Huobi HTX New Asset Weekly Review: AI and Privacy Rise Together

Over the past week (October 27 – November 2), the crypto market experienced a downward correction with oscillations, as mainstream capital flowed back into niche narratives. Concepts like AI, privacy coins, and Layer 2 solutions showed clear rotation, with several small- and mid-cap tokens performing notably well. Huobi HTX launched multi-sector initiatives, and trading activity on the platform continued to rise. Notably, AI narratives regained momentum driven by the x402 protocol hype, while privacy tokens made a strong comeback with established assets. AI and privacy sectors have become the most representative twin engines of this market cycle.

AI Narrative Resurgence: DARK, GAME, and VIRTUAL Lead the Charge

AI remains the dominant theme this week. The rise of the x402 protocol has reignited on-chain AI narratives. Initiated by Coinbase, the protocol aims to enable AI agents to directly call services via micro-payments on the blockchain, laying the foundation for an “AI self-paying economy.” Its explosive growth has spurred a wave of projects labeled “AI & x402,” quickly gaining market attention.

● DARK (Dark Eclipse): One of the few projects in the Solana ecosystem combining AI and x402 applications, DARK surged 110% over the past week, topping weekly gain charts. Recent AI asset surges on Solana have driven DARK’s trading volume to increase over threefold, making it a flagship project in the current AI narrative wave.

● GAME (by Virtuals): Continuing its strong performance, GAME rose 80% this week. As an AI proxy token within the Virtuals Protocol ecosystem on Base, it benefits from the combined appeal of AI and x402 tags, attracting trading interest and conceptual attention.

● VIRTUAL (Virtuals Protocol): Up 30%, showing steady growth. Positioned at the intersection of AI and virtual assets, VIRTUAL aims to build AI-driven virtual economies, covering AI-generated content and virtual identity verification. As the x402 ecosystem matures, VIRTUAL could become a key project representing AI + virtual assets.

On Thursday, Huobi HTX will launch a “Spot Trading Carnival” event, distributing a total of 20,000 USDT in airdrops to users. The promotion targets the hottest AI and x402 ecosystem tokens—participate in trading pairs like GIGGLE, VIRTUAL, KITE, PAYAI, BLUAI, PING, and PALU to share the 20,000 USDT prize pool. New registrants and VIP users can enjoy additional benefits, with multiple rewards stacking—more trading, higher gains.

Privacy Sector Breakout: DASH and ZEC Make a Strong Comeback

Amid tightening regulations and KYC requirements, privacy coins had been relatively quiet, but recent market sentiment is shifting. Investors are once again recognizing the unique value of privacy assets in on-chain security, anonymous payments, and censorship resistance.

● DASH: Up 77% this week, leading the privacy coin rally. Known for its “mixing privacy + fast payments” model, DASH has advantages in payment network restructuring and on-chain settlement. The recent DASH Evolution update has renewed market confidence in its long-term potential.

● ZEC (Zcash): Gained 20%, marking a bottoming phase for this veteran privacy coin. Built on zk-SNARKs technology, ZEC continues to underpin on-chain privacy protections. Increased discussions around Layer 2 integrations and privacy tech have brought ZEC back into focus.

Layer 2 and Derivatives: ZK and ASTER Steadily Advance

● ZK (ZKsync): A leading Layer 2 project, up 70% this week. The ZK ecosystem has made progress in rollups, cross-chain interoperability, and privacy expansion. Infrastructure developments like zkEVM and zkBridge have attracted capital inflows. As Ethereum scaling solutions enter a new phase, the long-term value of ZK-related assets is being reassessed.

● ASTER (Aster): Representing decentralized perpetual contracts, up 20%. Driven by increased trading volume and market volatility in derivatives, Aster’s low fees and high leverage features are gradually attracting users.

AI and Privacy Synergy Intensifies, Market Rotation Accelerates

Overall, AI and privacy have become the two main themes driving market recovery. AI symbolizes innovation and efficiency, while privacy embodies the spirit of decentralization and resistance. From DARK’s explosive growth to DASH and ZEC’s resurgence, the market is witnessing a convergence of new and old narratives.

As we enter November, macro liquidity and industry sentiment are expected to improve in tandem. Capital rotation among high-growth sectors like AI, privacy, and Layer 2 solutions will likely continue, creating opportunities amid short-term volatility. With liquidity rebounding and innovation accelerating, Huobi HTX’s diversified sector layout and forward-looking, professional research position it as a key window into the next phase of market trends.

About Huobi HTX

Founded in 2013, Huobi HTX has evolved over 12 years from a cryptocurrency exchange into a comprehensive blockchain ecosystem, covering digital asset trading, derivatives, research, investment, incubation, and more.

As a leading global Web3 gateway, Huobi HTX adheres to strategies of global expansion, ecosystem development, wealth creation, and compliance, providing virtual currency enthusiasts worldwide with secure, reliable, and comprehensive services.