Trending Cryptos of the Week: XRP & CAKE Break Out While DeFi Market Heats Up

Altcoins have been making waves, with institutional interest, DeFi expansions, and staking incentives driving massive rallies across multiple sectors. XRP continues to ride the ETF speculation wave, PancakeSwap's CAKE is capitalizing on revenue-sharing mechanisms, and Layer-1 projects like Sui (SUI) and Hyperliquid (HYPE) are gaining traction with increasing network activity. Meanwhile, BakeryToken and Sonic have surged, benefiting from broader ecosystem growth on Binance Smart Chain and Solana.

XRP (XRP)

Price Change (7D): +14.16% Current Price: $2.75

News

XRP continues to gain institutional traction with growing ETF interest. The SEC acknowledged the 21Shares Spot XRP ETF filing, signaling possible mainstream adoption. Ripple's legal landscape is evolving, with a potential ETF approval increasing institutional participation. Nasdaq and Cboe BZX are pushing for XRP ETFs, indicating broader acceptance. Meanwhile, partnerships like Unicâmbio 's cross-border payments initiative further expand XRP's use case.

Forecast

XRP is trading above $2.70, with strong bullish momentum. The RSI is nearing overbought territory, around 72, signaling potential consolidation before further upside. If XRP breaks $2.80, it could test $3.00 as its next resistance. Support remains at $2.40, and if a pullback occurs, it may retest this level. However, continued ETF speculation could push XRP toward new highs.

PancakeSwap (CAKE)

Price Change (7D): +59.68% Current Price: $2.60

News

CAKE surged nearly 60% in a week, driven by its revenue-sharing staking incentives. The platform has distributed over $1.9 million in staking rewards, tightening supply. Additionally, PancakeSwap expanded its Orbs-powered dLIMIT and dTWAP to Arbitrum, Linea, and Base, enhancing DeFi trading capabilities. The BNB Chain ’s ecosystem growth and PancakeSwap’s record-breaking trading volumes contributed to the rally, making CAKE a top-performing token this week.

Forecast

CAKE has broken past $2.50, indicating strong bullish momentum. RSI is around 68, suggesting that while the rally remains intact, a short-term cooldown is possible. Resistance is at $3.00, and a break above could push CAKE to $3.50. However, if profit-taking occurs, key support lies at $2.20. The staking rewards and DEX expansion make CAKE a promising asset to watch.

Litecoin (LTC)

Price Change (7D): +27.31% Current Price: $132.68

News

LTC is gaining traction due to speculation around an SEC-approved ETF . Recent regulatory discussions suggest Litecoin could be classified as a commodity, increasing institutional confidence. A Grayscale Litecoin ETF is under review, and the Nasdaq ETF filing has added further momentum. If approved, this could lead to increased liquidity and mainstream adoption.

Forecast

LTC is trending upward, breaking past $130 with a strong support level at $125. RSI sits at 65, showing bullish momentum without overbought conditions. If LTC holds above $130, it could rally toward $140-$145. However, failure to maintain momentum may lead to a retest of $120. The ETF speculation remains the biggest catalyst for Litecoin’s future price action.

Cardano (ADA)

Price Change (7D): +12.11% Current Price: $0.7831

News

ADA has been in the spotlight due to its decentralized governance developments and institutional adoption. A new Constitution was ratified, strengthening the platform’s governance framework. The upcoming Plomin hard fork aims to improve staking and decentralization. Moreover, whale accumulation and ETF speculation have driven renewed investor interest, pushing ADA’s market cap higher.

Forecast

ADA is attempting to break above $0.80, with RSI at 62 indicating continued bullish momentum. The next major resistance lies at $0.85, and a breakout could see ADA testing $0.90. However, a rejection at current levels may lead to a retest of $0.75. The increasing institutional interest and staking upgrades make ADA a strong long-term contender.

Jupiter (JUP)

Price Change (7D): +11.37% Current Price: $0.9176

News

JUP has seen a surge in interest due to its $100M annual buyback plan . The platform is allocating 50% of protocol fees toward buybacks, increasing demand for JUP tokens. As the leading Solana-based DEX aggregator, Jupiter continues to dominate trading volume, benefiting from Solana’s memecoin activity. Its expanding features, such as limit orders and efficient trade routing, have made it an attractive choice for traders.

Forecast

JUP is consolidating around $0.91 after its recent rally. RSI is at 59, suggesting neutral momentum. If JUP breaks past $0.95, it could push toward $1.00, while support lies at $0.85. The ongoing buyback initiative provides strong price stability, making JUP a promising asset to watch in the coming weeks.

BakeryToken (BAKE)

Price Change (7D): +46.75% Current Price: $0.2180

News

BAKE saw an explosive rally, driven by increased activity on the BNB Chain and growing DeFi adoption. BakerySwap is expanding its liquidity pools and enhancing staking rewards, making it more attractive for yield farmers. The NFT marketplace on BakerySwap continues to see increased trading volume, further supporting BAKE’s demand.

Forecast

BAKE has surged but is nearing resistance at $0.25. RSI is in the overbought zone at 75, suggesting a pullback to $0.20 could occur before another leg up. If bullish momentum persists, BAKE could test $0.30 in the coming days. Its correlation with BNB’s performance makes it a token to watch.

Sui (SUI)

Price Change (7D): +12.74% Current Price: $3.40

News

SUI is making strides in blockchain scalability with innovations like Move programming and zkLogin authentication. The network recently surpassed Ethereum in active addresses , reflecting growing user adoption. Additionally, 3DOS is leveraging SUI’s blockchain for securing 3D design NFTs, expanding its use case beyond traditional DeFi applications. Institutional interest is also rising, with Grayscale launching a Sui Trust.

Forecast

SUI is consolidating around $3.40 after a volatile week. RSI is at 60, indicating bullish momentum but not yet overbought. If SUI breaks above $3.50, it could test resistance at $3.80. A downside correction could find support at $3.10. With strong development activity and institutional backing, SUI remains positioned for further growth.

Hyperliquid (HYPE)

Price Change (7D): +7.66% Current Price: $25.39

News

HYPE has introduced native multi-sig transactions , improving security and institutional adoption. A whale recently deposited 8M USDC to long HYPE, indicating strong confidence in the asset. Additionally, Hyperliquid's recent airdrop distribution rewarded over 90,000 users, increasing community engagement. Its on-chain order book and gas-free transactions continue to attract high-volume traders. Additionally, a whale has recently bough $8 million in Hype.

Forecast

HYPE is currently testing the $25 resistance zone, with RSI around 58, indicating a healthy uptrend. If it sustains above $26, the next target is $28. However, a correction to $23 could occur if momentum slows. The whale accumulation and new staking mechanisms suggest bullish sentiment remains strong.

Sonic (S) (Previously FTM)

Price Change (7D): +27.05% Current Price: $0.5124

News

Sonic , the upgraded version of Fantom (FTM), is gaining traction as it expands cross-chain accessibility. USDT has now been integrated, allowing seamless transactions. Security enhancements are also underway with 24/7 on-chain penetration testing by Fuzzland. Additionally, the Meme Mania event , worth over $500K, has boosted ecosystem engagement.

Forecast

Sonic is rallying, currently testing resistance at $0.55. RSI is 64, suggesting further upside potential. If Sonic breaks past $0.55, the next target is $0.60. A correction to $0.48 could happen if profit-taking occurs. With new integrations and a security-focused roadmap, Sonic is positioned for continued growth.

BNB (BNB)

Price Change (7D): +7.99% Current Price: $668.33

News

BNB has gained momentum due to the suspension of SEC litigation , an improved staking ecosystem, and AI-powered transaction optimizations. Binance Smart Chain reached a milestone of 500 million active addresses, further solidifying its dominance in the DeFi space. Additionally, BNBChain's roadmap for 2025 focuses on scalability and MEV-resistant transaction mechanisms.

Forecast

BNB is holding steady above $660, with resistance at $680. RSI is at 62, suggesting bullish momentum but with room for further gains. If it breaks past $680, BNB could test $700 soon. A retracement to $640 is possible in case of market-wide profit-taking. The BNB ecosystem remains strong, supporting further price appreciation.

Closing Thoughts

The market is seeing a shift in focus toward DeFi protocols and Layer-1 ecosystems, both of which are fueling increased participation. The most significant gains this week came from coins linked to staking rewards and ecosystem incentives, such as CAKE and BAKE, which benefited from yield farming and liquidity expansions. Hyperliquid and Sui also saw strong activity, suggesting that traders are moving toward newer Layer-1 solutions offering faster transactions and innovative features like multi-sig security and zkLogin authentication.

ETF speculation remains a key driver for major altcoins, as seen with XRP and Litecoin. The possibility of institutional involvement is injecting fresh liquidity into these assets. Meanwhile, BNB’s steady performance highlights continued strength in Binance's ecosystem, supporting smaller projects like Thena (THE) and BakeryToken.

Overall, DeFi, staking incentives, and Layer-1 adoption are the dominant trends this week. With Ethereum's high fees pushing users toward alternatives, projects with fast, low-cost transactions are gaining momentum. Whether this uptrend sustains depends on market sentiment, but for now, DeFi and staking-based projects are leading the charge.