The most notable crypto narratives in 2023 were focused on initiatives around artificial intelligence (AI), GameFi, and meme coins, which captured “one-third of investor interest,” according to an update shared by CoinGecko.

CoinGecko noted in its report that the Solana ecosystem, BRC-20 tokens, and real-world assets (RWA) also “gained significant attention, capturing more than 5% of the crypto narratives interest each this year.”

The report from CoinGecko also mentioned that the top 15 narratives “accounted for 72.3% of total crypto narratives interest.”

As stated in a blog post, these 15 narratives “captured most of the attention out of a diverse pool of 139 narratives.” The remaining 27.7% of crypto interest “was spread out across 124 narratives.”

As noted in the report, artificial intelligence (AI) is “by far the most popular crypto narrative in 2023, accounting for 11.3% of crypto narratives interest this year.”

Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, AI interest and related efforts “have gained momentum in the tech industry.” This interest has spilled over “into the crypto space, bringing attention to AI-related cryptocurrencies.”

Akash Network (AKT) has reportedly gained “the most among AI tokens, reaching an all-year high that was 13 times its January 1 price. Render (RNDR), the biggest AI token by market cap, followed closely, where its price surged by up to 12 times at its yearly high.”

GameFi follows close behind “as the second most popular crypto narrative, accounting for 10.5% of crypto narratives interest in 2023. GameFi has always been a popular narrative in the past. However, it came on strong in 2023 with developments on various fronts.”

Seven top video game companies have “delved into blockchain game development, while blockchain game development continues to raise substantial investments. Simultaneously, various blockchain projects continued to improve their products. Notably, Pixels’ integration with Ronin (RON) and the successful debuts of Illuvium (ILV) and Gods Unchained (GODS) on the Epic Games Store have significantly broadened gaming accessibility, captivating a larger audience.”

Most Popular Blockchain Ecosystem Narratives

4 out of the 49 blockchain ecosystems “made it into the top 15 crypto narratives in 2023. Among them are the Solana ecosystem, BRC-20s, the Ethereum (ETH) ecosystem, and the Avalanche (AVAX) ecosystem.”

Each of these ecosystems reportedly “had very strong narratives. They received attention as people looked for higher beta plays because its native token surged in price. In 2023, we have Solana’s rise from the dead, the introduction of BRC-20s, the Ethereum Shanghai Upgrade in April, and a narrative akin to Solana’s revival within the Avalanche ecosystem.”

The Arbitrum ecosystem received significant attention in early 2023. However, it failed to break into the top 15 crypto narratives in 2023. This might be attributed to timing. It captured attention before the major market movement and attracted many newer players in the crypto space. Another factor could be the dilution of layer two solutions, with the launch of various new L2s in 2023. For example, Base, zkSync Era, and Mantle (MNT).

As noted in the update from CoinGecko, the Solana ecosystem “had several noteworthy projects. Bonk, a meme coin, garnered attention by airdropping its tokens to Solana community members during the chain’s darkest times, signifying a turnaround for Solana. Jito (JITO) contributed as a liquid staking derivative protocol for Solana, while Pyth (PYTH) emerged as a prospective oracle aiming to rival Chainlink (LINK).”

Methodology

This study reportedly analyzed “the most popular crypto narratives based on 139 CoinGecko categories’ web traffic from January 1, 2023, to December 21, 2023, excluding bot traffic.”

The top 15 crypto narratives “are: artificial intelligence, gaming, meme Coins, Solana ecosystem, BRC-20, real-world assets, layer 1, DeFi, layer 2, Ethereum ecosystem, Avalanche ecosystem, NFTs, DePIN, smart contract platforms, and FTX holdings.”