In 2025 and early 2026, the cryptocurrency market experienced record volatility, which persisted despite the increase in institutional presence and the gradual maturation of the industry. According to a new study by CoinGecko, the largest price fluctuations were recorded among tokens in the anonymity, exchange infrastructure, and artificial intelligence sectors.
This is reported by Business • Media
“The cryptocurrency market in 2025 and in the first months of 2026 continued to demonstrate high volatility, states a new report by CoinGecko analysts. This situation is observed despite the growth of institutional participation and the gradual maturation of the industry.”
Anonymity Crypto Assets Dominated in 2025
CoinGecko analysts analyzed the dynamics of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization over two time periods: throughout 2025 and from the beginning of 2026 to the end of May. The absolute leader in volatility for 2025 was Zcash (ZEC), whose price increased by 812.5% — from $56.10 to $511.92. Experts explain this jump by the heightened interest of investors in private cryptocurrencies, which intensified amid active discussions about financial oversight and transaction privacy protection.
In second place for growth was the WhiteBIT exchange token (WBT), which added 129.7%, followed by Monero (XMR) with a gain of 124.2% and OKB, which rose by 122.9%. At the same time, the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance token (FET) entered the list of the most volatile due to a sharp decline — its value plummeted by 84.3% over the year.
According to analysts’ observations, the market in 2025 was characterized by increased demand for anonymity tokens and exchange infrastructure, while a number of assets in the artificial intelligence sector underwent a reassessment after a speculative wave.
Shift in Focus to AI Tokens in 2026
In 2026, the main volatility was observed in the artificial intelligence sector and among new high-risk tokens. The first place for growth was taken by Venice (VVV): over six months, its price increased by 1051.2% — from $1.64 to $18.88. Experts associate this with changes in tokenomics, buyback mechanisms, and partnerships with OpenClaw.
Second place went to SkyAI (SKYAI) with a growth of 837.9%, and third place to Siren (SIREN), which added 647.3%. The top five most volatile in 2026 also included DeXe (DEXE) and Unibase (UB).
Analysts note that the comparison of the two periods demonstrates a change in market sentiment: while in 2025 the focus was on anonymity and infrastructure projects, in 2026 volatility shifted to the AI sector and new tokens with increased risk.
It is also emphasized that the GUA token experienced a collapse of 85% after an incident involving a suspicious transaction.