AI Tokens Lead for a Second Day as Crypto Stalls

AI and big data tokens added about 4.7% on Tuesday to roughly $25 billion, while Bitcoin gained less than 1% and Ethereum finished flat.
All ten of the largest AI tokens are up over seven days, five of them by more than 40%, led by NEAR at about 87%.
Pressure on the wider AI build-out is growing, with Texas halting new data center permits pending a grid review.

AI tokens led crypto for a second straight session on Tuesday, even as the rest of the crypto market stalled.

The AI and big data sector

added

about 4.7% to roughly $25 billion, according to CoinMarketCap data. Bitcoin (

BTC

) gained less than 1% over the same period and Ethereum (

ETH

) finished flat.

NEAR Protocol (

NEAR

) rose about 7.6% and Bittensor (

TAO

) about 8%. Bittensor also led the major coins on Monday with a 19% gain.

AI-related tokens are outperforming the broader crypto market. Source: CoinMarketCap

The rally reflects project-specific catalysts, as well as the market's relentless enthusiasm for AI.

“I believe that the next big wave in crypto is going to be the convergence of AI and crypto,” Digital Currency Group founder Barry Silbert

told

Fortune in September 2025.

The move is not confined to the leaders.

Kite (

KITE

) gained about 18.6% on Tuesday, Virtuals Protocol (