Tokenized stocks emerged as the fastest-growing cryptocurrency sector from January 2024 to May 2026, according to a new report. The category expanded by over 3,300% as interest surged in bringing traditional financial assets onto blockchains. Real World Assets and AI-related coins also saw explosive growth, while meme coin performance has struggled since a 2024 peak.
A new report tracking major crypto sectors from January 2024 to May 2026 has revealed the fastest-growing categories. Tokenized stocks grew by 3,314.3%, rising from 14 listed coins to 478 during the period.
The Real World Assets (RWA) category followed closely, increasing by 1,903.1% from 64 coins to 1,282. The data highlighted a significant acceleration toward real-world asset tokenization starting in late 2024.
Despite these trends, Decentralized Finance (DeFi) remained the largest non-meme category by the end of the study period. Its coin count grew 324.0% to reach 2,328.
The AI category became the second-largest listed sector after surging 1,140.0% to 1,798 coins. This growth overtook the Gaming (GameFi) sector, which ended the period with 1,379 coins.
CoinGecko said the AI category gained momentum in October 2024 alongside the launch of a meme coin. Growth continued as artificial intelligence became a mainstream topic, fueled by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Nvidia.
Meme coin listings followed a different path, with 3,287 coins listed across 10 categories by May 2026. Dog-themed tokens remained the biggest group with 1,055 coins, exploding during the 2024 meme coin craze.
The AI Meme cohort grew from virtually nothing to 499 coins, while the Boy’s Club ecosystem reached 346 coins. According to CryptoRank, the meme coin sector has struggled to recover since its 2024 peak. Its overall market value has shrunk significantly despite several rebound attempts.
