The crypto market wrapped up a mixed week, with Stellar's XLM and DEXE notching the biggest gains among major tokens while Zcash and Bitcoin Cash slid. Traders rotated into assets with recent network upgrades or token-burn events, leaving the privacy and proof-of-work coins behind.
Stellar's rally
XLM climbed steadily through the week, buoyed by the Stellar Development Foundation's announcement of a new cross-border payment partnership. The token's 24-hour volume spiked midweek as retail and institutional orders hit exchanges.
DEXE's momentum
DEXE, the governance token of the DeXe Protocol, saw a sharp rebound after weeks of consolidation. A proposal to reduce the circulating supply via a buyback mechanism passed over the weekend, and the token responded with double-digit gains. The timing also lined up with a broader uptick in DeFi-related assets.
ZEC and BCH under pressure
Zcash fell for a third consecutive week. No major protocol news emerged, and trading volumes remained thin. Bitcoin Cash fared no better — the token struggled to hold support above $200 as miners rotated hash power toward Bitcoin amid the latest halving cycle. Both coins are now down more than 20% from their May highs.
Market snapshot
The broader crypto market cap held roughly flat week-over-week, hovering around $1.8 trillion. Bitcoin traded sideways near $68,000, while Ether slipped 2%. The divergence between the winners and losers suggests a rotational market rather than a broad rally or sell-off.
