AI Meme Tokens Are the Breakout Stars of Crypto in 2023

Crypto markets are already dashing doubts that the intersection of blockchain and AI technologies could end up being one of 2025’s most explosive investment narratives.

Crypto markets are already dashing doubts that the intersection of blockchain and AI technologies could fail to become one of 2025’s most explosive investment narratives.

Tokens associated with AI tools and related memes are leading gains in the new year, pushing to record prices and market capitalizations.

Cryptocurrencies inspired by AI-powered agents or associated with AI tooling technologies have increased 19.3% in the past 24 hours to a total market cap of $10.4 billion, market data from CoinGecko shows.

FARTCOIN, inspired by an unfiltered conversation between artificial intelligence models Truth Terminal and Opus Tutor, is one of the best 24-hour performers, jumping 45% to a new all-time high of $1.45 on Thursday before settling at $1.31 at presstime.

The native token for ai16z – a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) focused on making investments using artificial intelligence decision-making – climbed to a record high price of $2.47, for a market cap of $2.7 billion. Two weeks ago, Eliza Labs, the firm behind ai16z, announced a research collaboration with Stanford University’s Future of Digital Currency Initiative, focusing on how AI agents can interact in digital economies.

Read More: GOAT, How AI Agents Talking Created a Memecoin ‘Religion’

ZEREBRO, a Solana-based token launched on memecoin incubator Pump.Fun, has risen to new heights, reaching a $783 million market cap on Thursday. The corresponding AI agent, Zerebro, is a “schizo artist,” according to its X biography. In December, Zerebro released a music album on various streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify.

ZEREBRO, FARTCOIN, and AI16Z have a combined market cap of nearly $4.5 billion, representing about 40% of the AI meme category, per CoinGecko.

Nicolai Sondergaard, a research analyst at blockchain analytics firm Nansen, told Unchained that these AI meme tokens are garnering mindshare because they were the first movers in the fast-emerging category.

“Their particular mindshare and price currently coincide,” Sondergaard wrote over Telegram. “I think AI infra is going to have a positive future long term even if it currently is somewhat frothy.”