Crypto categories 2026
CoinGecko categories ranked by average year-to-date return · Updated September 20, 2026
Which crypto narratives are winning 2026? Every tracked coin is grouped under one primary CoinGecko category — specific narratives like AI, Meme and DeFi take priority over generic buckets. Averages are equal-weighted across the coins in each category and use genuine January 1, 2026 year-to-date returns only.
| Category | Avg YTD | Median YTD | Best coin | Worst coin | Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid Staking | +383.23% | +2.29% | BR +1,888.94% | BABY -27.19% | 6 |
| Artificial Intelligence | +319.45% | +3.09% | AKE +9,576.88% | DATA -88.39% | 36 |
| AI Agents | +289.67% | +16.39% | VVV +1,936.06% | AGIX -91.01% | 9 |
| Other | +48.99% | -3.15% | BC +403.32% | AB -87.11% | 23 |
| Decentralized Exchanges | +37.09% | +35.51% | HYPE +287.51% | SNX -44.07% | 21 |
| Meme | +27.81% | -6.44% | 币安人生 +328.55% | BRETT -59.56% | 38 |
| DeFi | +19.10% | -24.31% | DRV +734.11% | BARD -83.22% | 22 |
| Layer 2 | +14.71% | -35.51% | ADI +643.29% | MERL -90.85% | 18 |
| Lending | +6.37% | -17.38% | MORPHO +152.74% | KMNO -41.59% | 6 |
| Real World Assets | +5.48% | -2.67% | CARDS +255.97% | HASH -75.12% | 29 |
| Gaming | +5.01% | -26.17% | PC +138.71% | SAND -63.21% | 11 |
| Wrapped Tokens | +0.10% | +0.10% | WM +0.10% | WM +0.10% | 1 |
| Privacy | -3.02% | -14.12% | RAIL +67.26% | H -57.36% | 7 |
| Stablecoins | -3.36% | +0.01% | SKY +20.06% | TEL -60.93% | 46 |
| Exchange Tokens | -9.55% | -6.96% | WBT +48.29% | BGB -41.40% | 8 |
| Oracles | -10.77% | -9.67% | PYTH +10.16% | RED -29.33% | 5 |
| Restaking | -15.81% | -15.81% | ETHFI +4.24% | ALT -35.86% | 2 |
| Layer 1 | -15.95% | -21.00% | ZEC +194.03% | NIGHT -72.80% | 55 |
| Smart Contract Platforms | -23.76% | -24.39% | GT +2.57% | QRL -77.23% | 15 |
| Interoperability | -25.16% | -16.55% | ZRO -4.63% | W -62.88% | 4 |
| DePIN | -29.83% | -20.04% | HOT -12.76% | HNT -66.47% | 4 |
| NFT | -35.24% | -31.50% | NFT -29.13% | ID -48.84% | 4 |
| Infrastructure | -50.96% | -57.85% | SAFE -23.18% | WAL -71.85% | 3 |
For informational purposes only — not financial advice.