Crypto Market Sees Shift to AI-Related Tokens as Recovery Gains Momentum

As bitcoin holds onto recent gains above $93,000, investor capital is moving away from memecoins and towards utility tokens, with assets linked to artificial intelligence leading the charge. Several indexes, including the DeFi Select Index and the Metaverse Select Index, have seen gains of over 4% in the past 24 hours, while the Meme Select Index has stalled. This shift indicates that investors are favoring established sub-sectors with real utility over speculative cryptocurrencies, which is a positive sign for the sustainability of the recent crypto bounce. Among individual tokens, AI-linked coins have performed well, with Render Network's RENDER token climbing 20% and Virtuals Protocol's VIRTUAL token rising over 6%. Other notable movers include Sui's native coin, which has rallied over 15%, and XRP, which jumped 10% to its highest level in nearly two months. These moves are consistent with the renewed optimism for AI and high-beta tech stocks on Wall Street. However, analysts warn that increased geopolitical tensions and upcoming economic data, such as Friday's US nonfarm payrolls report, warrant attention and could impact the market. The continued gains in the crypto market depend on bitcoin ETF inflows, which have started 2026 on a positive note, accumulating over $1 billion in the first two trading days.