A powerful wave of altcoin momentum swept through the market today as ZKsync, Dash, and Internet Computer (ICP) posted some of the strongest 24-hour gains across major digital assets. Each token’s rally is being driven by unique catalysts, from breakthrough scalability upgrades to privacy-focused rebounds and Bitcoin-linked DeFi innovation.
ZKsync (+52% 24h) – Vitalik’s Endorsement Sparks Institutional Surge
ZKsync (ZK) exploded by more than 52% in 24 hours, becoming the day’s top-performing altcoin. The rally followed Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s public endorsement of ZKsync’s Atlas upgrade, which significantly boosts scalability by enabling 15,000 transactions per second (TPS) and integrating unified Ethereum liquidity across Layer 2 rollups.
The project’s total trading volume spiked over 525% to $913 million, signaling rising participation from both retail and institutional investors. Reports confirm that Deutsche Bank and UBS are piloting early institutional use cases for the ZKsync network, marking one of the first large-scale tests of Ethereum Layer 2 adoption by major banks.
ZKsync aims to make Ethereum transactions faster and cheaper without compromising decentralization. The project leverages zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to validate transactions off-chain while maintaining full on-chain security, a key advancement in Ethereum’s long-term scaling roadmap.
Dash (+23% 24h) – Privacy Leader Rides Regulatory Shift
Dash (DASH) jumped 23.5% in the past 24 hours as the privacy coin sector experienced a strong rebound. The asset, once one of the top five cryptocurrencies by market cap, remains a cornerstone of the privacy ecosystem, offering users optional transaction anonymity through its PrivateSend feature.
Analysts attribute the latest surge to renewed investor interest in privacy-centric tokens, coinciding with global regulatory debates about financial surveillance and digital freedom. Derivatives data shows open interest rising 55% to $45.6 million, while technical indicators confirm a Golden Cross formation, often a precursor to extended bullish momentum.
With sector capitalization up 15%, Dash is reclaiming attention as both a payments-focused network and a symbol of the crypto industry’s decentralization ethos.
Internet Computer (+15% 24h) – Bitcoin DeFi Integration Boosts Inflows
Internet Computer (ICP) climbed 15.4% after its Chain Fusion upgrade gained adoption, a development that effectively bridges Bitcoin liquidity into DeFi without intermediaries. This breakthrough allows smart contracts on ICP to directly interact with Bitcoin, a capability few networks have achieved.
ICP’s ckBTC integration saw inflows rise 37% in June, while trading volume surged to $301 million, marking a 62% daily increase. The protocol, developed by the DFINITY Foundation, positions itself as a fully decentralized cloud alternative capable of hosting entire web services on-chain, from social apps to enterprise systems.
With this new upgrade, Internet Computer is solidifying its role at the intersection of Web3 infrastructure and Bitcoin DeFi, tapping into a rapidly expanding market for cross-chain interoperability.
Broader Context – Three Paths, One Trend
Together, ZKsync, Dash, and ICP represent three converging forces shaping the next crypto cycle: scalability, privacy, and cross-chain utility. ZKsync is driving the Layer 2 revolution with institutional traction, Dash is benefiting from renewed privacy demand, and ICP is pioneering direct Bitcoin-to-DeFi connectivity.
While short-term traders may capitalize on the volatility, the long-term strength of these projects depends on sustained network activity, ecosystem growth, and continued developer momentum.
The key question now: Can ZKsync maintain its momentum after the Atlas upgrade, or will profit-taking slow the rally? All eyes are on trading volumes and on-chain development metrics, the clearest signals of whether this surge marks the beginning of a broader altcoin revival.