Altcoins Outpace Bitcoin: ZEC, XRP, and AAVE Rally on Distinct Catalysts

Three altcoins have outpaced Bitcoin's recent rally, according to data from August 25. Zcash (ZEC) surged past $800 for the first time since 2018 and briefly touched $851, a 38% weekly move. This gain was largely driven by Grayscale's fourth amendment to its filing to convert the Zcash Trust into a spot ETF on NYSE Arca under the ticker ZCSH, which is still pending SEC review.

Active XRP addresses jumped 654.71%, from 47,180 to 356,070, a spike typically associated with higher network participation and volatility. Experts have flagged $1.50 as a level where buyers have failed multiple times this year, making it the next confirmation point if the current breakout holds.

AAVE climbed to $133.67, up over 50% for the week, driven by organic DeFi growth, with total protocol deposits surpassing $30 billion and wallet creation numbers at their strongest in years, attributed to genuine credit demand and fee-generating activity rather than token emissions.