Bitcoin’s 20% slide from its all-time high kept traders on edge this week, with whales cashing out and analysts split on whether the next move is a slow recovery or another parabolic run.
While BTC cooled, privacy and infrastructure tokens stole the spotlight, as Zcash surged past Monero to become the top privacy coin, Dash doubled, and ZKsync rallied by over 100% amid major network upgrades.
Meanwhile, Trump Coin, Filecoin, and Aster lit up the charts, each riding powerful narratives around politics, DePIN growth, and high-profile endorsements.
Scroll down for this week’s biggest crypto stories, from Zcash’s “encrypted Bitcoin” rally to ZachXBT’s $40M FTX exposé and Bitwise’s push for a Dogecoin ETF.
Zcash’s ‘Encrypted Bitcoin’ Rally Faces Post-Halving Risk
Zcash has rocketed from under $50 in October to about $700, driven by Grayscale’s $150M ZEC trust, Arthur Hayes’ $1,000 price call, and growing interest in its privacy tech. Nansen’s Jake Kennis says ZEC’s fixed 21M supply, PoW, zk-SNARKs, and upcoming halving make it an “encrypted Bitcoin.” Still, Wyckoff-style markup and the halving could trigger a sharp sell-the-news reversal.
ZachXBT Traces Alleged $40M SBF Payment to Chinese Authorities
On-chain sleuth ZachXBT has revived scrutiny of Sam Bankman-Fried after tracking a $40M transfer in late 2021 that appears to have flowed through intermediaries to wallets tied to Chinese law enforcement. The payment allegedly aimed to unlock over $1B in frozen Alameda assets. The findings raise fresh bribery concerns, increase pressure for more disclosures, and highlight how independent blockchain investigators can shape legal and regulatory responses.
Filecoin Pops 60% as DePIN Narrative and TVL Spike Fuel Breakout
Filecoin jumped over 60% to about $2.21, with weekly gains near 47% and volume up 740% to $1.33B as DePIN tokens ripped higher. A new Filecoin–GSR Foundation partnership, DePIN Day Buenos Aires, and rising TVL (up 50% to $27.5M) have boosted confidence. Technically, FIL has broken key resistance at $2; traders now eye $2.6–$3.5 if momentum holds, though a drop below $2 could send it back toward $1.70.
Dogecoin Lags as Bitwise Moves Closer to Spot DOGE ETF
Dogecoin trades around $0.16, nearly 50% below its September high, even as Bitwise files a key 8(a) form for a spot DOGE ETF that could begin trading within weeks. The existing DOJE fund has seen assets slip from $35M to $27M, unlike strong Solana and Hedera ETFs. Technically, DOGE has broken its trendline, formed a death cross, and sits on fragile support; a drop below $0.16 could open the door to $0.10 unless bulls reclaim $0.20.
XRP Holds Key Levels as Ripple News Outpaces Price Action
XRP price briefly hit $2.40 as Ripple’s Swell event delivered big headlines: a $500M investment from Citadel and Fortress at a $40B valuation, a Mastercard partnership using RLUSD, RLUSD’s market cap topping $1B, and growing ETF interest from Franklin Templeton and Bitwise. Yet the chart looks heavy. XRP has printed a death cross and retested $2.70 resistance in a descending triangle, suggesting more downside before any sustained rebound.
TRUMP Coin Breaks Out as Donald Trump Pushes ‘Bitcoin Superpower’ Vision
Official Trump Coin (TRUMP) has jumped about 17% to $8.22 after breaking out of a long falling wedge, backed by over $1B in daily volume. The move coincides with Trump’s pledge to make the U.S. a “Bitcoin superpower,” support a BTC reserve, and advance the GENIUS Act. Traders now eye $18–$20 if momentum holds, but with roughly 80% of supply tied to insiders, concentration and profit-taking remain serious risks.
ZKsync Jumps 213% as New Token Utility and Atlas Upgrade Land
ZKsync has climbed to about $0.075, up more than 200% from its lows, as a major token upgrade adds utility for governance, cross-chain fees, enterprise licensing, staking, and burns. The upcoming Atlas upgrade targets 15,000+ TPS and 1-second cross-chain finality, turning Ethereum into a live liquidity hub. On-chain metrics are surging, with transactions, users, and fees all sharply higher. Technically, ZK is now trading above its 50-day MA, with bulls aiming for $0.10 next.
Aster Coin Spikes on CZ’s $2M Buy But Faces Make-or-Break Zone
Aster (ASTER) ripped from roughly $0.90 to $1.30 after Binance founder CZ revealed a personal $2M purchase and “buy and hold” stance, sending volume up 935% to $2.5B and pushing FDV near $9B. DeFi revenue and TVL look strong, but the move is clearly hype-driven. ASTER is now battling to hold the $1.00–$1.05 support; losing it could send price back toward $0.90, while reclaiming $1.15–$1.20 might reopen a path to $1.30–$1.50.
