Crypto’s institutional layer is splitting clean down the middle, as venture-backed projects once valued at $1 billion now trade at fractions of those figures. One private firm even scooped up 46,379 ETH in a single sweep. And Philippine regulators blocked Coinbase and Gemini entirely, another step in the direction of global enforcement tightening up.
VC hype meets cold reality
The recent downturn laid bare the canyon between venture capital fantasy and actual market pricing. Humanity Protocol tumbled from $1 billion to $285 million, as Fuel Network crashed from $1 billion to just $11 million.
But while VCs lick their wounds, whales are loading up aggressively. Trend Research now holds 580,000 ETH after its latest purchase, and its founder says another $1 billion is ready to deploy. Big money sees what retail misses, including when opportunity is hiding inside fear.
The Philippines’ crackdown on unlicensed exchanges signals tighter global enforcement ahead. Projects with powerful utility will separate from empty promises quickly, making this the perfect moment to watch projects with real tools emerging ahead of 2026.
Trending coins this week with marked 2026 potential
- DeepSnitch AI
You could think of DeepSnitch AI as your personal intelligence syndicate. Five proprietary AI agents, after it launches, will work together to catch whale moves, sentiment flips, and sketchy contracts before they turn your portfolio to dust. Markets may bleed, but DSNT holders will get to be on the winning side due to the platform’s expert analyst-developed utility.
The Unified Intelligence Dashboard connects SnitchFeed, SnitchScan, and SnitchGPT into one cognitive layer, so it’s easy to drink in information on signals, tokens, and whale splashes.
The platform is also interactive, meaning intelligence here isn’t just collected for you but can actually be interrogated. You can ask, explore, and act without drowning in the information overload of chaotic dashboards or raw feeds.
With above $883K raised and uncapped staking live, early holders lock tokens while yields stay high. At $0.03020, DSNT only needs to reach around $1.50 for 50x, and only $3.00 for 100x. And between its early shipping, proven credibility, and tools that are razor-sharp as a utility edge, it could easily be the next crypto to 100x. And those positioning now stand a real chance of taking home the very best of those gains.
Going into 2026, any token that stands out will be shipping real tools that give it traction and a long-term edge. DeepSnitch AI meets all the requirements and then some.
- Hyperliquid
Hyperliquid is trading at $23.90 with an $8 billion market cap, impressively ranking second in both DeFi and exchange token categories. The perpetual DEX captured serious volume this year, generating enough fees to fund $90 million in monthly buybacks.
The bull case centers on battle-tested infrastructure and a December 24th governance vote that could formalize $920 million in tokens as burned, a potentially bullish catalyst. Forecasts point toward $35-40 if sentiment recovers, which would make HYPE one of the top cryptocurrencies to watch for DeFi believers.
Monthly token unlocks adding roughly $200 million in sell pressure create headwinds, currently exceeding buybacks, and long-term believers see accumulation territory at these levels.
Still, for those who are keeping abreast of the trending coins this week with true moonshot potential, tokens like DeepSnitch AI offer far more room to run from ground-floor pricing.
- Zcash
Zcash sits at $413 after rallying 594% over 90 days before pulling back. Privacy coins face regulatory heat globally, but ZEC’s opt-in model separates it from competitors facing outright bans (a crucial distinction for coins in the privacy sector).
ZEC could retest $500–600 if privacy narratives regain traction heading into 2026. Proven technology and institutional-grade security keep it on major watchlists despite short-term volatility.
EU AML rules create uncertainty around shielded transactions, and that’s the risk. For those comfortable with regulatory overhang, ZEC offers deep value among trending coins this week. But projects shipping operational utility, like DeepSnitch AI, sidestep these concerns entirely while delivering superior upside as the next crypto to 100x.
The bottom line
Combining proven utility and ground-floor pricing, DeepSnitch AI could easily be one of the projects to watch now, especially as it gears up for launch in 2026. VC valuations are resetting, whales are accumulating, and projects with real tools separate from smoke-and-mirrors choices.
DeepSnitch AI ships what others only pitch, with its dashboard live, staking live, and launch just around the corner.
FAQs
What is the best crypto for beginners?
DeepSnitch AI offers accessible entry at $0.03020 with AI tools protecting newer traders from scams and whale manipulation.
Which trending coins this week have the most upside?
Early-stage projects like DeepSnitch AI deliver asymmetric returns, meaning it has a different draw compared to billion-dollar tokens, whose market caps are keeping potential runs limited.
What’s the next crypto to 100x?
DeepSnitch AI at $0.03020 only needs $1.51 to deliver 50x, very much achievable for an AI utility token of this caliber. It’s one of the top projects to watch as it gears for launch.
