Altcoins Add $215 Billion: Top Picks This Week Include Zcash and XRP | News

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News
Aug 24, 2026
2min read
byAnjali Belgaumkar
forCoinpedia

Altcoins added roughly $215 billion between August 19 and 22, pushing Total2 (all crypto excluding Bitcoin) back above $1 trillion and reversing prior weakness as 56% of altcoins on Binance now trade above their 200-day moving average versus 80–85% previously below that level. Major token performance and adoption drove the move: Zcash jumped 71.3% to about $832, XRP rose 48.7% to ~$1.47, Hyperliquid (HYPE) gained 38.4% to ~$80 and Pump.fun climbed 81% after announcing zero trading fees on Solana tokens, while Bitcoin and Ethereum each posted >20% weekly gains (BTC ~ $77,000, ETH ~ $2,437) and SOL, DOGE and BNB also saw double-digit gains. Some pockets like Bittensor and the broader AI token sector have yet to catch up, suggesting continued sector rotation and watchfulness for DeFi/DEX competition and token-specific risk as momentum spreads.

See what traders are focused on

Altcoins are showing real signs of life after a rough stretch, with fresh momentum spreading across the market this week. Altcoins added roughly $215 billion between August 19 and 22, pushing Total2 up, the combined market value of all cryptocurrencies excluding Bitcoin, back above $1 trillion. 

The breadth of the move stands out just as much as the size.On Binance, 56 percent of altcoins now trade above their 200-day moving average, a sharp reversal from a market where 80% to 85% of tokens had been trading below that same level not long ago.

Zcash Was the Week’s Biggest Winner

Zcash surged 71.3% this past week, the biggest gain among all major tokens now, trading near $832. That kind of move puts Zcash well ahead of every other top-50 asset this week, a standout performance in a market where even the biggest names posted unusually strong gains.

XRP and Hyperliquid Weren’t Far Behind

XRP climbed 48.7% this week, now trading close to $1.47, per the latest data, marking one of its strongest weekly performances in recent memory. Hyperliquid gained 38.4% over the week, with HYPE now trading near $80 overall, continuing its run as one of the most consistently strong performers in the derivatives and DeFi space.

Pump.fun has climbed 81% over the week and 2% in the past 24 hours, a move that followed the platform’s announcement of zero trading fees on Solana tokens, an aggressive push against competitor FOMO.

Even the Majors Joined the Move

What makes this week different from a typical altcoin pump is how broad it’s been. Even Bitcoin and Ethereum posted double-digit weekly gains of over 20% each now, with Bitcoin trading near $77,000 and Ethereum near $2,437. Solana climbed 25.8% to trade around $94, while Dogecoin rose 31% and BNB gained just over 16%.

A Reminder That Nobody Can Time the Bottom

One analyst pointed to earlier comments from Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who argued that over a two-year horizon, the opportunity cost of staying sidelined out of top altcoins likely outweighs the risk of buying before a confirmed bottom. Given how quickly this week’s move developed, that argument has aged well for anyone who stayed positioned through the recent chop.

Tokens That Haven’t Fully Moved Yet

Not every corner of the market has caught up. Bittensor has traded in a tighter range in recent months and could still be building toward its own breakout, according to recent analysis, while the broader AI token sector remains an area some traders are watching for the next wave of momentum to spread into.

Source: cryptorank.io