Can they make more money doing this? I don't think so --- and apparently, they don't either.
Finance and equity markets would be the first place I would look to apply "super intelligence" for huge, quick cconomic returns.
Instead, they peddle "tokens". Wonder why?
These companies exist specifically to identify and take advantage of aberrations and inefficiencies in capital markets.
This is something I would expect "super intelligence" to excel at.
Why do AI companies rely on capital markets to keep them afloat?
Why? Because this is where all the money is. And because the survival of AI companies ultimately depends on the ability to earn more than they spend.
Well no, it's not. If finding inefficiencies in capital markets was the most profitable thing to do, the capital markets would never invest in anything but themselves. Recursion hits bottom somewhere and investors, at some point, want to invest in a real business, not just in a recursive investment vehicle.
The "capital markets" are not closed. The "market" itself doesn't decide what to invest in -- individuals and corporations do.
I would expect an individual/corporation armed with real "super intelligence" to have a distinct advantage in this regard --- wouldn't you?
What better way to prove the value of AI than applying it to earn mountains of money in the open market --- instead of setting mountains of the stuff on fire.