Top 5 AI and big data crypto projects to consider in 2026

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As the artificial intelligence (AI) industry gains momentum in the traditional market, Finbold analyzed the top AI and big data crypto projects worth considering in 2026.

As of June 8, the top AI and big data crypto projects based on developer activity are Chainlink (LINK), Internet Computer (ICP), NEAR Protocol (NEAR), OriginTrail (TRAC), and Livepeer (LPT).

Top 5 AI and Big Data projects by development. Source: Santiment Intelligence

Over the past 30 days, LINK led with a developer activity score of 127.93, followed by Internet ICP at 106.57, NEAR at 43.4, TRAC at 42.63, and LPT at 26.7, according to data from Santiment Intelligence.

Performance of crypto projects focused on AI to consider in 2026

Year-to-date (YTD), NEAR price has surged by over 45%, trading at roughly $2.21 at the time of publication.

NEAR/USD YTD chart. Source: Finbold

NEAR is worth considering over the coming months since the network has positioned itself as AI-native infrastructure, betting that AI agents could be the primary users of blockchain.

YTD, TRAC price has dropped by over 13%, trading at near $0.365 at the time of publication. As a result, the token has a market cap of about $184 million.

TRAC/USD YTD chart. Source: Finbold

TRAC is worth considering among the top AI crypto projects, as the network’s Decentralized Knowledge Graph targets verifiable, trusted data for AI, enabling agents to publish, query, and verify knowledge.

Since the beginning of 2026, LPT price has declined by over 37%, trading at $1.82 at press time.

LPT/USD YTD chart. Source: Finbold

However, Livepeer has pivoted from video transcoding to decentralized Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) compute for AI video. Notably, the Livepeer network processed a record 134.4 million minutes in Q1 2026, up 71.9% quarter over quarter.

Market outlook for crypto assets focused on big data

LINK price has fallen by over 34% YTD, trading at about $8 at press time. As such, the altcoin had a market capitalization of around $5.81 billion.

LINK/USD YTD chart. Source: Finbold

However, Chainlink is a leading decentralized oracle network that supplies verified real-world data to smart contracts, thereby earning its spot as one of the top big data tokens to consider in 2026. Notably, Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) already connects more than 70 blockchains and integrates with Swift’s network of over 11,500 banks.

As for ICP, it has dropped over 16% YTD, trading at approximately $2.38 on Monday. Consequently, the token had a market capitalization of $1.32 billion.

ICP/USD YTD Chart. Source: Finbold

The token is worth considering in 2026 since it helps the network operate as a decentralized cloud, hosting full-stack applications and data entirely on-chain as an alternative to centralized providers. As such, it is positioned as one of the few credible decentralized alternatives in the big data infrastructure race.

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