Українська
Русский
English
Quantum Threat and AI Boom. Top 5 Cryptocurrencies With the Strongest Weekly Growth
Most large-cap coins with double-digit weekly gains are directly connected to artificial intelligence, while some are linked to the privacy segment and discussions surrounding the quantum vulnerability of blockchains.
Over the past seven days, prices of most major cryptocurrencies showed positive momentum despite the trend among market leaders — Bitcoin and Ethereum, which declined by 4% and 6% respectively. Bitcoin remains near $77.7k, while Ethereum trades around $2.1k. Against this backdrop, several altcoins from the top 100 by market capitalization posted double-digit gains, significantly outperforming the broader market.
Below is a regular roundup of the five best-performing cryptocurrencies. The ranking is based on percentage growth over the past seven days (from May 15 to May 22), with crypto assets selected from the top 100 by market capitalization using CoinMarketCap data. Although the growth of nearly every coin was accompanied by a specific news backdrop, it is important to remember that many additional market factors also influence prices.
NEAR Protocol ($NEAR)
7-day growth as of May 22: +45%
NEAR Protocol is a layer-1 blockchain positioning itself as an “AI blockchain.” Its architecture uses sharding technology, which developers claim allows the network to process billions of transactions without increasing fees or network congestion. The project is also developing blockchain abstraction mechanisms designed to simplify the use of Web3 applications by hiding the technical complexity of different networks from users.
The primary catalyst was the broader rally in AI-related crypto assets following NVIDIA’s earnings report on May 20, which coincided with strong price appreciation in $NEAR during the reviewed period. As a blockchain focused on AI infrastructure, $NEAR became one of the direct beneficiaries of improving investor sentiment toward artificial intelligence.
Another key catalyst was the announcement of the Dynamic Resharding network upgrade, scheduled for June, which is intended to improve network performance. According to the project, the new features are particularly important for the AI economy, where bots transact with one another. At the same time, the network is implementing protection mechanisms against quantum computers amid growing concerns that such machines could eventually compromise blockchain security. Additional support may have come from institutional demand, as the Bitwise Near Staking ETF, registered in Europe, attracted $7 million in inflows over the week.
$NEAR traded at $2.26 with a market capitalization of $2.95 billion. For years, $NEAR failed to deliver meaningful outperformance relative to the broader market. In 2024, the token made two unsuccessful attempts to establish itself above the $7 level before stagnating near current prices. The asset remains nearly 89% below its all-time high of $20.4 recorded in January 2022.
Venice Token ($VVV)
7-day growth as of May 22: +30%
Venice Token is the native token of the Venice ecosystem, an AI platform built on the Base blockchain, a layer-2 solution developed by Coinbase. Venice provides a unified interface for interacting with models such as ChatGPT and Claude while ensuring that user data and prompts remain private. The platform tokenizes uncensored access to large language models, targeting users and developers seeking alternatives to corporate control over AI systems. The project is led by Erik Voorhees, founder of ShapeShift, while former Circle executive Tiana Baker-Taylor serves as chief operating officer.
The rally in $VVV coincided with two major events: renewed interest in AI tokens following NVIDIA’s earnings report and the announcement of a listing on the American trading platform Robinhood.
$VVV is currently the fastest-growing token of 2026 among the top 100 cryptocurrencies, gaining more than 1000% since January. At the time of writing, the token traded at $18.3 with a market capitalization of $850 million. Its all-time high of $22.45 was reached shortly after trading launched in early 2025.
Hyperliquid ($HYPE)
7-day growth as of May 22: +30%
Hyperliquid is a decentralized perpetual futures exchange operating on its own blockchain with the native token $HYPE. The platform enables users to trade leveraged perpetual contracts without intermediaries or KYC procedures.
On May 21, $HYPE reached a new all-time high above $62, surpassing its previous record from September 2025. At the time of writing, the token traded near $59 with a market capitalization exceeding $15 billion. Since the beginning of the year, $HYPE has gained approximately 130%, making it one of the fastest-growing assets of 2026.
The rally coincided with strong institutional demand for exchange-traded products (ETFs) tied to $HYPE in the United States. Launched only ten days before the record high, HYPE ETFs attracted more than $80 million across seven trading sessions. Blockchain analysts also identified that digital asset manager Grayscale Investments accumulated approximately $10 million worth of $HYPE, while wallets associated with venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) have accumulated roughly 9.2 million $HYPE tokens worth more than $520 million since August 2025. Analysts noted that “institutional investors are allocating to HYPE ETFs faster than Bitcoin ETFs when adjusted for market capitalization.”
Another important catalyst was the partnership with Coinbase, which became the operator of the USD Coin stablecoin for the Hyperliquid ecosystem, effectively replacing the project’s native stablecoin USDH. Following the agreement, Hyperliquid founder Jeff Yan stated that he had spent several days in Washington discussing the integration of on-chain derivatives into the US financial system with regulators.
$HYPE has occupied the tenth position among the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization for nearly a year, trailing Dogecoin by approximately $1.3 billion. However, after this week’s rally, $HYPE surpassed Solana in fully diluted valuation (FDV), reaching $55 billion versus Solana’s $54 billion, despite Solana ranking seventh by market capitalization.
Zcash ($ZEC)
7-day growth as of May 22: +20%
Zcash is the largest privacy-focused cryptocurrency, enabling anonymous transactions through zk-SNARKs technology. The blockchain operates on a Proof-of-Work consensus mechanism similar to Bitcoin but includes built-in privacy functions capable of fully concealing the sender, receiver, and transaction amount.
$ZEC ranks 11th among the world’s largest cryptocurrencies with a market capitalization of $10.6 billion. Its seven-day growth nearly matched its gains since January, totaling around 25%. At the time of writing, the token traded near $640. However, it still remains approximately 20% below the previous annual peak near $770. Zcash’s all-time high was recorded shortly after launch in 2016, when the token briefly traded above $4,000.
No major project-specific news emerged during the reviewed period, although the concept of financial privacy has become increasingly prominent in media discussions, where Zcash is frequently described as a “more private version of Bitcoin.”
Another possible catalyst was a report published by Glassnode indicating that nearly one-third of all bitcoins could be vulnerable to potential quantum attacks. Such narratives traditionally increase attention toward cybersecurity, while Zcash remains one of the few blockchain projects with a clearly articulated plan for quantum-resistant protection.
Worldcoin ($WLD)
7-day growth as of May 22: +13%
The World project is being developed by Tools for Humanity, co-founded by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. The startup is built around the concept of a biometric digital identity system called World ID for online verification. Using dedicated devices, operators scan users’ irises and encode the data into a digital passport. In return for completing verification, users receive small amounts of $WLD tokens.
The project has generated mixed reactions within the crypto community. Following its launch in 2023, long queues formed for biometric scans, and the token was quickly listed on major cryptocurrency exchanges. Critics, however, continue to warn about significant privacy risks, as iris patterns are unique and the use of such biometric information by third parties may create serious consequences. The project has been restricted or banned in countries including India, Brazil, France, Germany, and South Korea. Offices associated with World operators have also faced raids and closures in Kenya and Hong Kong.
This week’s rally in $WLD coincided with the broader surge in AI-related tokens following NVIDIA’s earnings report. Additionally, the project maintains a strong association with OpenAI through Sam Altman, making the token highly sensitive to developments involving the company. In particular, additional momentum may have come from reports suggesting that OpenAI accelerated preparations for a potential IPO following its legal victory against Elon Musk. According to reports, the company may file for an initial public offering within weeks or even days.
Worldcoin is also developing verification tools for AI agents, allowing users to confirm that a real human stands behind a digital identity.
Nevertheless, $WLD also recorded an anti-record this week: on May 18, the token fell to an all-time low of $0.228. At the time of writing, the price had recovered slightly to $0.286 with a market capitalization of $981 million. The token remains 97.6% below its all-time high of $11.8 reached in March 2024.
See also: "Binance XRP Withdrawals Reach Their Highest Level Since April"
