AI Concept Stock September Fund Flow Monitoring: Mainstream Funds Withdraw from Computing Power Chain, DeFAI Application Layer Receives Institutional Counter-Cyclical Positions

AI Concept Stock September Fund Flow Monitoring: Mainstream Funds Withdraw from Computing Power Chain, DeFAI Application Layer Receives Institutional Counter-Cyclical Positions

In mid-September 2026, the AI concept stock market showed significant fund differentiation. According to the latest market monitoring data, mainstream funds for AI concept stocks have shown a clear "abandon computing power, chase applications" trend this month, with funds massively withdrawing from the computing power chain sector while accelerating flows to the DeFAI (Decentralized Finance AI) application layer, particularly in smart risk control and crypto lending tracks. This fund flow change not only reflects the reconstruction of market investment logic for AI concept stocks but also indicates that the DeFAI track, integrating AI and financial technology, is entering a golden period of value reassessment.

Computing Power Chain Faces Fund Withdrawal, Valuation Faces Adjustment Pressure

Since entering September, the AI computing power chain sector has continuously faced fund pressure. Monitoring data shows that as of September 15, the average net outflow of funds for major AI computing concept stocks reached 23.6%, an increase of 15.2 percentage points compared to the same period in August. Among them, hardware giants such as NVIDIA and AMD have seen their stock prices cumulatively fall by more than 12% since early September, with market trading activity significantly decreasing.

Analysts point out that there are three main reasons for the fund withdrawal from the computing power chain: first, the growth rate of global AI infrastructure capital expenditure has slowed, with clear signals that capital expenditure plans of leading companies have peaked; second, the valuation of the computing power industry chain has reached historical highs, with some companies having P/E ratios exceeding 80 times, showing obvious bubbles; finally, as AI technology becomes more widespread, computing power supply gradually increases, leading to a decline in computing power prices and affecting the profit expectations of related companies.

"Computing power investment has entered the 'competitive red ocean' stage from the 'scarcity premium' stage, and a growth model relying solely on hardware expansion is unsustainable," said an AI investment director at a large public fund. "Funds are seeking AI investment targets with greater certainty and practical application scenarios."

DeFAI Application Layer Becomes the New Favorite of Funds, Institutions Accelerate Layout

In sharp contrast to the computing power chain, the DeFAI application layer sector is witnessing a concentrated influx of institutional funds. Data shows that since September, DeFAI concept stocks have averaged a net fund inflow of 18.7%, with the smart risk control and AI lending sectors performing particularly prominently. Position reports disclosed by multiple leading institutions show that since the second quarter, the allocation ratio for DeFAI-related targets has increased by more than 30%.

In terms of specific targets, AI risk control platforms focusing on on-chain credit assessment, DeFi protocols providing smart clearing services, and AI-driven RWA (Real World Asset) tokenization platforms have become key directions for institutional fund allocation. These targets have an average increase of more than 15% in September, significantly outperforming the market.

"The DeFAI application layer is moving from concept to practical implementation, with AI technology truly solving the pain points of traditional DeFi," said a well-known venture capital partner. "Smart risk control systems can identify on-chain risks in real-time, and AI lending protocols can optimize interest rate pricing and risk management, which are all tangible value creations."

Market Logic Reconstruction Behind Fund Flows

The large-scale migration of AI concept stock funds from the computing power chain to the DeFAI application layer reflects profound changes in market investment logic. Analysts point out that this change is mainly due to three factors:

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• Differences in Investment Return Periods: Computing power investment requires large-scale upfront capital expenditure, with long payback periods and high uncertainty; while DeFAI application layer investment is lighter, can quickly generate cash flow, and has a shorter investment return period.
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• Valuation Logic Reconstruction: The valuation of computing power stocks mainly depends on future growth expectations, with high volatility; DeFAI application layers are more based on actual user scale, transaction volume, and revenue growth, with more stable valuations.
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• Changes in Policy Environment: Global regulators are tightening restrictions on AI computing power exports while maintaining a relatively open attitude toward DeFAI innovation, with significant differences in policy risks.
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"AI investment is entering the 'application implementation' stage from the 'arms race' stage," said an AI industry analyst at a securities firm. "The market is beginning to focus more on how AI technology creates practical value rather than just technological leadership. DeFAI, as the best integration point of AI and financial technology, has naturally become the focus of fund flows."

In-depth Analysis of DeFAI Application Layer Investment Value

The reason DeFAI application layers can attract institutional funds is mainly due to their unique investment value:

1. Smart Risk Control: Solving Core DeFi Pain Points

The biggest challenge faced by traditional DeFi protocols is insufficient risk control capability, leading to frequent liquidation events and security vulnerabilities. AI smart risk control systems can significantly enhance the security and stability of DeFi systems through real-time data analysis, behavior pattern recognition, and risk prediction.

Data shows that in the second quarter of 2026, DeFi protocols using AI risk control had a 42% lower liquidation rate and 65% fewer security events compared to traditional protocols. This significant improvement has made smart risk control platforms the preferred targets for institutional funds.

2. AI Lending: Optimizing Interest Rates and Risk Management

AI-driven lending protocols can dynamically optimize interest rate pricing through machine learning algorithms, balance supply and demand, and improve capital efficiency. Compared to traditional lending protocols, AI lending platforms have an average 28% higher capital utilization rate and 15% lower default rates.

"AI lending is reshaping the crypto lending market landscape," said a crypto hedge fund manager. "Through precise risk pricing and dynamic interest rate adjustments, AI lending platforms can provide more competitive returns while ensuring security, which is difficult for traditional DeFi protocols to achieve."

3. RWA Tokenization: Connecting Traditional Finance and Crypto World

On-chain tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) is another important application direction for DeFAI. Through AI technology to assess and manage the risks of real-world assets, RWA tokenization platforms can introduce traditional financial assets into the blockchain world, expanding the boundaries of the DeFi ecosystem.

Recently, traditional financial giants like BlackRock have accelerated their layout in the RWA track, with the first on-chain credit asset tokenization transaction completed, marking the acceleration of integration between traditional finance and DeFAI. This trend has further strengthened market confidence in the DeFAI application layer.

Institutional Position Changes Reveal Investment Preferences

According to the latest institutional position reports, since the second quarter, the position structure of AI concept stocks has undergone significant changes:

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• Leading public funds reduced their position ratio in AI computing power stocks by 8.3% and increased their position ratio in DeFAI application layers by 12.6%
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• Private equity funds increased investment in AI risk control and lending platforms, with financing in related fields increasing by 45% month-on-month
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• Overseas institutional investors accelerated the allocation of A-share DeFAI concept stocks through QFII channels, with position value increasing by 37%
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"Institutional investors are reassessing the investment value of AI concept stocks," said an AI investment head at an insurance asset management company. "The DeFAI application layer not only has higher growth certainty but is also more closely integrated with the real economy, in line with the concept of long-term value investment."

Market Sentiment and Investment Strategy Shifts

With changes in fund flows, market sentiment for AI concept stocks has also undergone a significant shift. Monitoring data shows that the market sentiment index for the computing power chain fell from 85 in August to 62 in September, while the sentiment index for the DeFAI application layer rose from 58 to 78, reflecting the migration of investor confidence.

In terms of investment strategy, institutional investors are shifting from "theme speculation" to "value mining," paying more attention to the actual business data, user growth, and profitability of the DeFAI application layer. Specific strategies include:

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• Selecting Leading Targets: Focusing on leading enterprises with technological advantages and market share in the smart risk control and AI lending fields
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• Focusing on Application Implementation: Choosing DeFAI projects that have achieved business closure and generate stable cash flow
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• Diversifying Investment Portfolios
: Building diversified investment portfolios within the DeFAI ecosystem, covering multiple fields such as infrastructure, application layers, and derivatives \n