CoinGecko has indicated that the cryptocurrency landscape in 2025 and the first months of 2026 was marked by sharp price fluctuations and swift shifts in market narratives. As the overall sector showed signs of greater maturity through growing institutional involvement, certain areas like decentralized finance (DeFi), artificial intelligence (AI) projects, and privacy-focused tokens remained hotspots for volatility.
A recent CoinGecko analysis spotlighted the top movers within the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, examining percentage price changes over the full 2025 calendar year and the 2026 year-to-date (YTD) period up to late May.
Zcash (ZEC) stood out as the standout performer in 2025, delivering an astonishing 812.5% gain. The token climbed from around $56.10 at the start of the year to approximately $511.92 by December 31.
This surge underscored a revival in demand for privacy-oriented digital assets, driven by global debates on financial monitoring and data protection.
As a veteran privacy protocol, Zcash gained renewed appreciation for its core technology in an era of heightened regulatory scrutiny.
WhiteBIT Coin (WBT), the utility token of the WhiteBIT exchange, secured second place with a 129.7% increase, rising from $24.56 to $56.41.
Its growth mirrored the expansion of centralized trading platforms and heightened user engagement in the exchange space throughout the year. Monero (XMR), the leading privacy cryptocurrency, followed with a solid 124.2% rally from $193.24 to $433.18, further validating the appeal of privacy narratives.
OKB, associated with the OKX exchange, posted a 122.9% gain, advancing from $49.07 to $109.35. Factors included the platform’s international growth and ongoing token burn initiatives.
In contrast, the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) experienced a steep 84.3% decline, dropping from $1.27 to $0.20.
This downturn exemplified a broader pullback in overhyped AI tokens following periods of speculative fervor.
These results reveal a key theme of 2025: privacy and exchange-related tokens thrived on fundamental interest, while many AI assets faced harsh reality checks and valuation adjustments.
The volatility profile shifted noticeably in 2026 YTD. Venice (VVV) led with an explosive 1,051.2% surge, escalating from $1.64 on January 1 to $18.88 by May 25.
Key drivers included tokenomics upgrades such as lower emissions and buyback-burn strategies, alongside a major collaboration positioning its AI model as a core provider for OpenClaw.
Rising interest in uncensored and privacy-centric AI solutions also played a significant role.
SkyAI (SKYAI) claimed second with an 837.9% jump from $0.037 to $0.35, benefiting from the emerging Model Context Protocol (MCP) trend and successful testing of its MCP Hub for AI agent interactions.
Siren (SIREN) ranked third, gaining 647.3% from $0.068 to $0.50, blending meme appeal with practical AI features and gaining traction through Binance Alpha support, liquidity programs, and community tasks.DeXe (DEXE) rose 458.0%, moving from $3.15 to $17.56, thanks to its successful pivot toward AI-DAO integration and the addition of numerous new DAOs.
Unibase (UB) rounded out the top five with a 377.9% increase from $0.035 to $0.17, establishing itself as a vital memory layer for AI agents, boosted by perpetual contract listings on OKX and the launch of an Agent Service Marketplace.
While 2025 volatility centered on established privacy and infrastructure assets, early 2026 momentum concentrated in innovative, high-risk AI projects.
This evolution signals shifting investor priorities in the maturing crypto market.
The CoinGecko study focused on the top 100 coins by market cap, calculating percentage changes as ((End Price – Start Price) / Start Price) × 100.
Stablecoins and pegged assets were excluded to capture genuine market dynamics. Data was sourced from CoinGecko as of May 25, 2026.
CoinGecko has now concluded in the research report that investors should approach these volatile assets with caution, as rapid gains often come with equally sharp risks. The report highlights how narrative rotations continue to drive seemingly outsized opportunities in the crypto space (and pitfalls).