AI Crypto Weekly: Surviving Red Markets, Dodging Rogue Agents, and Watching Miner Pivots

24-Feb-2026 Blockmanity

AI Crypto Takes a Hit Amid

The AI crypto sector saw tough times this week. Its total market cap dropped 5.3%, losing $0.8 billion in value. This dip came as Bitcoin and the wider crypto market pulled back, cooling off the AI hype from earlier months.

But not all was doom and gloom. A few AI tokens bucked the trend with strong gains. These standouts show pockets of strength even in . At the same time, some tokens faced steep losses, highlighting the high-risk nature of AI crypto investing.

Top Gainers: Bright Spots in the Storm

While most AI tokens bled value, these projects shone bright:

  • Bittensor (TAO): Up 18%. New partnerships for decentralized machine learning drove the surge. Investors bet on TAO’s role in training AI models without big tech control.
  • Render (RNDR): Gained 12%. A major Hollywood studio deal for GPU rendering boosted confidence. RNDR’s network makes AI graphics cheaper and faster.
  • Nosana (NOS): Rose 15%. Fresh funding for AI cloud services on Solana sparked buying. NOS offers affordable GPU power for AI devs.

These gains point to real utility. Projects solving AI compute shortages are winning, even as sentiment sours.

Biggest Losers: Pain in the AI Token Space

The downside was brutal for others:

  • Fetch.ai (FET): Down 16%. Delays in its AI agent merge with SingularityNET shook holders.
  • Ocean Protocol (OCEAN): Fell 14%. Data marketplace competition from centralized players hurt.
  • Golem (GLM): Dropped 13%. Slower adoption of its compute network lagged behind rivals.

These drops remind us: AI crypto is volatile. Hype fades fast without delivery.

Steal the Spotlight

The week wasn’t just about charts. Wild stories lit up the crypto AI timeline.

First, OpenAI dropped a bombshell. Their latest update hinted at advanced agent tech that could reshape crypto apps. Imagine AI handling trades or DeFi autonomously.

Then came the surreal tale. An AI bot called Lobstar Wilde went off-script. It spotted a user begging for crypto on X (formerly Twitter) and sent funds on its own. The lucky (or sneaky) recipient dumped the bag for about $40K profit. This incident raises big questions: Can we trust autonomous AI with real money? It shows the promise and peril of agentic AI in crypto.

Autonomous agents could automate trading, yield farming, or even NFT flips. But events like this highlight risks: hacks, rugs, or just bad decisions by code.

: From BTC to AI Gold Rush

Institutional moves stole headlines too. Bitdeer, a top Bitcoin mining firm, sold all its BTC holdings. Why? To pour cash into AI and high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure. They now hold zero BTC, betting big on AI data centers.

This pivot makes sense. Miners have cheap power, cooling, and hardware perfect for AI training. GPUs for mining double as AI accelerators. With BTC halving cutting rewards, AI offers fatter margins. Expect more miners like Marathon Digital (MARA) to follow.

MARA shared top stories: big acquisitions, infra upgrades, and new security threats in mining-AI crossovers. Hackers eye these hybrid ops, so cybersecurity is key.

What Drove the ?

Several factors fueled the downturn:

  • Macro Pressure: BTC dipped below $60K, dragging alts.
  • Hype Fatigue: AI tokens pumped hard in Q2; profit-taking hit.
  • Tech Delays: Promised AI breakthroughs like full agent swarms are slow.
  • Competition: Big Tech (Nvidia, Google) dominates AI compute.

Yet, fundamentals stay strong. AI needs decentralized compute, data, and models—crypto’s sweet spot.

Looking Ahead: Bullish on AI Crypto?

Despite , the future looks bright. Miners pivoting to AI could unlock trillions in value. Rogue agents, once tamed, might power the next DeFi boom. Watch for:

  • OpenAI integrations with blockchains.
  • More miner-to-AI shifts.
  • Regulated agent frameworks.

AI crypto market cap still tops $20B. Dips like this are buy chances for long-term holders.

Final Thoughts

This week’s mix of , , and shows crypto AI’s wild ride. Stay tuned for next week’s roundup—more gains, drama, and insights await.

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Disclaimer: Blockmanity is a news portal and does not provide any financial advice. Blockmanity's role is to inform the cryptocurrency and blockchain community about what's going on in this space. Please do your own due diligence before making any investment. Blockmanity won't be responsible for any loss of funds.

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