AI Narrative Returns: DARK, GAME, and VIRTUAL Take the Lead
The AI sector was undoubtedly the focus this week. The rise of the x402 protocol reignited on-chain enthusiasm for AI narratives. Initiated by Coinbase, the protocol aims to allow AI agents to directly access services through on-chain micropayments, laying the groundwork for an “AI self-paying economy”. Its rapid emergence has fueled a market frenzy around a series of projects labeled “AI & x402”.
● DARK (Dark Eclipse): As one of the few projects in the Solana ecosystem that integrates both AI and x402 applications, DARK surged 110% this week, emerging as the top gainer. Due to the recent breakouts of AI-related assets on Solana, DARK’s trading volume has more than tripled, making it a representative asset of the current AI narrative wave.
● GAME (GAME by Virtuals): GAME, from the Base AI sector, continued its strong momentum with an 80% rally this week. As the AI agent token of the Virtuals Protocol, GAME is built on the Base ecosystem and carries dual “AI” and “x402” tags, combining strong trading activity with substantial conceptual potential.
● VIRTUAL (Virtuals Protocol): Up 30%, showing steady performance. As the x402 ecosystem matures, VIRTUAL is poised to become a flagship project in the AI + virtual asset space.
This Thursday, HTX will launch a limited-time Spot Trading Carnival, distributing 20,000 USDT in airdrops to reward active traders. The campaign covers this week’s hottest AI and x402 ecosystem tokens. By trading popular spot pairs involving GIGGLE, VIRTUAL, KITE, PAYAI, BLUAI, PING, and PALU, users can share 20,000 USDT in airdrops. I
Privacy Sector Stands Out: DASH and ZEC Stage a Strong Comeback
● DASH (Dash): Up 77% this week, leading the privacy sector. Known for its “hybrid privacy + instant payment” model, DASH holds distinct advantages in payment network restructuring and on-chain settlements. The recent community-driven DASH Evolution upgrade has rekindled market confidence in the project’s long-term potential.
● ZEC (Zcash): Up 20% this week, marking a strong rebound for this veteran privacy token. As one of the pioneering privacy tokens, ZEC is built on zero-knowledge proof (zk-SNARKs) technology and continues to provide foundational support for on-chain privacy protection.
Layer 2 and Derivatives: ZK and ASTER Advance Steadily
● ZK (ZKsync): Surged 70% this week, a Layer 2 representative. The ZK ecosystem made progress in Rollups, cross-chain interoperability, and privacy expansion, while infrastructure improvements such as zkEVM and zkBridge drove capital inflows. As Ethereum’s scaling roadmap enters a new phase, investors are re-evaluating the medium- to long-term value of ZK-related assets.
● ASTER (Aster): Rose 20% this week, a standout performer in decentralized perpetuals (PerpDEX). The PerpDEX sector is largely driven by trading volume and market volatility. As activity in the derivatives market increased, ASTER steadily expanded its user base through its low-fee, high-leverage product mechanism.
AI and Privacy Resonate, Intensifying Structural Market Rotation
Overall, AI and privacy emerged as the two main forces driving market recovery this week. The former represents the push to expand the boundaries of innovation and efficiency, while the latter signifies both a steadfast commitment to and a revival of the decentralized ethos. From DARK’s explosive rally to the resurgence of DASH and ZEC, the market is witnessing the convergence and resonance of new and traditional narratives.
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The post first appeared on HTX Square.
