Traders are moving towards tokenized AI stocks
The cryptocurrency exchange MEXC reported a significant shift in trader behavior during September, characterized by a growing preference for tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs over traditional crypto assets. AI-linked equities emerged as the primary driver of this trend, accounting for 48% of total tokenized stock trading volume, which represents a 4% increase from the previous month. Trading volume for AI-related assets surged by 88%, significantly outpacing the 63% growth observed in non-AI counterparts. Investors are increasingly targeting semiconductor, networking, and data center sectors, with specific interest in tokenized versions of companies like Circle, SpaceX, and Meta. Additionally, the platform noted a 60% rise in trading volume for pre-IPO offerings, including entities like OpenAI and Moonshot AI. This rotation into tokenized equities appears to be a cyclical response to a broader crypto capital drought rather than a permanent exit from digital assets. Despite this shift, crypto-native sectors like DeFi and infrastructure have continued to outperform traditional equities over a three-month horizon, suggesting a complex, multi-directional flow of capital between these asset classes.