Weekly Cryptocurrency Ranking – Category 1: The Market Pillars

Week of August 24 to August 31, 2024

In a constantly evolving cryptocurrency market, identifying the projects that constitute the true pillars of the ecosystem becomes essential for any investor or industry professional. This week, our Category 1 analysis features a major change that deserves explanation before diving into the results.

A Significant Change in Composition

Horizen (ZEN): When a Pillar Crumbles

After in-depth analysis, we made the difficult but necessary decision to remove Horizen (ZEN) from our Category 1. This decision reflects a market reality that we cannot ignore.

Reasons for this removal:

• Persistent technical decline: ZEN has lost over 90% of its value since its 2021 peaks, dropping from ~$165 to less than $10.
• Blurred positioning: Caught between traditional privacy coins and modern scaling solutions, the project struggles to find its place.
• Technological competition: zk-proof innovations and more elegant privacy solutions have made the “privacy sidechains” approach less attractive.
• Limited adoption: Real activity on the Horizen ecosystem remains marginal compared to initial expectations.
• Declining volume and liquidity: Trading metrics show increasing disinterest from the market.

It’s important to note that a project can have solid technology but fail to find its market fit. This is unfortunately the case with Horizen, illustrating that even established projects can lose their “pillar” status if their fundamentals sustainably deteriorate.

Bittensor (TAO): The Deserved Ascent

Conversely, Bittensor (TAO) makes a remarkable entry into Category 1, directly from Category 2. This promotion is not anecdotal; it reflects a fundamental evolution in the crypto landscape.

Arguments for this promotion:

• Established capitalization: With over $2 billion in market cap, TAO is no longer a “small” project but a major player.
• Narrative leadership: The first and primary representative of the AI + Blockchain fusion, a narrative set to dominate the next decade.
• Functional ecosystem: Unlike many theoretical AI projects, Bittensor already has multiple “subnets” in active competition.
• Institutional recognition: Listed on major platforms (Binance, etc.), a sign of market maturity and trust.
• Exceptional technical momentum: Remarkable 90-day performance demonstrating real traction.

TAO represents what we look for in an “emerging pillar”: technological innovation, growing adoption, and positioning on a sustainable megatrend.

Our Proven Methodology

For this week’s analysis, we applied our optimized scoring system based on five weighted criteria:

• Market Capitalization (35%): Indicator of project size and stability.
• 24h Trading Volume (25%): Measure of liquidity and trading activity.
• Weekly Performance (25%): Price evolution over the analyzed period.
• Technical Momentum (15%): Trend analysis over 7, 30, and 90 days with a consistency factor.

This Week’s Results

🥇 1. Bitcoin (BTC) – 77.0 points

The King Keeps Its Crown

Unsurprisingly, Bitcoin maintains its dominant position with a market capitalization of $2.165 trillion and a daily volume exceeding $10.8 billion. While its weekly performance remains modest (+0.8%), its stability and benchmark status in the market give it an unshakable solidity.

Strengths: Exceptional liquidity, macroeconomic stability, institutional adoption.
To watch: Short-term performance lagging behind altcoins.

🥈 2. Ethereum (ETH) – 69.0 points

The Perfect Balance

Ethereum once again demonstrates why it remains the most robust ecosystem after Bitcoin. With a $535 billion market cap and a weekly performance of +1.6%, ETH shows a balanced profile across all analyzed criteria.

Strengths: Mature DeFi ecosystem, high trading volume, continuous development.
Outlook: Consolidation of its position as the smart contract leader.

🥉 3. Bittensor (TAO) – 62.0 points

The Confirmation Revelation

A major new entry in this ranking, TAO proves its worth from its first week in Category 1. Promoted from Category 2, the decentralized artificial intelligence project shows impressive technical momentum (+38% over 90 days), compensating for its more modest $2 billion market capitalization.

Strengths: Powerful AI narrative, exceptional momentum, innovative ecosystem.
Challenges: Maintaining growth in the face of increasing competition.

4. Avalanche (AVAX) – 56.0 points

The Weekly Sprint

AVAX boasts the best performance of the week with +2.8%, demonstrating the vitality of its ecosystem. However, its $10.1 billion market cap places it behind the giants in this category.

Strengths: Excellent weekly performance, recognized technology.
Opportunity: Significant catch-up potential with sustained momentum.

5. Algorand (ALGO) – 36.0 points

Awaiting Catalysts

Algorand closes the ranking with a score of 36 points. Despite a decent weekly performance (+2.5%), the project suffers from limited capitalization and negative technical momentum over 90 days.

Challenges: Need for catalysts to reignite adoption.
Potential: Solid technology awaiting market recognition.Key Takeaways from This Week

1. The Natural Evolution of Categories

The replacement of Horizen by Bittensor perfectly illustrates that our rankings are not static. Yesterday’s “pillars” can crumble while new leaders emerge. This rotation is healthy and reflects the constant innovation dynamic of the sector.

2. Artificial Intelligence Enters the Elite

The successful integration of TAO into Category 1 marks a historical turning point. For the first time, a project focused on decentralized artificial intelligence joins the ranks of “established major projects,” confirming that this narrative is no longer experimental but becoming structural.

3. Capitalization as an Indicator of Maturity

With our 35% weighting on market capitalization, we recognize that a “pillar” must have reached a certain critical mass. TAO, with its $2 billion, crosses this threshold while Horizen has fallen below it.

Outlook and Strategy

This week sets an important precedent: our rankings evolve with the market. We will continue to monitor emerging projects likely to join the elite, while remaining vigilant about the health of established “pillars.”

For the coming weeks, we will particularly monitor:

• TAO’s adaptation: Its ability to confirm its place among the elite.
• ALGO’s potential rebound: Technical catalysts or partnerships on the horizon.
• BTC/ETH’s resilience: Maintaining their dominance against innovation.

Our next ranking will focus on Category 2, where we will analyze medium to high-growth potential projects, now without TAO but enriched with promising new candidates.

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Full methodology and source data available upon request. This analysis does not constitute investment advice.