AI dApps Surge 26% in April—Now Gunning for DeFi and Gaming’s Throne

Move over, yield farmers—AI-powered decentralized applications just posted a 26% monthly gain, outpacing legacy sectors in crypto’s endless hunger for the next narrative. April’s rally puts machine-learning protocols squarely in the ring with DeFi bluechips and play-to-earn dinosaurs.

Behind the numbers: While DeFi TVL flatlines and gaming tokens bleed users, AI dApps are vacuuming up dev talent and venture capital. Smart money’s betting algorithmic agents will eat both sectors’ lunch—assuming the hype lasts longer than your average crypto VC’s attention span.

The kicker? This isn’t just about trading bots anymore. From synthetic data marketplaces to autonomous DAO governance, AI’s infiltration cuts deeper than Wall Street’s latest ’blockchain pivot’ PowerPoint slide.

In the report, DappRadar’s blockchain analyst Sara Gherghelas revealed that the Social category followed closely, with an 18% increase to 3.6 million dUAW, suggesting that users continue to seek decentralized social experiences. In contrast, activity in decentralized finance dropped by 16%, settling at 4.8 million dUAW, equal to that of the gaming sector, which saw a 10% decline.

“For the first time in several months, Gaming and DeFi each hold 21% dominance, while AI has climbed to 16%, its highest yet. If this trend continues, AI could soon challenge the traditional dominance of DeFi and Gaming, signaling a new era in the dApp landscape.”

Sara Gherghelas

As Gherghelas put it, April was a month of “resilience and recalibration” for the dApp industry. While overall activity held steady at 23 million dUAW, the “real story lies in the changing dynamics beneath the surface,” she added.

In late April, analysts at Mike Novogratz’s crypto bank Galaxy Digital suggested that Bitcoin (BTC) miners with the right infrastructure and management talent can gain substantial value by pivoting into the booming AI and HPC data center market.

The analysts say crypto miners with experienced management teams capable of executing AI and HPC buildouts have a “tremendous opportunity” to bring “significant incremental value to their companies.” The appeal lies in the long-term contracts and strong, steady cash flow models of AI and HPC colocation — described by Galaxy Digital as “predictable and high margin cash flow streams” — a level of stability that’s often lacking in crypto markets.