Key Takeaways
Cronos [CRO], Pyth Network [PYTH], and Story [IP] led the week with sharp price surges. In contrast, Pendle [PENDLE], Aerodrome Finance [AERO], and Lido DAO [LDO] saw significant declines.
The crypto market had a mixed week.
Macro data set the tone, keeping Bitcoin [BTC] range-bound. Ethereum [ETH] also stayed in consolidation, though on-chain signals turned more constructive with $900 million in fresh institutional inflows.
Meanwhile, rotation into altcoins was selective. A few names held up, but most of the market closed the week in the red.
Weekly winners
Cronos [CRO] — Crypto.com’s native token hit a three-year high
Cronos [CRO] led the week, ripping 85% from its $0.15 open. In fact, it is CRO’s most bullish week yet, with most of the move coming in just three days, showing strong accumulation and buying pressure.
The week started with CRO dipping 1.56% within its range-bound slump below $0.15, a continuation of the Q4 pullback. But a 30.5% pop the next day pushed the price to test $0.20, a key resistance level.
On-chain flows and market chatter suggest this isn’t random. As AMBCrypto reported, Trump’s media company bought 2% of CRO supply, injecting $105 million into the market and fueling the rally.
Source: TradingView (CRO/USDT)
Cronos now faces a key test.
After peaking at $0.38, the altcoin retraced nearly 25% but found a base by week’s end. If support holds, it could set up for a bullish continuation.
Looking ahead, with risk-off sentiment in play and rotation flows shaping up, a break above resistance levels could put CRO back in bullish territory next week.
Pyth Network [PYTH] — Reclaims its Q2 resistance zone
Pyth Network [PYTH] locked the second spot in weekly gainers, up 48% from its $0.12 open. And it wasn’t a fluke. The news of U.S. government use of the Pyth Network for macro datasets drove buying pressure.
Like CRO, PYTH had been coiling below $0.15, but the announcement sparked a 99% spike on the 28th of August, breaking Q2 resistance and hitting $0.25.
Momentum cooled quickly, though. PYTH closed the week up 47%, retracing about half of its gains to $0.18. Now, it’s a question of whether this is just a cooldown or the start of a post-hype retrace.
A deeper pullback could bring PYTH back to its prior range-bound phase, making on-chain metrics like volume and liquidity flows crucial for gauging the next move.
Story [IP] — Its longest daily candle
Story [IP] came third on the weekly leaderboard, rallying 21.5% from its $0.62 open. A key divergence in its price action reinforces IP’s relative strength against peers, which could set the stage for its next leg up.
Unlike hype-driven pumps, IP’s move was supported by fundamentals, particularly its DeFi flows. In under 24 hours, total value locked (TVL) jumped 12% to $25 million, signaling genuine investor engagement.
The result? On the 30th of August, IP pushed nearly 30% to $9.39, printing its longest monthly candle since Q1 and entering price discovery. As a result, a retrace was natural.
However, the pullback to $7 looks like a healthy reset, offering a potential high-conviction entry for the next rally.
Other notable winners
Outside the majors, altcoin rockets stole the spotlight this week.
Austin Capitals (AUX) led the charge with a 186% surge, followed by BNB Attestation Service (BAS), which climbed 135%, and WOLF (WOLF), rallying 113% to round out the leaderboard.
Weekly losers
Pendle [PENDLE] — DeFi protocol erased two weeks of gains
Pendle [PENDLE] topped the weekly losers, down 17.9% from its $5.90 open, printing its first red weekly candle of the month and signaling an overheated setup.
From a technical perspective, PENDLE shows mixed momentum.
Since Q1, it’s put in four higher highs, the latest hitting $6.80 in late August. At the same time, it has formed three lower lows since June, indicating some short-term distribution.
Source: TradingView (PENDLE/USDT)
In fact, this combination of higher highs and higher lows points to consolidation, with traders likely digesting recent gains before the next leg. That means a short-term drawdown could play out.
That said, the structure suggests PENDLE could flip this pullback into a support zone by mid-September, turning the dip into a potential accumulation point ahead of the next leg up.
Aerodrome Finance [AERO] — Bullish streak snapped
Aerodrome Finance [AERO] retraced nearly 19% from its $1.40 open, ending its three-week bullish streak and printing the longest weekly pullback in over five months.
The move came after AERO retested the $1.50 level, marking a key supply zone last touched in Q1, triggering a sharp pullback to $0.40. Bulls ran into overhead resistance here, capping short-term upside.
While a bottom isn’t confirmed yet, the structure sets up a potential short squeeze, and a break above $1.50 could trigger a fresh leg higher if buyers step in.
Lido DAO [LDO] — Failed to break resistance
Lido DAO [LDO] closed the week as the third-largest loser, down 14% from its $1.40 open. After two weeks of sideways consolidation, this pullback added directional bias, putting sellers in control.
The altcoin printed three lower lows, with each bounce failing into resistance. It is a clear sign that asks are dominating the orderbook and bears remain in control.
Unlike AERO, LDO’s move shows erratic price action, signaling a risk-off sentiment. A rebound off $1.20 would be premature; if this structure holds, LDO could retest $1 before attempting to reclaim the $1.60 supply wall.
Other notable losers
In the broader market, downside volatility hit hard.
WayFinder (PROMPT) led the losers with a 46% drop, followed by Troll (TROLL), down 45%, and Huobi (HT), which slipped 43% as momentum sharply cooled.
Conclusion
This week was a rollercoaster. Big pumps, sharp dips, and nonstop action. As always, stay sharp, do your own research, and trade smart.
