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Grayscale Investments has announced the creation of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Crypto Sector, expanding its FTSE/Grayscale Crypto Sectors Index Series to include projects operating at the intersection of blockchain and AI.
The launch reflects a rising interest in decentralized artificial intelligence protocols, which have seen a fourfold increase in market capitalization, from $4.5 billion in Q1 2023 to over $21 billion today.
The new sector becomes the sixth category within Grayscale’s framework, alongside others like Smart Contract Platforms, Currencies, and Financials.
This initiative offers investors exposure to 20 AI-related tokens, including Bittensor (TAO), Near (NEAR), Render (RNDR), and Worldcoin (WLD). These projects fall into three broad groups: AI Platforms, AI Tools and Resources, and AI Applications and Agents.
Grayscale’s new classification is aimed at tracking the performance of these crypto assets as they tackle various challenges such as decentralized compute networks, AI-powered software, and transparent machine learning infrastructure.
Grayscale Ai Crypto Sector Highlights Real-World Use Cases and Institutional Interest
Grayscale’s AI Crypto Sector is built on the foundation laid by its earlier Decentralized AI Fund, which debuted in July 2024. That product focused on a smaller group of protocols, including TAO, FIL, LPT, NEAR, and RNDR.
The expanded sector signals a shift toward more diversified exposure, aligning with broader investor interest in AI-focused crypto solutions. Rayhaneh Sharif-Askary, Head of Product & Research at Grayscale, noted that decentralized AI may serve as a counter to concerns around bias and censorship in centralized models.
Several included projects illustrate how this niche addresses emerging digital challenges. Bittensor enables permissionless machine learning networks, where models are trained collaboratively and openly.
Render allows decentralized access to GPU computing power, used in tasks such as AI model training. Other tokens focus on use cases ranging from data verification to autonomous agents that interact with on-chain and off-chain environments.
Investment Landscape Shifting Toward Blockchain-AI Integration
Institutional capital is increasingly flowing into decentralized AI, with venture funding surpassing $2 billion in 2024, according to CoinDesk. Grayscale’s inclusion of this sector within its index offerings may signal a growing appetite for structured exposure to blockchain-AI convergence.
The company stated that this new sector is designed for accredited investors through its suite of crypto-focused financial products.
