Hyperliquid and AI tokens are set to take off? The clone season might be even more sudden than the last one

There is a classic cycle in the crypto world: Bitcoin rises, then funds start to get bored; when funds are bored, altcoins go crazy. Recently, the market has been buzzing about Hyperliquid and AI tokens because everyone has realized: old concepts no longer sell, new stories must be outrageous enough.
Hyperliquid is popular because it makes “decentralized trading” feel like centralized trading. Simply put, it allows users to criticize CEXs while enjoying CEX-like speed. The biggest characteristic of crypto users is: they want freedom, smooth experience, and preferably free.
AI tokens are even more exaggerated. Now, as long as a project name contains AI, its valuation immediately gets a sci-fi filter. In the past, startups talked about blockchain; now, blockchain projects are talking about AI, with everyone copying each other. The market has even developed to the point where project teams might not have a product but definitely have an AI roadmap.
Why is capital suddenly paying attention to these directions? Because big funds always need new narratives. BTC and ETH are too “serious,” while altcoins are like night markets—exciting, noisy, and easy to get hooked.
But the reality is also clear: the biggest feature of the clone season is not skyrocketing prices, but “everyone else is making money, only the one you bought isn’t moving.” Many people daydream about 100x gains but always manage to buy the only sideways coin.
The real opportunity might not be “chasing hot topics,” but finding tracks that can continuously attract liquidity. The next altcoin cycle is likely not going to be “a hundred coins flying,” but a few strong narrative projects wildly siphoning funds. At that time, the market will once again prove an old saying: the crypto world never lacks stories, what’s missing is the last person to take the plunge. #Gate广场披萨节