Unknown undertaking surpasses the yields of any blue-chip stock within the S&P 500.
In the ever-evolving world of technology, three cryptocurrency projects - Bittensor (TAO), Render (RNDR), and Helium (HNT) - have caught the eye of institutional actors like Grayscale and are making waves in their respective sectors.
Bittensor (TAO)
This project, operating at the intersection of blockchain and artificial intelligence, offers a decentralized AI marketplace. Bittensor's blockchain incentivizes AI developers and validators with TAO tokens based on model usefulness, establishing a unique Proof of Intelligence (PoI) mechanism. Since a major 2023 upgrade, Bittensor hosts 95+ specialized AI subnets competing for rewards, driving diverse AI model innovation across fields like autonomous vehicles, medical research, and video processing.
Bittensor's growth can be attributed to its strong market confidence, as indicated by its over $100 million in daily volume and a market cap exceeding $3.6 billion. The project has also seen significant technical development, with a 3600% surge in development activity in June 2025.
Render (RNDR)
Render, a decentralized network for graphic rendering, has gained attention by enabling decentralized GPU rendering services for the booming digital content creation and metaverse industries. Although specific search results about RNDR are limited, its growth by over 6,500% since 2020 speaks volumes about its success.
Helium (HNT)
Helium, a cryptocurrency project aiming to provide global connectivity without traditional operators, has attracted global interest by creating a decentralized wireless network incentivizing users to host nodes ("hotspots") for IoT device connectivity. Helium Mobile, a mobile operator by Helium, combines the decentralized network with 5G coverage in the US, offering free plans and generating data usage income. Major operators like AT&T use the Helium network to alleviate congestion in high-demand zones.
Comparison to Traditional S&P 500 Stocks
Crypto projects like TAO show explosive price surges and rapid ecosystem evolution, far exceeding the typical growth rates of mature S&P 500 companies. However, these crypto tokens are emerging technologies with high volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and speculative risk. Their performance reflects crypto’s typical high-risk, high-reward profile compared to the established, more stable returns of the S&P 500.
In 2021, HNT grew over 40 times, outperforming any S&P 500 stock that year. The return on these assets can multiply the average annual returns of S&P 500 blue-chip stocks several times over.
Despite the risk involved, the potential reward for these projects is hard to ignore. The current price of Helium (HNT) hovers around $2.40, while Bittensor (TAO) is around $350. The current price of Render (RNDR) is close to $3.40.
In conclusion, these projects' growth is a testament to the power of decentralized technologies in shaping the future of AI, decentralized GPU rendering, and decentralized wireless networks. Their performance reflects the high-risk, high-reward nature of the crypto market compared to the established, more stable returns of traditional equities.
Investors looking for opportunities in other sectors outside traditional finance might find appeal in the three cryptocurrency projects, Bittensor (TAO), Render (RNDR), and Helium (HNT), which have attracted the attention of institutional actors like Grayscale. These projects demonstrate significant growth, with Bittensor's market cap exceeding $3.6 billion and Helium's price hovering around $2.40, showcasing the potential finance-generating capabilities in technology-driven blockchain ventures.
