11 Best Crypto Picks That Jumped 50%+ This Week (May 2025)

Crypto markets exploded this week with the best crypto performers delivering staggering 50%+ gains despite overall market uncertainty. Bitcoin's relatively stable performance contrasted sharply with these altcoin moonshots that caught many investors by surprise.

During the first week of May 2025, several cryptocurrencies broke through key resistance levels, validating bullish predictions that many analysts dismissed earlier this year. Ethereum led the charge with significant institutional backing, while meme sensations like Pepe continued their unpredictable yet profitable trajectories. Notably, lesser-known projects such as Pyth Network and Hyperliquid emerged as unexpected winners.

Whether you're an experienced trader or simply curious about these market-beating cryptos, this analysis breaks down the 11 digital assets that outperformed the market, examining their price movements, key features, and technical outlooks.

Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum (ETH) skyrocketed this past week, establishing itself as one of the best crypto performers with an astonishing 42-50% price increase. This remarkable rally pushed ETH back above the $2,600 mark, reclaiming its macro range after months of bearish consolidation.

Ethereum price surge this week

The second-largest cryptocurrency jumped to approximately $2,638, marking its strongest performance since December 2020. In contrast to Bitcoin's modest 11% gain, Ethereum's explosive movement led to over $305 million in short positions being liquidated. Furthermore, institutional interest has grown substantially, with Abraxas Capital adding more than 211,000 ETH to its holdings since last Wednesday.

Ethereum key features

At its core, Ethereum functions as more than just a digital currency. Launched in 2015, this blockchain platform enables developers to build decentralized applications without intermediaries. The system operates through smart contracts—self-executing agreements that automatically implement terms when conditions are met. Additionally, Ethereum completed its transition to Proof of Stake in 2022, significantly reducing resource consumption compared to its previous Proof of Work method.

Ethereum technical resistance levels

Currently, ETH faces crucial resistance at the $2,800 zone, which represents a confluence of technical factors including the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement level. The cryptocurrency recently tested the $2,617 resistance but failed to break through. If Ethereum successfully clears these barriers, the next targets include $2,850 and potentially $3,000.

On the support side, key levels exist at $2,400-$2,300 and the psychologically important $2,000 mark. Technical indicators show a cooling period may be underway, with the RSI dropping from 86 to 63 and the DMI's ADX declining from 61 to 47.99, suggesting diminishing trend strength.

Nevertheless, as long as Ethereum maintains its position above the 200-day moving average, the bullish structure remains intact, potentially setting up ETH for continued upward momentum.

Pepe (PEPE)

The frog-themed sensation Pepe (PEPE) delivered extraordinary returns this week, cementing its position among the best crypto performers with an astonishing 140% gain from recent lows. This impressive rally eliminated a zero from its price and transformed the token's market capitalization from $2.70 billion to $5.40 billion in just 30 days.

Pepe price movement

Pepe outperformed every other cryptocurrency in the top 100 list, recording a remarkable 62% weekly gain. Technical indicators suggest further upside potential, with the token recently surpassing the 38.20% Fibonacci retracement level. Meanwhile, the MACD indicator has formed a positive crossover, supporting the bullish outlook. Open interest in derivatives markets has surged nearly 40% to $633 million, indicating growing interest from traders. Consequently, short liquidations approached $13 million over a 24-hour period, adding fuel to the upward momentum.

Pepe meme culture impact

Primarily an ERC-20 token operating on the Ethereum blockchain, Pepe draws its identity from the iconic Pepe the Frog internet meme. Essentially, the project aims to shift attention from canine-themed tokens like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu toward amphibian-inspired digital assets. The meme's enduring popularity has helped Pepe build a passionate community of over 430,000 holders, making it the third most popular meme coin by market capitalization. Furthermore, Pepe's strong performance correlates with Ethereum's recent bullish movement, benefiting from trading on the Ethereum network.

Pepe volatility risks

Although the current trajectory looks promising, Pepe remains susceptible to extreme price swings. Consider these risk factors:

Price valuations are heavily influenced by market sentiment and speculative trading rather than fundamental value
The token previously experienced a 35% weekly drop during February market corrections
Technical analysis indicates potential pullbacks to the 0.236 Fibonacci level before possibly rebounding
Experts recommend caution, suggesting investors allocate only discretionary funds to such high-volatility assets

The surge is happening before major macroeconomic catalysts have come into play, potentially indicating that the meme coin sector is beginning to heat up once again. Unless support levels break down, Pepe appears positioned to potentially challenge its previous all-time high near an $11 billion market cap.

Pyth Network (PYTH)

Emerging as a dark horse among the best crypto assets, Pyth Network (PYTH) recorded a spectacular 44.5% growth this week. This oracle protocol has quietly built momentum, catching many investors by surprise.

Pyth Network price jump

Currently trading at approximately $0.19, PYTH has established itself as a standout performer in May 2025. The token's market capitalization sits at $695 million, ranking 104th in the cryptocurrency hierarchy. Daily trading volume reached $92 million, indicating substantial investor interest. Particularly noteworthy is PYTH's recovery from its 80% drop from its March 2024 high of $1.15. The surge suggests funds are rapidly flowing into the oracle sector, possibly triggered by institutional accumulation.

Pyth Network use case

Regarding functionality, Pyth Network operates as a Solana-native decentralized oracle protocol delivering high-precision, low-latency financial market data. The system compresses data update times to a mere 400 milliseconds, reducing gas costs by 90% compared to traditional oracles. Over 120 major market participants—including Jane Street, CBOE, Binance, and Bybit—contribute real-time data to the network. Interestingly, Pyth supports 1,300+ price feeds across 100+ blockchains, making it increasingly vital infrastructure for DeFi applications.

Pyth Network resistance zone

From a technical perspective, PYTH faces immediate resistance at $0.21, with subsequent barriers at $0.29 and $0.38. Support levels exist around $0.17-$0.18, currently serving as a defense zone for bulls. A successful breakout above the upper resistance could potentially drive prices toward $0.40, $0.50, and $0.55, representing a possible 58% upside.

Certainly worth monitoring is the upcoming token unlock scheduled for May 20, 2025, which will release 2.13 billion PYTH tokens—approximately 58.3% of its current market capitalization. This substantial supply increase might create short-term price pressure, presenting both challenges and potential entry opportunities for strategic investors.

Pi Network (PI)

Pi Network (PI) stands out among this week's best crypto performers, capturing market attention through its innovative mobile mining approach and impressive 17.5% daily gain. The cryptocurrency, created by Stanford graduates in 2019, delivers accessibility unlike traditional mining operations.

Pi Network mobile mining

Founded by a team of Stanford graduates, Pi Network revolutionized cryptocurrency mining by enabling users to generate tokens directly from smartphones. The system employs the Stellar Consensus Protocol, eliminating the energy-intensive requirements typical of Bitcoin mining. Users simply tap a "Lightning" button in the mobile app once every 24 hours to mine Pi coins, making cryptocurrency accessible to those without specialized hardware. Moreover, over 12 million users have completed migration to the Pi Network mainnet, though full migration timelines remain unspecified.

Pi Network price action

On May 14, 2025, Pi Coin reached $1.25, representing a substantial 17.5% increase within 24 hours. The cryptocurrency maintained a daily trading range between $1.02 and $1.32. At present, PI has a market capitalization of approximately $8.90 billion with a circulating supply of 7.1 billion tokens out of a total supply of 10.9 billion. According to technical indicators, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has exceeded 70.0, suggesting the asset may be in overbought territory. First, the Chaikin Money Flow remains above zero, indicating continued strong capital inflow.

Pi Network breakout potential

Technical analysts have identified a potential 234% price surge if Pi breaks out of its current parallel channel formation. As a result, prices could theoretically reach $5.27 if this pattern materializes. The Pi Core Team has teased a major ecosystem announcement scheduled for May 14, 2025, coinciding with the Consensus conference. Accordingly, speculation ranges from an Open Mainnet launch to strategic partnerships with technology firms or payment networks. Investors should note that approximately 265.44 million Pi coins (worth about $317.92 million) are scheduled for unlock over the next 30 days, therefore creating potential selling pressure that could affect price volatility.

Ethereum Name Service (ENS)

Ethereum Name Service (ENS) emerged as one of the best crypto infrastructure tokens this week, gaining over 50% as Web3 adoption accelerates. Functioning as the decentralized equivalent of traditional domain systems, ENS has capitalized on growing demand for human-readable blockchain addresses.

ENS price performance

Currently trading at $23.67, ENS has experienced modest 24-hour growth of 0.47% while maintaining a market capitalization of $860.14 million. The token has shown remarkable strength with 70% green days in the past month alongside 16.33% price volatility. Specifically, ENS has established a trading range between $10.00 and $35.00 over the previous year, recently testing the upper Bollinger Band at $33.75, which indicates heightened market activity. Technical indicators present a mixed picture—MACD at 1.68 suggests selling pressure, even as the token remains above key moving averages, signaling fundamental strength.

ENS domain utility

Ethereum Name Service operates as a decentralized naming protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain. First thing to remember, ENS transforms complex hexadecimal wallet addresses into simple, memorable domains ending with ".eth". Important to realize, these domains function as programmable NFTs (ERC-721 tokens) that users own completely without intermediaries. The system supports cross-chain naming for crypto wallets, content hashes, and even smart contracts. Since the first ENS names were minted in May 2017, the protocol has evolved into a community-driven non-profit governed by the ENS DAO, making it resistant to censorship and geographical restrictions.

ENS technical outlook

Looking forward, ENS faces immediate pivot points at $22.97, $23.70, and $24.26, with stronger resistance at $24.99, $25.55, and $26.28. Forthwith, the Fibonacci levels place critical resistance between $23.46 and $25.55. Markedly, the general sentiment remains bullish with 25 technical indicators signaling positive movement versus only 3 bearish signals. Price predictions for 2025 suggest ENS could reach $77.71, representing a 226.57% increase from current levels. Simultaneously, more conservative forecasts expect the token to trade between $23.79 and $111.86 throughout 2025, with an average price of $67.72.

XRP (XRP)

Ripple's XRP has solidified its position among the best crypto assets this week with an impressive price stability around $2.60, following a prolonged legal battle with the SEC that finally reached resolution. The sixth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap has demonstrated remarkable resilience amid broader market fluctuations.

XRP legal clarity boost

The SEC dramatically slashed Ripple's fine from $125 million to $50 million, effectively closing the lawsuit that began in 2020. This resolution confirms XRP's non-security status in the United States, removing a major adoption barrier that had plagued the asset since December 2020. Presently, XRP stands as the only cryptocurrency after Bitcoin to achieve legal clarity in the U.S., significantly enhancing its appeal to institutional investors. Subsequently, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse indicated that the company is "better positioned to form strategic partnerships, particularly with U.S. banks".

XRP ETF speculation

Following Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF approvals, speculation around an XRP ETF has intensified. Unconfirmed reports suggest BlackRock met with the SEC to discuss an XRP ETF application, helping push the token to a seven-week high of $2.47. Undoubtedly, the SEC delayed its decision on Franklin Templeton's XRP ETF application until June 17, 2025, coinciding suspiciously with the timeline for the potential settlement of Ripple's legal issues. Currently, prediction markets estimate a 77% chance of XRP ETF approval by December 2025.

XRP resistance levels

From a technical perspective, XRP faces these critical resistance zones:

Immediate resistance at $2.69, representing the 0.236 Fibonacci retracement from XRP's all-time high
Secondary resistance at $3.00, a significant psychological barrier
Final major resistance at $3.55, the all-time high price target

XRP currently trades above all key support levels including its 50-day EMA at $2.26, 100-day EMA at $2.24, and 200-day EMA at $2.02. The token's MACD indicator remains bullish with expanding green histograms confirming upward momentum. Nonetheless, with RSI at 69.71 approaching overbought territory, a short-term pullback remains possible before testing higher resistance levels.

Solana (SOL)

Solana (SOL) has established itself as another standout among this week's best crypto performers, currently approaching the critical $180-$190 resistance zone after recovering impressively from $100 support. The high-throughput blockchain has gained momentum through multiple growth vectors.

Solana memecoin traffic

As a prime blockchain for meme tokens, Solana has experienced substantial traffic due to its technical capabilities handling over 65,000 transactions per second. This capacity has fueled platforms like Pump.fun and Boop.fun which simplify token creation. Indeed, the ecosystem has witnessed remarkable success stories, including a trader who transformed just $332 into nearly $190,000 with Gooncoin. Additionally, meme sensations like Moo Deng (MOODENG) have surged over 110% in 24 hours and recorded 900% gains over 30 days. The low transaction costs—consistently under $0.00—have made Solana ideal for speculative meme coin trading.

Solana technical breakout

From a price perspective, SOL exhibited a significant bullish candle on May 13, 2025, pushing from $145.20 to $158.70 within a single 4-hour timeframe—a 9.3% increase. Currently trading around $172.67, SOL has broken through key resistance levels while forming patterns indicative of upward momentum. Technical analysis reveals a bullish setup with a potential breakout above $200, supported by institutional interest visible through options market activity. Support levels exist around $150-$160, with resistance centered in the $180-$190 zone.

Solana ecosystem growth

Solana's infrastructure has shown remarkable development with stablecoin supply increasing by 156% in 2025, reaching a record of $12 billion. The network's TVL grew by 25% over a 30-day period, rising from $6.10 billion to $7.65 billion. Furthermore, daily transaction counts increased by 25% over the last month to 57.77 million transactions. In the competitive DeFi landscape, Solana commands a 27.7% market share in DEX volumes, positioning it ahead of both Ethereum and BNB Chain. This ecosystem expansion validates the growing institutional and retail confidence in Solana's technological foundation.

Hyperliquid (HYPE)

Decentralized derivatives exchange Hyperliquid (HYPE) joins the ranks of best crypto performers this week, recording historic capital influx and substantial price movement. With its innovative approach to on-chain perpetual futures trading, HYPE has risen to approximately $25.00, gaining 4% in 24 hours and 57% over the past month after falling to $9.20 in early April 2025.

Hyperliquid weekly gains

Between May 5 and May 11, 2025, Hyperliquid achieved a record-breaking net inflow of $548 million. Even more impressive, May 8 alone saw an unprecedented single-day inflow of $200 million—the highest in Hyperliquid's history. This substantial financial momentum pushed the platform's open interest to an all-time high of $5.60 billion on May 11. After declining 73% from its December 2024 all-time high, HYPE has rebounded dramatically, surging 170% since market conditions improved in April.

Hyperliquid DeFi role

Established in 2023, Hyperliquid operates as a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain capable of processing over 200,000 transactions per second. The platform prioritizes community ownership, allocating 31% of its token supply for airdrops and 38.8% for future community rewards. Hyperliquid recently launched Hyperbridge, built on Layerzero's omnichain protocol, enabling seamless asset transfers from over 50 blockchains directly into its exchange. This cross-chain functionality allows users to bridge USDT, USDe, and PLUME tokens without complicated processes.

Hyperliquid trading volume

In terms of trading activity, Hyperliquid's 24-hour trading volume reaches approximately $9.06 billion, placing it ahead of competitors like Jupiter Perps whose average daily volume is 88% lower at $704 million. The most active trading pair is ETH/USD, representing 40.22% of volume with $3.64 billion in 24-hour activity. Considering market positioning, Hyperliquid's $1.40 billion Bitcoin open interest equals 15% of Binance's, 46% of OKX's, and 25% of Bybit's. Technical indicators suggest continued bullish momentum as MACD remains above the signal line, potentially pushing HYPE toward its all-time high of $34.96 reached in December 2024.

Monero (XMR)

Privacy-focused cryptocurrency Monero (XMR) achieved remarkable status among this week's best crypto performers, surging over 50% following an unexpected catalyst. This once-niche asset has captured mainstream attention through its price action and unique technological proposition.

Monero privacy focus

Primarily designed for maximum transactional privacy, Monero implements three critical technologies that distinguish it from conventional cryptocurrencies:

Ring signatures obscure transaction sources by grouping multiple possible senders, making funds virtually untraceable
Ring Confidential Transactions (RingCT) hide transaction amounts entirely
Stealth addresses ensure recipient information remains private

Unlike Bitcoin's pseudonymous blockchain where addresses and amounts remain visible, Monero transactions are completely private by mandate. This mandatory privacy architecture has positioned XMR as the preferred cryptocurrency for users prioritizing confidentiality. Remarkably, Monero gives users control through selective transparency—they can share view keys with specific parties while maintaining security elsewhere.

Monero price spike

The catalyst behind Monero's dramatic rise appears connected to a suspected $330.70 million Bitcoin theft. On-chain researcher ZachXBT identified a suspicious transfer of 3,520 BTC laundered through multiple instant exchanges and converted to Monero. This massive conversion triggered a 40-50% price spike overnight. After reaching $340, XMR currently trades above critical support levels—a zone not seen since August 2021.

Interestingly, limited liquidity amplified the price impact, as major exchanges previously delisted the privacy token. Throughout 2025, Monero has outperformed major cryptocurrencies with a 45% year-to-date gain compared to Bitcoin's modest 3.83% increase.

Monero resistance levels

From a technical standpoint, Monero faces several key resistance zones:

Immediate resistance at $340.98, recently breached during its five-week winning streak
Secondary target at $356.59, aligning with the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level
Long-term resistance at $400 with further potential toward $560

The weekly RSI currently reads 80, indicating overbought conditions yet still pointing upward. Short-term support exists at $306.85 (50% retracement level), while stronger support lies at $222.00. Cautious traders should monitor whether XMR maintains positioning above $280—essential for confirming continued bullish momentum.

Flare (FLR)

Flare Network (FLR) has joined the roster of best crypto assets showing remarkable growth this week with gains exceeding 50%. As a blockchain specifically built for data accessibility, Flare has gained traction among investors seeking utility beyond speculative assets.

Flare smart contract utility

At its foundation, Flare operates as an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible Layer 1 blockchain. This compatibility allows developers to deploy Ethereum-based applications directly onto Flare with minimal modifications. The network distinguishes itself through two proprietary protocols:

The Flare Time Series Oracle (FTSO) for decentralized price feeds
The State Connector for verifying events from other blockchains

In fact, these protocols enable Flare to provide high-integrity, encrypted data to developers across multiple blockchains. The platform currently supports 18 currencies priced in US dollars, with FTSOv2 expected to reduce data delivery time to just 90 seconds. This data accessibility functions as a "public good," enabling applications ranging from stock market analysis to real estate tokenization.

Flare price recovery

FLR currently trades around $0.03, representing a significant jump after bottoming out at $0.01. Throughout the first half of May 2025, Flare exhibited a positive trend with the price increasing by 13.28% over the past month. Technical analysis reveals immediate pivot points at $0.02, with stronger resistance zones at $0.03 and $0.04.

Given these patterns, analysts project Flare could reach between $0.04 and $0.09 by the end of 2025. In the longer term, price predictions suggest potential growth to $0.38 by 2032. However, investors should note the current MACD indicator remains below the signal line at -0.00078, indicating lingering bearish momentum.

Flare cross-chain potential

Perhaps most promising is Flare's cross-chain infrastructure. The recently introduced Protocol Managed Wallets (PMW) enable applications built on Flare to execute transactions across any connected blockchain. This system effectively extends Flare's consensus to other chains, creating what developers call "chain abstraction".

In addition, Flare's bridging system incorporates unique security features through an insurance mechanism. Users must lock funds into smart contracts for transfers, with bandwidth providers blocking sufficient tokens to secure the transactions. Already integrated with LayerZero, Flare connects to over 70 chains and 50,000 dApps, positioning it as a potentially critical infrastructure for the future of interoperable blockchain applications.

Pendle (PENDLE)

Yield trading protocol Pendle (PENDLE) has secured its place among the best crypto standouts this week with a remarkable 51.21% gain over the past seven days. Trading at approximately $6.23 with a market cap of $958 million, Pendle's recent performance signals growing interest in DeFi's fixed-income segment.

Pendle yield tokenization

Pendle revolutionizes DeFi yield management by separating yield-bearing assets into two distinct components. Initially, the platform wraps tokens like stETH into Standardized Yield (SY) tokens, then splits them into:

Principal Tokens (PT) – representing the right to redeem the underlying asset at maturity
Yield Tokens (YT) – embodying the right to receive yield until maturity

This structure enables users to lock in fixed yields, speculate on future yield movements, or enhance returns through various strategies. Essentially, Pendle has brought TradFi-equivalent products like zero-coupon bonds into decentralized finance, creating liquid markets for what was previously illiquid yield exposure.

Pendle TVL growth

In 2024, Pendle experienced extraordinary expansion as its Total Value Locked (TVL) surged 20x to $4.40 billion while daily trading volumes exploded 100x to $96 million. Correspondingly, the protocol now commands more than 50% of the yield market share—five times larger than its closest competitor. Throughout 2025, Pendle's success has evolved beyond mere yield trading; the platform has effectively become a de facto token launchpad. For instance, Berachain's genesis airdrop saw Pendle markets accumulate over $1 billion in TVL from users seeking to capitalize on upcoming airdrops.

Pendle market outlook

Looking ahead, Pendle co-founder TN Lee announced ambitious plans for 2025. Beyond the EVM ecosystem, Pendle is expanding to Solana, Hyperliquid, and TON, significantly enlarging its total addressable market. Most notably, the "Boros" initiative aims to target perpetual funding rates—potentially enabling protocols like Ethena to lock in predictable funding yields.

Price predictions vary, with neutral scenarios suggesting PENDLE could reach $4.20 by December 2025, whereas more bullish forecasts indicate potential growth to $4.59. Given the global fixed income market exceeds $100 trillion, even a tiny percentage flowing into Pendle could represent a multi-billion dollar opportunity as the protocol continues evolving into DeFi's comprehensive fixed-income layer.

Conclusion

Although Bitcoin remained relatively steady this week, these 11 altcoins delivered exceptional returns, demonstrating how crypto markets can reward informed investors even during periods of broader uncertainty. The diversity among these top performers stands out clearly—ranging from established players like Ethereum and XRP to newer entrants such as Pyth Network and Hyperliquid.

What drives these remarkable gains varies significantly across projects. Ethereum benefited from institutional accumulation, whereas Pepe capitalized on renewed meme coin enthusiasm. XRP gained strength through legal clarity, while Monero surged following a suspected major Bitcoin theft and conversion. Solana's ecosystem growth and Pendle's DeFi yield innovations showcase how fundamental developments still underpin significant price movements in this market.

Technically, most of these assets now approach critical resistance levels after their dramatic rises. Ethereum faces resistance at $2,800, Solana must break through the $180-$190 zone, and Pendle needs to maintain momentum above $6.20. Therefore, traders should watch these levels closely for confirmation of continued uptrends or potential pullbacks.

Undoubtedly, such explosive growth comes with heightened risk. Several tokens show overbought indicators, suggesting short-term corrections remain possible. Additionally, upcoming token unlocks for projects like Pyth Network could create temporary selling pressure that savvy investors might view as strategic entry opportunities.

Looking ahead, these market-beating cryptos highlight how blockchain technology continues evolving beyond simple speculation. From Flare's cross-chain infrastructure to ENS's Web3 naming revolution, these projects represent genuine innovation alongside their impressive price performance. Consequently, while past performance never guarantees future results, these standout cryptocurrencies deserve continued attention through the remainder of 2025.