The week of August 5–11, 2025 witnessed sharp price movements across several major altcoins. AERO and LDO surged on clear catalysts, while XMR (Monero) suffered a significant drop due to security concerns on its network. TON (Toncoin) maintained a steady upward trend, supported by the Telegram ecosystem and institutional capital inflows. Overall, the crypto market maintained a high market capitalization, close to its historical peak in August, providing a positive sentiment backdrop for capital rotation among assets.
Market Overview: August 5–11, 2025
- AERO: Up about 51% over 7 days, boosted by Coinbase’s announcement of integrating DEX trading for Base network assets, with Aerodrome as one of the key protocols.
- LDO (Lido DAO): Up about 62–69% in 7 days, driven by record active address growth and anticipation ahead of the Tokenholder Update Call scheduled for August 14.
- XMR (Monero): Down about 13–14% over the week after Qubic claimed control of over 51% of Monero’s hashrate, coinciding with a six-block chain reorganization.
- TON (Toncoin): Up about 8–9% in 7 days, supported by ongoing Telegram integrations and the announcement that Verb Technology raised $558M to launch a TON Treasury Strategy Company.
Weekly Summary Table (Aug 5–11, 2025):
| Token | 7-Day Change | Key Catalyst |
|---|---|---|
| AERO | +51% | Coinbase integrates DEX for Base assets, boosting Aerodrome’s liquidity. |
| LDO | +62–69% | Record active addresses, upcoming governance update, expansion of stETH custody for institutions. |
| XMR | −13% | Qubic claims >51% hashrate and reorganizes 6 blocks, raising concerns of a 51% attack. |
| TON | +8–9% | Telegram ecosystem growth and $558M capital inflow from Verb Technology. |
AERO (Aerodrome Finance): Why AERO Outperformed
AERO was among the top-performing tokens of the week, jumping by approximately 51%. The primary driver was Coinbase’s launch of in-app DEX trading for Base network assets, a move that significantly increases Aerodrome’s exposure and potential liquidity inflows. The announcement helped push AERO to a six-month high.
The broader Base ecosystem also saw strong momentum, with rising TVL and active user counts during its second anniversary celebrations, creating favorable market conditions for Base-linked assets.
Trader takeaway: AERO’s price action is being driven by systemic catalysts—distribution expansion and network growth—rather than pure technicals. For traders, managing risk against potential pullbacks after sharp rallies is crucial.
LDO (Lido DAO): Rising Ahead of Tokenholder Update
LDO surged between 62% and 69% in the past week, coinciding with its highest active address count in two years (1,205 on August 10). Anticipation is building for the Lido Tokenholder Update Call on August 14, where governance priorities, strategy, and mechanisms to link LDO’s value to protocol performance are expected to be discussed.
Institutional adoption also played a role, with GK8 by Galaxy adding custody support for stETH, opening the door for more institutional participation in liquid staking.
Trader takeaway: With a major governance event ahead, LDO could remain volatile. Traders should monitor the update closely to adjust their positioning based on announcements about buybacks, treasury use, or value-accrual strategies.
XMR (Monero): Price Falls on 51% Attack Risk
In contrast to the gainers, XMR saw heavy selling pressure, dropping around 13% for the week after the Qubic project claimed it had surpassed 51% of Monero’s hashrate. This coincided with a six-block chain reorganization, sparking debates over whether this was a true 51% attack or a statistical anomaly from high hashrate concentration.
Regardless of the debate, the security risk triggered immediate market fear, sending XMR lower in a week when many altcoins benefited from risk-on sentiment.
Trader takeaway: For privacy-focused coins like XMR, concentrated hashrate poses a systemic risk. Until the security situation is clarified, a defensive approach—tight stop-losses, reduced leverage, and using price recoveries to reassess positions—remains prudent.
TON (Toncoin): Steady Gains from Telegram and Institutional Flows
TON rose about 8–9% over the week, driven by continued integration within the Telegram ecosystem and significant institutional developments. The highlight was Verb Technology’s $558M capital raise to create TON Strategy Co., making it the first publicly listed company to adopt a TON treasury strategy.
Trader takeaway: TON is building a bridge between Telegram’s massive user base and on-chain activity. Structural catalysts like wallet distribution and treasury strategies tend to create more sustainable uptrends, suiting traders who favor trend-following strategies.
Opportunities for Gate Traders
On Gate, trading pairs such as AERO/USDT, LDO/USDT, XMR/USDT, and TON/USDT offer high liquidity, enabling traders to react quickly to market news. Gate’s research and market monitoring tools have highlighted AERO and LDO as hot spots for capital flows last week, making them worth keeping on the watchlist alongside key event dates.
Conclusion
- AERO rallied on expanded distribution and ecosystem growth.
- LDO benefited from governance anticipation, record on-chain activity, and institutional adoption.
- XMR faced network security concerns, dragging prices down.
- TON gained steadily on Telegram adoption and institutional investment.
Note: All percentage changes and events in this article are based on market data available as of August 13, 2025 (UTC+7). Prices are subject to real-time fluctuations—always verify current charts and order books on Gate before making trading decisions.
