December 2025’s Top AI Crypto Picks: SEC Commissioner Demands Privacy Overhaul as DeepSnitch AI Presale Jumps 88% in Stage 3
Regulatory winds are shifting. A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissioner just called for a major rethink on crypto privacy—right as one artificial intelligence token's funding round catches fire.
The AI Crypto Rush Is On
Forget the metaverse. The new battleground is machine intelligence on-chain. Projects blending decentralized networks with AI models are pulling capital and developer talent at a breakneck pace. They promise everything from automated trading agents to uncensorable data markets. The hype is real, but so is the technological arms race.
Privacy Gets a Political Push
The commissioner's statement wasn't a gentle suggestion. It was a direct challenge to the prevailing 'surveillance-by-default' approach to blockchain regulation. Framing privacy as a cornerstone of financial sovereignty, the push signals a potential thaw in the long-standing cold war between regulators and cryptographic anonymity tools. Timing, as they say in finance, is everything—especially when it looks conveniently coordinated.
DeepSnitch's Presale Surge: Signal or Noise?
An 88% climb in a single funding stage turns heads. DeepSnitch AI's vaulting presale metrics suggest a market starving for the next narrative. The project claims its AI agents can monitor smart contracts and decentralized autonomous organizations for exploits and governance flaws. In an ecosystem riddled with hacks and rug-pulls, that's a compelling sell. Whether it's a genuine utility or just a clever pitch to separate the fearful from their funds remains the billion-token question.
The Verdict: Convergence Ahead
The simultaneous regulatory murmur and capital stampede aren't a coincidence. They mark a convergence point. The future isn't just AI or crypto or privacy—it's the messy, volatile integration of all three. Smart money is now betting on protocols that can navigate the coming clash between algorithmic autonomy, regulatory compliance, and individual sovereignty. As for the dumb money? It's probably still chasing the last pump.
SEC pushes privacy reassessment as AI crypto projects gain regulatory attention
On Monday, the SEC’s crypto task force held its sixth roundtable, bringing together Commissioner Hester Peirce, Chair Paul Atkins, Commissioner Mark Uyeda, and representatives from Zcash, the Blockchain Association, and the Crypto Council for Innovation. The focus was on financial surveillance and user privacy in digital assets.

SEC Commissioner Hester Pierce addresses the roundtable
Atkins warned that crypto could become “the most powerful financial surveillance architecture ever invented” if regulators continue the agency’s previous approach of “treating every wallet like a broker.” Peirce stated that “crypto is helping to nudge a reassessment” of financial privacy rules, noting that blockchain’s transparency “creates a demand for privacy-protecting tools.”
Meanwhile, lawmakers face a tight deadline. The CLARITY Act passed the House in July, but Senate negotiations have stalled. With Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw departing and the chamber breaking for holidays, a vote before 2026 appears unlikely.
This regulatory uncertainty is pushing traders toward artificial intelligence blockchain tokens with clear utility and transparent development roadmaps for the chance to 100x their portfolio. Here are three AI crypto coins that could go the furthest in 2026:
DeepSnitch AI (DSNT): Top AI crypto coin surges 88% ahead of January 2026 launch
While regulators debate surveillance versus privacy, DeepSnitch AI is building the infrastructure that solves both problems. It’s an AI crypto project designed to give retail traders the same data edge that institutions and whales have monopolized for years. Unlike most presale tokens, DeepSnitch AI has already launched three of its live AI agents, making it one of the tokens delivering on its roadmap promises.
The presale has raised over $815,000 in Stage 3, with the token priced at $0.02846. That’s an 88% gain from the initial $0.01510 launch price. Early buyers are already up on their money, and the project hasn’t even hit exchanges yet.
With a January 2026 launch date confirmed and bonus codes DSNTVIP50 (50% extra on buys above $2,000) and DSNTVIP100 (100% extra on buys above $5,000) expiring January 1, the window for early entry is closing fast.
If a privacy token like Zcash commands a $413 price with limited retail adoption, what could an AI crypto coin like DeepSnitch AI with real utility achieve? Its presale structure gives you a clear path. Buy at $0.02846, hold through launch, and position for the kind of asymmetric returns only early-stage AI crypto projects can deliver.
Our next choice for top AI crypto coins is:
Chainlink (LINK): Institutional adoption of LINK AI crypto coin holds strong despite a 55% annual decline
Chainlink is trading around $12.86 on December 16, down 6.6% over the past week and down 55.5% year-over-year. The decline reflects broader AI crypto coins market weakness, though institutional adoption remains robust.
Maple Finance reported over $3 billion in cross-chain deposits powered by Chainlink. Coinbase selected Chainlink’s CCIP as bridge infrastructure for wrapped assets. J.P. Morgan’s Kinexys platform leverages Chainlink for tokenization, while Ondo Finance expanded tokenized U.S. stocks to Solana using chainlink price feeds.
With a market cap of $8.97 billion and 24-hour trading volume above $670 million, chainlink remains the dominant oracle network. Analysts point to the $14.85 resistance level as the key breakout zone.
A close above that could push LINK toward $20 by early 2025. However, at its current valuation, even a strong rally delivers modest percentage gains compared to early-stage artificial intelligence blockchain tokens still in presale.
Bittensor: First halving of AI crypto coin cuts supply as price drops 8%
Bittensor completed its first halving event on December 15, cutting daily token emissions from 7,200 TAO to 3,600 TAO. Despite this supply reduction, TAO is trading around $269.89 on December 16, down 8.3% over the past week and down 53% year-over-year. The token remains 64.4% below its March 2024 all-time high of $757.60.
Bittensor operates a decentralized machine learning network where nodes train AI models collaboratively and earn TAO rewards based on the value they provide. With a $2.59 billion market cap and $132 million in daily trading volume, it’s one of the largest AI crypto coins, ranked #50 in all crypto by market cap.
Historically, token halvings trigger supply squeezes that lead to price appreciation months later. However, at Bittensor’s current $2.59 billion valuation, even a strong post-halving rally offers limited upside compared to AI crypto projects in presale like DeepSnitch AI.
What’s the verdict for the best AI crypto coin?
The SEC’s privacy roundtable signals a regulatory shift that could benefit transparent, utility-focused AI crypto coins over vague infrastructure plays. Chainlink and Bittensor are established names, but their multi-billion dollar valuations cap upside potential. Even strong rallies can only deliver modest percentage gains at this stage.
DeepSnitch AI offers a different equation. At $0.02846 in Stage 3, with $815,000 raised and 88% gains already delivered, you’re entering at presale pricing before exchange listings.
With bonus codes DSNTVIP50 (50% extra on buys above $2,000) and DSNTVIP100 (100% extra on buys above $5,000) expiring January 1, the math becomes simple. A $5,000 entry today gets you $10,000 worth of DSNT tokens at current pricing.
If DSNT reaches just $1 after launch, that position is worth over $350,000. That’s the kind of asymmetric return only early-stage AI crypto projects can offer.

FAQs
DeepSnitch AI is the best AI crypto coin for 2026, with three live agents and 88% presale gains already delivered. Unlike established AI crypto projects with multi-billion dollar valuations, DSNT is priced at $0.02846 with room for 100x upside after its January launch.
DeepSnitch AI is positioned to boom in 2026 as one of the top artificial intelligence blockchain tokens with real utility. With $815,000 raised, bonus codes expiring January 1, and live tools for trader protection, it offers asymmetric returns that mature AI crypto coins like Chainlink and Bittensor can’t match at their current valuations.
DeepSnitch AI is the AI crypto project most likely to explode, given its presale pricing, live functionality, and January 2026 exchange listing. While other AI crypto coins trade at inflated market caps, DSNT offers early-stage entry with bonus codes DSNTVIP50 and DSNTVIP100, multiplying your position before launch.