The recent saga surrounding OpenAI and its co-founder Sam Altman has sparked a surge of interest in AI tokens, with total weekly trade volume surpassing $2 billion for the first time since March, fresh data from Kaiko, a blockchain analytics platform, shows.

According to statistics, WLD, the native token on Worldcoin, a project co-founded by Altman, and other tokens, including FET, the primary coin behind the AI-reliant blockchain, Fetch.ai, appear to be primary gainers. Even so, WLD prices remain below November 2023 lows when writing.

WLD Remains Volatile 

Even so, looking at market data, the spike in crypto AI trading volume seems driven mainly by WLD activity. Looking at the project’s share, trading volume comprises over 33% of all related crypto AI trading volume. 

While there is a noticeable spike in activity, it remains below the all-time high of above $4 billion in Q1 2023. Then, traders and investors were keen on AGIX, the SingularityNET token. However, over the months, Worldcoin has since taken over as investor interest shifted to WLD, evidenced by the gradual rise of trading volume.

Looking at WLD price action over the past three days, prices have been volatile, though trading volume has been mostly up from November 13. Following news of Altman’s removal as CEO of OpenAI, prices fell before slightly expanding with news of negotiations to return to the role, followed by his appointment to lead Microsoft’s AI team. 

All these events have contributed to the market’s heightened interest in WLD. Accordingly, trading volume across the broader crypto AI scene stands above the $2 billion level for the first time since March.  

The Sam Altman And OpenAI Drama Turns Attention To Worldcoin

Though there is no direct connection between OpenAI and Worldcoin, crypto participants focus on events at OpenAI and how the board handled Altman as a factor catalyzing WLD’s activity. 

The general lack of clarity on why the board ousted Altman as CEO worsens the situation, sparking speculation that this could also impact WLD’s prices and how Worldcoin is governed, considering the former CEO is also behind the crypto AI project.

Looking at the co-founder’s previous role as the team leading Worldcoin’s developments, Altman also holds significant sway, contributing to discussions on how the government should regulate AI at the end of the day. 

Altman’s influential role has impacted Worldcoin and its prices since the blockchain project aims to create a global identity system. Worldcoin’s operations would rely on AI, including fraud prevention, data analysis, verification, and more. 

Feature image from Canva, chart from TradingView