Crypto tokens with artificial intelligence themes recorded notable gains on Monday as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote at the GTC 2026 event triggered a surge of interest. While Huang’s speech did not directly address cryptocurrencies, his remarks on the next phase of AI infrastructure stoked fresh enthusiasm for blockchain projects within the AI ecosystem. The GTC 2026 event, which ran from March 16 to 19 in San Jose, set the stage for these sharp market moves.
Double-Digit Gains for AI-Linked Tokens
Among the standout performers was NEAR, which soared more than 10% in 24 hours to reach its strongest level since late January. The FET token, representing the decentralized AI-focused Artificial Superintelligence Alliance, climbed as much as 20% before pulling back some of its gains. Price action across the market indicated that investors were once again gravitating toward projects associated with the AI narrative.
Worldcoin’s WLD token—tied to the identity verification project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman—rose about 10% to trade near $0.40, marking its highest point since early March. Grass, a project enabling users to contribute idle internet bandwidth to train AI models, rallied 13%, setting a new peak for 2026. These movements underscored the rekindled appetite for digital assets that intersect with artificial intelligence, especially those empowering new forms of decentralized computation and innovation.
Nvidia Spotlights AI Infrastructure, Fuelling Expectations
In his keynote, Huang emphasized Nvidia’s pivotal role in the global growth of artificial intelligence. He revealed that the company expects chip demand to pile up to nearly $1 trillion by 2027, with around 60% of its business coming from hyperscale cloud providers. Nvidia continues to position itself as a global leader in AI and accelerated computing—its data center chips have become a key barometer for the tech industry’s AI investments in recent years.
Nvidia’s management highlighted robust chip demand projected through 2027 and stressed the dominant role of major cloud providers in fuelling this trend.
Huang’s presentation also drew attention to the rapid ascent of autonomous AI systems, known as “agentic AI.” He referenced the OpenClaw project, a rising favorite among developers, and explained that Nvidia has adapted this system for enterprise uses with a release called NemoClaw. This approach, Huang noted, aims to deploy autonomous AI agents more securely—without exposing sensitive data to undue risk.
Although cryptocurrencies were not mentioned specifically, many blockchain projects are moving forward with the conviction that next-generation AI agents will increasingly use crypto-based platforms for transactions and coordination. As a result, decentralized networks focused on computing power, model training, and agent infrastructure have become more visible, positioning themselves as viable alternatives to centralized AI platforms.
Equities also responded positively to the keynote. Nvidia’s shares gained around 2% during the speech, though some of these gains slipped later in the day, closing up approximately 1.5%. The modest pullback in the stock market contrasted with the sharper moves in crypto assets, suggesting that digital tokens drew strength from heightened investor expectations sparked by the event.
The surge among AI-linked crypto projects highlights how compelling tech-sector narratives continue to influence short-term pricing in digital asset markets. Projects targeting computing power, data, digital identity, and autonomous agent infrastructure have once again captured attention, as Nvidia’s expansive AI vision re-energizes these corners of the crypto ecosystem.
