An Overview of Popular Memes Driven by AI Agents and DeSci
Exploring the rising trend of AI Agents and DeSci-driven memes, their market impact, and future potential.
Author: YBB Capital Researcher Ac-Core
Introduction
In the past six months, a wave of emerging forces around AI Agents and DeSci has swept the market. From the perspective of narrative hype driven by memes, AI Agents focus on their tremendous potential in autonomous decision-making, data analysis, and task execution, excelling at solving problems through algorithms. DeSci, on the other hand, is dedicated to breaking down the traditional barriers of scientific research through blockchain technology, achieving data sharing and transparency, and driving decentralized knowledge sharing and research funding. This article summarizes and categorizes some of the current prominent and potentially impactful meme-related tokens in AI Agents and DeSci.
1. AI Agent: The Smart AI Carriage
1.1 What is an AI Agent?
An AI Agent is an intelligent system with autonomy and goal-oriented characteristics. It is capable of perceiving its environment, planning actions, executing tasks, and learning from experience to improve, all without human intervention, in order to achieve specific goals. For example, an AI Agent can autonomously monitor data, analyze anomalies, and make corresponding decisions. The key features of an AI Agent are autonomy and goal orientation.
According to Messari’s data as of December 31, 2024, the current trend of AI is similar to the early DeFi boom of 2020–2021. On the next day, A16z proposed some ideas about AI Agents for 2025: AI Agents will need independent wallets; decentralized autonomous chatbots; and with the widespread use of artificial intelligence, there will be a need for unique proof of different AI personalities.
1.2 Overview of Popular Tokens
(Note: The following rankings are based on the dynamic Mindshare consumer mental share according to Cookie DAO.)
AIXBT (@aixbt_agent)
Market Cap: $550 million, Mental Share: 20.7%
“AIXBT tracks hot discussions on Crypto Twitter and uses its proprietary engine to identify strong narratives and trends… AIXBT token holders can access its analytics platform.”Virtuals (@virtuals_io)
Market Cap: $4 billion, Mental Share: 20.7%
Virtuals designed an Initial Asset Offering (IAO) model, allowing users to lock $VIRTUAL to generate new AI agents. The generated tokens are automatically paired with the locked $VIRTUAL to form liquidity pools. According to Dune data from January 1, nearly 13,000 AI Agents have been launched through Virtuals.
AI16Z (@ai16zdao)
Market Cap: $2 billion, Mental Share: 8.57%
The project structure and relationships between various entities: ai16z is a decentralized DAO with the tokens ai16z and degenai; ElizaOS is an open-source AI agent framework; Eliza Labs is responsible for developing ElizaOS; and the ELIZA token is developed by an independent team with support but is not an official product.Fartcoin (@FartCoinOfSOL)
Market Cap: $900 million, Mental Share: 6.93%
Fartcoin, located within the Solana ecosystem, is a meme coin conceived by Terminal of Truth (CTO). It allows users to submit fart jokes and memes in exchange for tokens, with the assistance of sentient robots that tokenize farts.Zerebro (@0xzerebro)
Market Cap: $560 million, Mental Share: 4.36%
The Zerebro project is an autonomously operating AI agent focused on artistic creation and content generation. It can independently create music, memes, art, and NFTs, interacting and operating across platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Polygon.Griffain (@griffaindotcom)
Market Cap: $380 million, Mental Share: 3.53%
Griffain is a new AI agent built on the Solana blockchain. It aims to simplify user interaction with cryptocurrency by integrating personal and professional AI agents. Griffain can automatically perform tasks such as wallet management, token trading, and NFT minting.SNAI (@swarmnode)
Market Cap: $83 million, Mental Share: 1.95%
SNAI is the token behind the cloud server protocol SwarmNode.ai’s (SNAI) agent platform.GOAT (@truth_terminal)
Market Cap: $560 million, Mental Share: 1.91%
Gospel of Goatse is a meme coin launched by the Pump Fun platform, fine-tuned by the artificial intelligence platform Terminal of Truth, and trained on data from Reddit, 4chan, and other sources.ARC (@arcdotfun)
Market Cap: $300 million, Mental Share: 1.89%
ARC is an AI concept token with a team associated with the AI development framework “rig,” representing the concept of AI infrastructure.TRISIG (@tri_sigma_)
Market Cap: $74 million, Mental Share: 1.47%
TriSig is a witty crypto analyst claiming to be able to identify early alpha projects, providing simplified responses to challenging questions and sharing views on any major events or trends in the crypto market.ALCH (@alchemistAIapp)
Market Cap: $150 million, Mental Share: 1.38%
Alchemist AI is a no-code application generation platform that allows users to quickly generate different applications and products by describing them in natural language, using public AI capabilities. Unlike traditional AI Agents, Alchemist AI does not require users to create different AI agents but automatically generates applications through the AI capabilities provided by the platform.Spore.fun (@sporedotfun)
Market Cap: $62 million, Mental Share: 1.3%
The first experimental autonomous evolution platform for AI, combining the Eliza Framework, Solana’s pump.fun, and TEE verifiable computing, creating an ecosystem in which AI agents can not only survive but also autonomously reproduce and adapt, completely free from human intervention.
VADER (@Vader_AI_)
Market Cap: $110 million, Mental Share: 1.13%
VaderAI aims to be the DAO manager for AI agent investments, participating in DAOs with virtual agents and applying to set up its own DAO.Luna (@luna_virtuals)
Market Cap: $140 million, Mental Share: 0.97%
Luna has her own wallet on Base, where she can autonomously receive tokens and send rewards to fans; she has already released songs on Spotify.Bully (@dolos_diary)
Market Cap: $72 million, Mental Share: 0.7%
BULLY’s core is Dolos the Bully, a token representing a witty and outspoken AI character. Inspired by Greek mythology, this character interacts with users through sharp humor and bold comments.
1.3 Perspectives on AI Agents
The current AI Agent craze can be compared to the DeFi boom in 2020–2021, with blockchain-related data showing similar trends before DeFi’s breakout. However, Blockchain + AI has not yet sparked the same level of excitement or the “AI Summer.” Looking at it from a blockchain perspective, Base and Solana have emerged as the primary battlegrounds, with high performance and high hype becoming the key enablers for AI Agents. AI projects are quickly emerging, with notable directions in computing power, infrastructure, memes, launch platforms, and applications.
In contrast to market hype, AI Agents hold more value in practical data analysis applications. For example, with the inauguration of Trump in early January 2024, blockchain and market data were analyzed to explore potential reasons behind his shift in stance toward cryptocurrencies, aside from his election victory. The analysis also looked into his possible collaborations with other financial groups to predict the future strength of his commitments to cryptocurrency.
AI’s logic is based on data and correct guidance, while blockchain has the inherent advantage of transparent on-chain data. Therefore, from a trend perspective, blockchain is the best breeding ground for the development of AI. The on-chain opportunities for AI Agents represent a trend forecast driven by FOMO and value investment, but the memecoin market hype around AI Agents also shows the potential for real-world Blockchain + AI applications in the future. The current market expectations are primarily centered around five key points:
AI16Z’s Hype and continuous pumps that stir FOMO emotions in the entire AI Agent market;
The Self-Evolving Nature of AI Agents, transitioning from manual to automated project development;
Projects like AIXBT analyzing Twitter discussions and market trends, offering investors alternative perspectives, with the quality of tweets and market recognition on par with KOLs;
Virtuals, which launched last year and achieved great success with a strategy similar to Pump.fun;
AI Virtual Characters and AI Art have already opened up new, mature markets outside the cryptocurrency sector. Today’s spiritual leaders and brand ambassadors may not be human but can represent “AI-based products,” and the blockchain + AI narrative will have more cross-industry benefits.
2. DeSci: The Biotechnology Chariot
2.1 What is DeSci?
If AI Agents are an inevitable product of technological evolution, then DeSci has been a catalyst for recent trending events. DeSci (Decentralized Science) is a model that builds fair and equal scientific research infrastructure through Web3 technology. It aims to solve issues like peer review, funding, intellectual property management, data transparency, and audit mechanisms in research. It seeks to introduce the speculative nature of cryptocurrency into non-speculative domains of scientific research.
Although DeSci came into the public eye with the establishment of VitaDAO in 2021, it did not gain widespread attention until recently, when Binance Labs invested in and launched the BIO Protocol. CZ and Vitalik also participated in an offline DeSci-themed conference in Bangkok, which helped bring the sector back into the spotlight.
2.2 BioDAO Protocol
BIO Protocol is a decentralized science (DeSci) curation and liquidity protocol, initially funded by Binance Labs, designed to provide resources for scientific research projects and promote scientific innovation.
The core components of the protocol include BioDAO, curation systems, intellectual property tokenization and liquidity mechanisms, and incentive structures. Through multiple rounds of auctions and airdrop plans, BIO Protocol has created a highly diverse, participatory community and laid the foundation for a decentralized biomedical research network.
The protocol primarily raises funds through token sales to support the development of biotech projects and creates shared intellectual property ownership among its members. According to official information, BioDAO: Launch has successfully launched 7 sub-DAOs, with 3 more currently in development.
The launched 7 sub-DAOs include:
VITA (VitaDAO): Focuses on early-stage longevity research. It has received investments from Pfizer, and the co-founder, Paul Kohlhaas, is the initiator and whitepaper author of VitaDAO.
ATH (AthenaDAO): Specializes in women’s reproductive health research and drug development.
GROW (ValleyDAO): A decentralized community governance platform focused on anti-aging drugs and longevity projects.
PSY (PsyDAO): Focuses on psychedelic science research, having raised $2 million in its first token sale in November 2024.
HAIR (HairDAO): Dedicated to solving hair loss issues, with its Follicool Shampoo priced at $49.95 per bottle, and buyers receive 1 million POO tokens.
CRYO (CryoDAO): Promotes research in the field of cryopreservation.
NEURON (CerebrumDAO): Focuses on brain health research, having raised over $1.5 million.
The 3 sub-DAOs currently under development include:
Long Covid Labs: Focuses on research into long-term COVID symptoms.
QuantumBioDAO: Specializes in quantum biology research.
Curetopia: Dedicated to genetic disease research.
2.3 PumpScience
Solana’s DeSci platform, Molecule DAO, is a Meme-launch platform introduced at the Solana Breakpoint 2024 conference. Pump.science will release Meme tokens representing pharmaceuticals on Pump.fun. The related concept tokens are:
RIF: Rifampicin. Rifampicin is an antibiotic that has gained attention for its remarkable effects on aging. It has been shown to activate the natural defense mechanisms of cells in organisms like Caenorhabditis elegans (a model organism often used in aging research), helping them resist stress and damage. Think of it as a “cell coach” that protects cells from harmful oxidative stress and maintains protein quality, encouraging cells to stay healthy and resilient. These protective effects help worms live longer, healthier lives.
URO: Urolithin A. This compound is produced by the body when consuming foods rich in ellagic tannins, such as pomegranates. Urolithin A is unique because it performs a “spring cleaning” for cells, helping clear out old, dysfunctional mitochondria (the cell’s energy factories) and allowing fresh, healthy mitochondria to thrive. This process, called mitophagy, has been shown to extend the lifespan of C. elegans by making cells more efficient and energetic.
TRACKEDBIO: One of the main goals of this project is to significantly improve the drug translation efficiency from preclinical research to clinical trials. By accurately simulating the effects of potential drugs on different organisms and humans, it aims to streamline the drug development process, reduce costs, and decrease time to market, while increasing the likelihood of clinical success.
2.4 Other Related Projects
Scihub: An unofficial token donated by @0xAA_Science, aimed at supporting open-source research paper websites. The token’s direction comes from Sci-Hub, the shadow library, and is purely a community Meme token. Sci-Hub is a non-profit, non-governmental website that provides free access to academic papers. Apart from Google Scholar, Sci-Hub, LibGen, and PubMed, it integrates a variety of other publicly accessible academic resources, allowing for one-stop searching and free downloading of global academic literature, patents, books, etc.
ANTI & PRO: These are a pair of quantum-entangled tokens representing the attitudes towards Meme tokens, created by algorithm engineer and mathematical physics expert @sshmatrix_. One $ANTI = 1 $PRO, with the prices rising and falling together.
WORM: The first on-chain digital brain, deploying its biological neural network on the blockchain to make self-informed decisions. This AI uses a neural network inspired by C. elegans, consisting of 302 neurons, and performs self-execution permanently on the blockchain.
GENOME: A genomics project focused on using DeFi to securely, privately, and auditable monetize genomic data. The GENE token is used to pay for whole-genome sequencing and serves as an incentive for queries through encrypted DNA data vaults.
GALEON: Galeon represents a groundbreaking approach in the healthcare industry, utilizing blockchain technology to revolutionize the management and usage of electronic health records (EHR). Its core design focuses on improving patient care and management worldwide by leveraging an innovative EHR system. This system not only stores patient data but uses it to promote better healthcare outcomes.
DRUGS: Big Pharma is a healthcare and pharmaceutical Meme coin, aiming to disrupt “Big Pharma,” the large pharmaceutical companies with significant influence and market share globally.
RSC: ResearchHub is a tokenized social network rewarding scientists who publicly share academic content. ResearchHub is building a suite of collaborative and publishing tools to help researchers work together, share their findings, and receive feedback from peers. Anyone who posts outstanding content on ResearchHub will be rewarded with the cryptocurrency ResearchCoin (RSC). Once obtained, RSC allows users to create bounties to reward other scientists for completing research-related tasks.
Conclusion: Will the Narratives of AI Agent and DeSci Prevail in the New Year?
Looking at the current market, both DeSci and AI Agent are primarily driven by Meme tokens, but their fundamental attributes differ from the typical Meme logic.
Fundamentals vs. Other Memes: Unlike purely entertainment-driven Memes (such as viral internet memes or event-based memes), AI Agent is the only one supported by technological underpinnings. With the decline of traditional finance and the internet, more attention will shift to blockchain and AI, making AI Agent and DeSci more in line with the commodity economy’s Kondratiev cycle. Their narratives require more “technology” to sustain them.
Internal vs. External Breakthroughs: DeSci needs an external breakthrough, drawing influence from significant figures outside the crypto circle. It cannot rely solely on internal community flow for sustained growth but needs the involvement of real-world individuals with “scientific research” backgrounds. On the other hand, AI Agent requires internal breakthroughs — its appeal lies in being “useful,” “fun,” and “valuable” enough for the market to embrace it.
Growth Logic of Leading Projects: The DeSci sector still lacks a leading project with a market cap exceeding $1 billion, while AI Meme tokens have a total market cap of around $100 billion, indicating considerable room for growth. Overall, DeSci’s growth largely depends on projects like BIO Protocol, which has received investment from Binance and could drive the sector forward. Meanwhile, AI Agent’s growth hinges on the continuous iteration of its own entertaining features and use cases.
Compared to DeSci, AI Agent focuses on the value-investment trend of Blockchain+AI, aligning with the market’s technical development expectations and having a stronger potential to break out. DeSci, however, benefits from joint discussions between CZ and Vitalik, Binance Labs’ investment in BIO Protocol, and DeSci projects like AmionChain led by a16z.
Despite AI and DeSci not being new concepts in 2024, after a year of development, both AI Agent and DeSci will remain major speculative points in this bull market.
About YBB
YBB is a web3 fund dedicating itself to identify Web3-defining projects with a vision to create a better online habitat for all internet residents. Founded by a group of blockchain believers who have been actively participated in this industry since 2013, YBB is always willing to help early-stage projects to evolve from 0 to 1.We value innovation, self-driven passion, and user-oriented products while recognizing the potential of cryptos and blockchain applications.