APIA, Samoa, Aug. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As broader market sentiment stabilized, the cryptocurrency market staged a rebound during the second week of August (Aug 10–16), with capital rotating into several high-performing sectors.
According to data from HTX, representative tokens across the BTCFi, DeFi, GameFi, and AI sectors ranked among the week's top gainers, pointing to clear rotation of capital between sectors.
BTCFi Leads the Week's Gainers: BTW Surges 64%
BTCFi was the strongest-performing narrative of the week, led by BTW, which gained 64% to top the weekly gainers list.
- BTW (+64%): Bitway is an innovative infrastructure project designed to bring Bitcoin liquidity into DeFi markets worldwide. The project recently launched its Core Alpha incentive program, supporting the development of its multi-chain, non-custodial wallet ecosystem.
As a key part of the effort to financialize the Bitcoin ecosystem, BTCFi has continued to draw market attention, and its price action suggests growing interest in derivative applications and financial infrastructure built on the Bitcoin ecosystem.
DeFi Recovers Broadly: COW, OBT, and LINK Post Solid Gains
DeFi, a cornerstone of the crypto market, also recorded broad rallies during the week.
- COW (+40%): CoW Protocol is a decentralized exchange (DEX) operating across Ethereum and EVM-compatible chains. Leveraging its unique intent-based architecture and MEV-protection mechanism, COW surged 40% this week, proving that innovation driven by improved trading experience in the DEX space continues to attract strong market backing.
- OBT (+30%): The 30% increase signals that capital is actively scouting for undervalued opportunities across the DeFi sector. Orbiter Finance, a decentralized cross-chain bridge powered by zero-knowledge proofs, is designed to enable high-speed, low-cost transactions across Ethereum's multi-layered ecosystem as well as other Layer 1 and Layer 2 networks.
- LINK (+12%): As the clear leader among oracles and a large-cap blue chip, LINK rose a steady 12% this week. In a volatile market, that move is being read as a mark of institutional confidence in DeFi infrastructure over the long term.
AI Narrative Maintains Momentum: NIL and GRIFFAIN Rise
AI-related assets carried over their earlier momentum. The convergence of artificial intelligence and blockchain also remained a focus for the market.
- NIL (+31%): Nillion is a decentralized data processing and privacy protection network centered on "Blind Compute," with applications in decentralized AI model training, Web3 identity verification, and similar use cases.
- GRIFFAIN (+17%): Griffain is a widely followed platform on Solana for creating and deploying AI agents.
Capital and attention are clearly concentrated in the AI infrastructure and AI application layers. That suggests the AI sector may have moved on from pure narrative speculation to competing on real technology deployment and application ecosystems.
GameFi Rebounds: BIGTIME Up 35%
In GameFi, as blockchain gaming and the broader Web3 gaming ecosystem continue to explore new product formats and business models, several highly watched GameFi projects saw notable moves during the week, creating new trading opportunities for the market.
- BIGTIME (+35%): Big Time is a multiplayer online role-playing blockchain game built on Ethereum and the Open Loot ecosystem. A veteran play-to-earn (P2E) title, the project is shifting its focus toward richer in-game content in 2026.
HTX Monitors New Opportunities as Multi-Sector Rotation Continues
Taken together, the August 10–16 gainers list shows clear rotation across sectors, led by BTCFi, active DeFi, and growing GameFi and AI.
As a trading platform offering a diverse range of assets and exposure to emerging sectors, HTX closely monitors shifts in market structure and the development of new sectors, providing users with a broader range of trading opportunities and market insights. HTX also reminds users that short-term price gains do not necessarily reflect long-term value. When evaluating strong-performing assets, traders should consider factors such as market liquidity, project fundamentals, capital flows, and sector momentum, while remaining mindful of the volatility risks that can follow sharp short-term rallies.
About HTX
Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.
As a world-leading gateway to Web3, HTX harbors global capabilities that enable it to provide users with safe and reliable services. Adhering to the growth strategy of "Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance," HTX is dedicated to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.
To learn more about HTX, please visit https://www.htx.com/ or HTX Square, and follow HTX on X, Telegram, and Discord.
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