The cryptocurrency market has witnessed a strong rally this week, with DeFi tokens and gaming-linked coins driving momentum. While the Federal Reserve’s policy shift has injected fresh liquidity into risk assets, several altcoins have outpaced the broader market. Among the standout performers are Aster (ASTER), ApolloX (APX) and Immutable X (IMX), all of which delivered outsized returns over the past seven days.
Aster (ASTER) Emerges as Breakout Leader
Ranked 75 by market cap, Aster (ASTER) has been the week’s most remarkable gainer, surging 725.99% in just seven days. Currently priced at $0.69703, the token also posted a 26.21% gain in the last 24 hours, supported by strong trading activity. Its $1.15 billion market cap and $478 million daily trading volume highlight robust participation from both retail traders and institutional players.
The surge followed an endorsement from Changpeng Zhao, former CEO of Binance, who backed Aster’s decentralised perpetual exchange built on chains like BNB Chain and supported by YZi Labs and PancakeSwap. That single announcement helped ASTER jump more than 377% within 24 hours, catapulting its valuation past the billion-dollar mark.
Despite the enthusiasm, some analysts caution that Aster’s token supply remains concentrated among a few wallets, a factor that could amplify volatility. Nonetheless, with capital inflows accelerating and the market appetite for high-beta assets strengthening, Aster has emerged as a top contender in the DeFi space.
ApolloX (APX) Sustains Multi-Month Rally
Another token enjoying a meteoric rise is ApolloX (APX), which has maintained a consistent uptrend across multiple timeframes. Trading at $0.69058, APX recorded a 23.03% 24-hour surge and is up by 654.76% in the past week. On a 30-day basis, its gains extend to 777.13%, with even more impressive long-term growth of 726.84% over 90 days.
The token’s market capitalisation of $367.73 million and $83.71 million in daily trading volume reflect strengthening investor confidence. Analysts suggest that ApolloX’s price elasticity, the ability to respond quickly and strongly to market changes, positions it well in this new liquidity environment. Following the Fed’s rate cut, traders are actively rotating into tokens like APX that have already demonstrated resilience and upside momentum.
Immutable X (IMX) Finds Strength in Gaming Push
While DeFi tokens dominated the week, Immutable X (IMX) made headlines in the gaming sector. Priced at $0.88297, the token jumped 51.84% over the last seven days and 59.32% over 30 days, supported by a 62% spike in daily trading volume to $288.45 million. With a market cap of $1.67 billion, IMX has clawed its way back into relevance after slipping out of the top 100 earlier this year.
The rally coincides with Immutable’s launch of a new mobile gaming division, targeting the $121 billion global gaming market. This strategic pivot pushed IMX’s price higher by nearly 10% in a single day, underscoring investor excitement over gaming-linked tokens. While many play-to-earn projects have collapsed under weak funding, Immutable’s hybrid model blending Web2 gaming partnerships with Web3 infrastructure appears to be attracting both gamers and long-term investors.
Despite its rebound, IMX remains down 43.24% year-to-date, suggesting there is still room for recovery if adoption grows and bullish sentiment sustains.
Broader Market Movers: SwissBorg and Drift
Beyond the top three gainers, other altcoins also delivered strong performances. SwissBorg (BORG) rose 46.81% this week, trading at $0.42194 with steady investor participation. Its 90-day gain of 140.12% highlights growing trust in its more measured growth trajectory, compared with the sharper volatility seen in ASTER and APX.
Meanwhile, Drift Protocol (DRIFT) advanced 41.1% over seven days, reaching $0.91519. With $182.38 million in daily volume and a market cap of $336.23 million, Drift has shown consistent upward momentum, fuelled by rising demand for high-yield DeFi products.
Outlook: DeFi and Gaming Tokens in Focus
This week’s rally underscores the shifting dynamics of the crypto market. While Bitcoin and Ethereum remain core assets, high-beta tokens in DeFi and Web3 gaming are capturing outsized gains as traders chase exponential returns.
Aster and ApolloX, with their explosive growth, embody the speculative appetite returning to decentralised finance. At the same time, Immutable X’s rebound demonstrates that gaming-linked projects still hold investor appeal when supported by strong fundamentals and partnerships.
Still, risks remain. The concentration of token supply, broader market volatility and the potential for profit-taking could dampen momentum in the weeks ahead. For now, however, the breakout rallies of ASTER, APX and IMX have placed them firmly in the spotlight, signalling that altcoin season may be far from over.
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