Recently, the AI × cryptocurrency sector has been really hot. Its market capitalization has grown close to $30.6 billion, and it feels like it's beyond just speculation.

I think the fact that Grayscale launched an AI-focused fund has made institutional investors seriously pay attention to this area. The fund, composed of five stocks: TAO, FIL, LPT, NEAR, and RENDER, is rebalanced quarterly, which shows their genuine commitment.

There are three reasons why AI × cryptocurrencies are gaining attention. First, decentralization of GPU computing. The idea is to distribute GPU resources, which are monopolized by large companies like NVIDIA and Google, across the world using blockchain. Next, data transparency and ownership. Managing the data AI learns from on-chain prevents tampering and protects creators' rights. And third, AI’s resistance to censorship. Progress is being made in building AI ecosystems that are not controlled by major tech companies.

Among these, I am particularly interested in stocks related to AI agents. The era is coming where autonomous AI performing tasks will hold cryptocurrency wallets. As announced by the CEO of a major exchange, trading between AI bots has already succeeded. However, there have also been reports of errors, such as a case where $250k worth was mistakenly sent, so security remains a concern.

RENDER ($1.78, market cap $922.64M) is a leading example of decentralized GPU rendering. NEAR ($1.37, market cap $1.77B) is an AI-compatible Layer 1 blockchain, and it’s available on domestic exchanges. VIRTUAL ($0.68, market cap $443.02M) is rapidly growing as a platform issuing AI agents.

Bittensor (TAO, $243.90, market cap $2.34B) holds the highest proportion in Grayscale’s fund. FIL ($0.92, market cap $710.25M) is a decentralized storage project used for storing AI training data. The Graph (GRT, $0.02, market cap $264.53M) provides blockchain data indexing services.

ASI Alliance (FET, $0.21, market cap $470.51M) is a large alliance formed by integrating three projects. Akash (AKT, $0.46, market cap $135.73M) offers GPU computing resources at 85% lower cost as an alternative to AWS. Worldcoin (WLD, $0.26, market cap $856.69M) issues digital IDs that distinguish AI from humans through biometric authentication. ChainOpera AI (COAI, $0.31, market cap $61.20M) is an emerging project building on-chain AI infrastructure.

However, risks are significant. You saw how AI-related stocks were heavily sold off after the rise of DeepSeek. Cryptocurrency is now more closely linked to changes in the AI industry than traditional AI stocks. Also, many projects lack substance. Some only list AI terminology in their whitepapers without real technological integration.

When choosing AI-related stocks, it’s important to verify the development team’s real identities, active development on GitHub, inclusion in investment lists of reputable institutions, and the existence of operational products.

RENDER, NEAR, FIL, GRT, and WLD can be purchased directly on domestic exchanges, making them accessible for beginners. Stocks like VIRTUAL and TAO require using overseas exchanges or DEXs, but if you diversify within your available funds, there’s a chance to ride the growth of the AI × cryptocurrency sector.

As the AI industry rapidly evolves, it’s crucial to keep an eye on how cryptocurrencies will function. Major AI-related stocks are also available on Gate.io, so it’s worth checking out.