With Fed rate cuts off the table for now, crypto kept the move on this week, with some of the large-cap altcoins showing strength. BNB, Polkadot, and NEAR all pushed higher, while a few small and mid-caps delivered even bigger moves.
The standout was ASTER, a new derivatives exchange that only launched in July. Backed by CZ-linked YZi Labs (the same crew formerly known as Binance Labs) and tied to BNB Chain’s leading DEX, PancakeSwap, ASTER exploded more than 655% this week. That kind of move doesn’t just happen out of nowhere; it’s being pitched as a direct competitor to Hyperliquid, which explains why traders are suddenly eyeing it as the next big derivatives play.
Other movers kept the charts buzzing: Immutable (up 51.8%), MemeCore (+22%), and Avalanche (+21%) proved there’s still gas left in the tank for both infrastructure plays and speculative bets. Pump.fun (+19.8%) and NEAR (+17.6%) added to the rotation, while ETHFI, Polkadot, and World Liberty Financial each posted double-digit gains. Even established giants like BNB (+9.5%) and Monero (+9.3%) quietly strengthened their footing. So the question heading into next week is whether this momentum keeps favoring new entrants like ASTER and MemeCore, or if the majors like BNB and DOT are setting up for a stronger push as liquidity rotates back.
