AI Crypto’s Like Render, WorldCoin Are ‘Overvalued’: Coinbase

In their report, “Crypto’s AI Mirage,” Coinbase Research has issued a nuanced examination of the intersection between artificial intelligence (AI) and crypto, revealing a landscape fraught with overvaluation and speculative fervor. David Han, an Institutional Research Analyst at Coinbase, spearheads this analysis, providing a critical lens through which the future of AI crypto tokens is scrutinized.

AI Crypto Tokens Lack ‘Persistent Demand Drivers’

At the heart of the report is the assertion that the crypto-AI domain, despite its rapid expansion and the enthrallment it enjoys from investors and the public alike, confronts substantial obstacles that might thwart its adoption in the foreseeable future. “AI tokens have been buoyed by the broader crypto and AI markets but may lack persistent demand drivers in the short to medium term,” Han states, underscoring the precarious foundation on which these tokens’ valuations might rest.

One of the report’s pivotal insights is the critique of decentralization as a standalone merit for AI products within the crypto sphere. “We generally think that decentralization is an insufficient competitive advantage for an AI product on its own – it must reach feature parity with centralized counterparts in certain other key areas as well,” the report elaborates. This perspective challenges the prevailing narrative that decentralization inherently confers superiority, arguing instead for a balanced approach that considers other critical factors for success.

The analysis further articulates a “contrarian view” on the value potential of many AI tokens, suggesting that the market’s exuberance may be misaligned with the actual prospects of these ventures. “Our view is that the value potential for many AI tokens may be overstated… and that many AI tokens may lack sustainable demand side drivers in the short to medium term,” Han explains. This cautionary stance is informed by the rapid evolution of AI technology, which poses a double-edged sword—while advancing the field, it also raises the barrier for crypto-based innovations to disrupt existing markets.

Delving into the categorization of AI and crypto intersections, the report differentiates between AI applications that enhance the crypto industry and those aimed at disrupting traditional AI pipelines through decentralized methods. It acknowledges the clear benefits and potential for long-term promise in the…