Grayscale Adds AI Launchpads and Solana DeFi Apps to Its Top Tokens for Q1 2025

Grayscale has updated its list of top 20 tokens to watch in the first quarter of 2025, adding several artificial intelligence platforms and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. The asset manager’s research note, published on December 30th, highlights the growing importance of these trends in the crypto market.

Table of Contents

New Additions to Grayscale’s Watch List

Grayscale has added six new tokens to its watch list, each benefiting from one of three industry trends:

Friendlier US Regulatory Environment: Hyperliquid (HYPE), Ethena (ENA), and Virtuals (VIRTUAL) are among the new additions.
Breakthroughs in Decentralized AI: Jupiter (JUP) and Jito (JTO) are DeFi apps that have benefited from advancements in decentralized AI.
Growth in the Solana Ecosystem: Grass (GRASS), an AI platform, has seen significant growth due to its involvement with the Solana ecosystem.

Industry Trends

Grayscale highlights three industry trends that are driving the success of these new additions:

The US regulatory environment is becoming more favorable for cryptocurrencies.
Decentralized AI is making significant breakthroughs.
The Solana ecosystem is experiencing rapid growth.

Existing Themes Remain Relevant

In addition to the new themes, Grayscale continues to be excited about existing trends such as:

Ethereum Scaling Solutions: Optimism (OP) remains on the watch list.
Tokenization: Chainlink (LINK) and Helium (HNT) are still included.
Decentralized Physical Infrastructure (DePIN): Grayscale’s continued inclusion of Helium (HNT) reflects its interest in this space.

Smart Contract Platforms: A Competitive Market Segment

Grayscale notes that smart contract platforms, such as Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), and Sui (SUI), are among the most competitive market segments. The proliferation of alternative L1 blockchain networks has contributed to Ethereum’s underperformance in 2024.

Industry Executives Predict Growth

Cryptocurrency industry executives believe that the election of Donald Trump will benefit the sector. Trump has promised to appoint industry-friendly leaders and make the US a global leader in cryptocurrencies.

DeFi apps on Solana, such as Jito, are expected to see significant growth.
AI agents will play a more prominent role in decentralized communities.
Crypto staking and on-chain trading will emerge as early AI use cases.

Conclusion

Grayscale’s updated watch list reflects the growing importance of artificial intelligence platforms and decentralized finance applications. The asset manager’s research highlights the potential for significant growth in these sectors, driven by industry trends such as a friendlier US regulatory environment and breakthroughs in decentralized AI.