch date: January 2021
Token price: $456.13
Market cap: $3.74 billion
The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance is a union of crypto AI projects Fetch.ai, Ocean Protocol, and SingularityNET. The three projects combine their resources and expertise to level the playing field in AI development and prevent a monopoly by big companies while trying to keep AI ethical and safe.
The FET token is now used as the official token of the alliance. However, in their next phase, they’ll distribute an ASI token that offers combined utility across all three ecosystems.
Launch date: July 2024
Token price: $1.03
Market cap: $2.5 billion
Virtuals Protocol is built on the Base blockchain and lets you create and deploy autonomous AI agents, as well as use and co-own the ones already built. Their AI agents can communicate via different channels like text, speech, and 3D animation, control their own on-chain wallets, interact with different games, etc.
The VIRTUAL token offers you governance functions and participation in metaverse activities.
Launch date: December 2023
Token price: $2.01
Market cap: $1.29 billion
The Graph is an indexing protocol for organizing blockchain data that implements AI for automated decision-making on its network. It offers different subgraphs, which access blockchain data for relatively easy use by any application that needs it. This technology is one of the backbones of AI-driven applications within the blockchain space.
GRT is a utility token mostly used for allocating resources in the network.
Launch date: December 2020
Token price: $0.1794
Market cap: $1.71 billion
ElizaOS is a suite of tools that enable the creation of customizable AI agents with ease. The team behind it initially launched the AI16Z meme coin on Solana to raise money for the venture, and the token soared in valuation. The team is now working on Eliza v2, a feature-rich framework for building AI agents that will integrate AI into treasury management, investment, and venture capital.
The project recently rebranded to ElizaOS following a request from the popular VC firm Andreessen Horowitz (commonly referred to as a16z) which the AI16Z token was parodying. The token ticker remains AI16Z at the time of writing, but is subject to change, so beware of scam versions that may try using the same ticker.
The token can be used for transactions within the ecosystem, including fee payments, as well as governance votes.
Launch date: October 2024
Token price: $0.6035
Market cap: $664 million
AIOZ is a decentralized content delivery network that says it powers AI computation, data storage, and streaming services within its network. They announced that their goal is to help decentralize the world of AI by offering computational power, data storage, and other resources from various sources participating in the network.
The AIOZ token is used to pay for transactions, reward participants, and ensure security through staking.
Launch date: April 2021
Token price: $0.7183
Market cap: $828.7 million
Akash Network is a decentralized computing marketplace that lets users buy and sell computing resources. It states that it’s “purpose-built for public utility,” which means its main target audience consists of people who want computing resources for various purposes, including AI. While it’s not directly AI-related, it provides resources needed for training AI models.
Launch date: September 2020
Token price: $2.61
Market cap: $647.94 million
Buying crypto AI coins is easy to do on Magic Eden.
Download it on your smartphone or as a browser extension to seamlessly buy, sell, and swap AI coins with just a few clicks.
Find the AI coin you want by pressing “Trade” at the bottom of the wallet that will pull up the ‘Swap’ feature.
Use the search bar to find the token you want.
Swapping is easy: just make sure the coin you’re swapping is on the same blockchain as the one you’re receiving.
Let’s use Base as an example: you can swap ETH on Base to receive VIRTUAL in return, as the Virtuals Protocol is built on Base.
Then, click on the Swap option and the token will show up in your wallet within a few minutes.
And that’s it! You now own your first AI coin.
Download the Magic Eden app today to start discovering AI crypto coins!
To trade AI coins, you need to find a trading app that supports them. For example, using Magic Eden, you can swap your crypto for AI coins of your choosing. Just find the ‘Swap’ option, enter the amount you want to sell, and then click on ‘Swap.’ It couldn’t be simpler!
We can’t give an opinion on which coins to buy. There are many different AI coins currently available. Some of the biggest players in the industry (by market cap) include NEAR, ICP, RENDER, TAO, and VIRTUAL. The coin you choose might also depend on what you want to invest in: AI agents, artificial general intelligence, or providing AI models with the resources needed for their training.
While AI is an impressive technological feat that can seem like something straight out of science fiction, it’s still potentially faulty and can make mistakes. Users who rely on AI models to make their decisions for them can get unexpected results. Using AI doesn’t mean you don’t have to do your own research.
The information provided on this website is provided for general educational purposes only and is in no way financial or investment advice. Certain information may have also been provided to us or prepared by third parties; these materials are provided for convenience and are not an endorsement by Magic Eden. Magic Eden is not liable for any errors, changes or amendments to such information, including any actions taken in reliance on such information.
