The top names in crypto have been taking a beating in 2026. Bitcoin (BTC +0.15%) is down 27% as I write this. XRP (XRP -0.49%) is down 35%. Ethereum (ETH +0.18%) is down 40%. And Solana (SOL -1.07%) is down 45%.
So, if you're looking to put $1,000 to work in the crypto market right now, you might want to cast a wider net. The good news is that a handful of so-called "AI cryptos" have been soaring in value, despite the broader market meltdown.
The best-in-class AI crypto
The name at the top of my list is Bittensor (TAO +1.63%), which has a current market cap of $2.5 billion. It's not the biggest artificial intelligence crypto -- that distinction belongs to NEAR Protocol (NEAR -6.38%), with a $3 billion market cap. And it's not even the fastest-moving AI crypto -- that distinction belongs to Venice Token (VVV -1.61%), which is up a staggering 970% this year.
Image source: Getty Images.
But what I like about Bittensor is that it is a highly diversified bet on the future of decentralized artificial intelligence. It uses 128 blockchain subnets (specialized, decentralized marketplaces) to focus on distinct AI-related tasks. The most popular subnet right now is Chutes (Subnet 64), which provides serverless AI compute at scale.
There are a lot of exciting developments underway in these subnets. As a result, Bittensor has even earned plaudits from Nvidia (NVDA +0.67%) CEO Jensen Huang. The subnet that caught his attention was one that specializes in training large language models (LLMs).
How can you put $1,000 to work in Bittensor?
Right now, there are no spot ETFs available for Bittensor. However, two could be on the way by the end of this year, given that both Bitwise and Grayscale have filed Bittensor ETF applications with the SEC.
CRYPTO: TAO
Key Data Points
So, you'd need to buy Bittensor on a cryptocurrency exchange. My personal preference is buying on Coinbase Global (COIN +1.54%). With $1,000, you'd be able to buy approximately 4.5 TAO tokens on Coinbase.
With two high-profile AI IPOs on tap potentially this year -- Anthropic and OpenAI -- I'm expecting a buying frenzy for all things AI-related. That could provide a huge opportunity for Bittensor, which would likely be the recipient of much of the new money flowing into crypto for AI-related projects.
If demand is great enough, Bittensor might be ready to reclaim its all-time high of $768 from April 2024. Given today's prices, that's roughly a 3.5 times return on investment. That's not bad, considering that Bitcoin and other top crypto names show no signs of recovering anytime soon.
