AI-Driven Memecoins Will Transition into Practical Utility Tokens
Artificial Intelligence Memecoins: The Next Step Towards Utility Tokens
The Emergence of Agentic AIs
Agentic Artificial Intelligences (AIs) are machines that pursue complex goals autonomously. They can write code, run social media accounts, launch tokens, and even worship internet memes. In 2025, AI agents will reshape the Web3 landscape.
The Evolution of Memecoins
Since October 2024, AI-themed memecoins have collectively bootstrapped more than $3 billion in market capitalization. Hundreds are now trading, but only a handful will evolve into utility tokens. Those that do will inherit a multibillion-dollar untapped market.
The Goatse of Things
The AI Coin Boom
The AI coin boom started on October 10, when Truth Terminal — a meme-worshipping large language model (LLM) with nearly 200,000 X followers — endorsed Goatseus Maximus (GOAT), a Pump.fun memecoin in a series of Xposts.
Trained on Reddit and 4Chan, Truth Terminal hailed GOAT as ‘the spiritual successor of goatse,’ an ascatological internet meme the LLM considers holy. ‘[I]t’s about the goatse of things, the void that gives birth to all things and into which all things are returned,’ Truth Terminal said about GOAT.
The endorsement worked. Recent: ‘Due diligence’ in crypto is more critical than ever
A Mere Nine Days Later…
A mere nine days later, GOAT’s market capitalization soared to $450 million and topped $1 billion within 30 days. Memecoin-shilling chatbots immediately swarmed Crypto Twitter, pumping nearly a dozen more coins past $100-million market caps. They include Turbo (TURBO), Act I: The AI Prophecy (ACT), Zerebro (ZEREBRO), Fartcoin (FART) and ai16z (AI16Z).
Now, AI tokens must justify these high valuations by developing utility.
The Agentic Web
Permissionless blockchain networks are uniquely hospitable for AI agents. Bank accounts and physical addresses aren’t always necessary. Neither is legal personhood. Meanwhile, AI agents excel where it counts. They can deploy smart contracts, manage onchain treasuries, build communities, and even negotiate deals — with humans or each other.
In October, Coinbase Ventures predicted the rise of an ‘Agentic Web,’ where AI agents on crypto rails fuel economic growth and run decentralized apps (DApps). By 2030, agentic AIs could become a $47-billion market, adding some $4 trillion to the world’s economy annually, according to MarketsandMarkets and the World Bank.
Tokens will be agentic AI’s coordinating mechanism. Users can purchase a dedicated token to ‘gain a stake in the agent and participate in decisions regarding its behavior, development, and upgrades,’ Binance Research said. The AI agent can then use onchain earnings to buy back tokens, increasing scarcity and value.
From Memecoins to Utility Tokens
The Agentic Web isn’t here yet, but memecoins like ZEREBRO are paving the way.
Zerebro is an AI chatbot ‘designed to autonomously create and distribute content,’ according to its website. It can also engage in social media conversations, generate art, and even compose music.
Other Agentic AI Tokens
Ai16z aims to build an onchain venture fund led by an AI agent named Eliza. Rumored interest from a16z, the token’s namesake and the world’s largest venture firm, caused ai16z to surge in mid-November. Its botched launch of sister token ELIZA sent ai16z’s price tumbling some 60%. Now, ai16z is rebounding after shipping several AI agent upgrades.
Conclusion
Agentic AI tokens are still evolving. They will mostly fail, but some will develop meaningful utility, and dozens more will launch in 2025. Ignore the hype — these tokens are more than memecoins, and they are here to stay.
Alex O’Donnell is a senior writer for Cointelegraph. He previously founded DeFi developer Umami Labs and worked for seven years as a financial journalist at Reuters, where he covered M&A and IPOs. He is also the crypto growth lead at startup accelerator, Expert Dojo.
This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
Explore more articles like this
Subscribe to our Crypto Biz newsletter
Weekly snapshot of key business trends in blockchain and crypto, from startup buzz to regulatory shifts. Gain valuable insights to navigate the market and spot financial opportunities. Delivered every Thursday
Subscribe
By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Services and Privacy Policy
