The cryptocurrency market enjoyed a briefly cap-inspired rebound following a sell-off that was just shy of hitting massacre status, giving investors a brief moment of respite in the larger 2025 debacle.
The apparent easing of global trade war tensions seems to be the main factor behind the risk-on tone that is benefitting most asset classes, including cryptocurrencies. However, that spike is likely to be just that—a spike—in an ongoing cryptocurrency bear market where some of the most popular coins and tokens are appearing to be more toxic relative to the days of the 2018-2019 crypto winter.
Following the weekend’s sharp decline, cryptocurrencies are still contending with a number of problems, such as economic uncertainty, regulatory issues, and plain ol’ market volatility. The crypto market is trying to regain some semblance of momentum, but several of the big-name projects have taken tremendous hits to their values—not just in the last couple of days but extending back over the last month. And some of these projects now look to be down more than half of their market caps from their summer highs. Here’s a look at some of the big-name projects that are in rough shape.
Projects Suffering Heavy Losses Amid Ongoing Market Struggles
Some of the most hard-hit projects are $VERUM, $HEX, and $PLSX, each of which has lost over 50% of their market value in just one month. The rapid descent of these tokens reflects not just the broad headwinds hitting the cryptocurrency market, but also particular problems with each project.
1. Verum ($VERUM): A -68% Drop in Market Cap
Leading the charge in terms of percentage loss, Verum ($VERUM) has experienced a staggering drop in market cap over the past month. This dramatic change has raised concerns among investors about the long-term viability of the project. Verum can likely be attributed to a mix of external market pressures and potential issues within the project itself. The downfall of Verum highlights the volatility of the crypto space, where even well-established tokens can experience extreme price fluctuations.
2. HEX ($HEX): A -56% Plunge HEX, one of the more well-known staking tokens in the cryptocurrency ecosystem, has itself taken a serious hit in the past 30 days, losing 56% of its market cap. HEX had been gaining traction during periods of bullish market moves, but appears to not be immune to the downturn we’re otherwise seeing. Coupled with market uncertainty in general, as well as some concerns over its tokenomics (and what is happening with some other recently poorly-performing ERC20 tokens), HEX’s price seems to be in a serious freefall.
3. PulseX ($PLSX): -55% Decline
PulseX ($PLSX), another high-profile project, is still contending with a relentless decline that has seen it lose 55% of its market cap in just one month. The decentralized exchange token, which is often thought of as being synonymous with the PulseChain ecosystem, is facing headwinds that are affecting the larger market as well as some internal developments that are troubling for potential investors. This decline makes it very clear how the external macroeconomic climate is affecting even well-known tokens.
4. .Jupiter ($JUP): -38% Loss
The decentralized finance (DeFi) project Jupiter ($JUP) has experienced a more moderate loss, down by 38% in market value over the last 30 days. While not as severe as the aforementioned projects, Jupiter’s performance still reflects the broader struggles within the DeFi sector. As the market continues to grapple with uncertainty, tokens like Jupiter are facing pressure from both external and internal factors.
5. Injective ($INJ), Lido DAO ($LDO), Official Trump ($TRUMP), Optimism ($OP), and Trillioner ($TLC): -34% Decrease
Several other notable projects have seen their market caps diminish by around 34%, with tokens such as Injective ($INJ), Lido DAO ($LDO), Official Trump ($TRUMP), Optimism ($OP), and Trillioner ($TLC) all facing much the same fate. Those declines are part of a wider shrinkage in the crypto market, where even the most favored projects can’t seem to hold their value.
– Injective ($INJ) has been a key player in the Cosmos ecosystem, offering a decentralized exchange layer, but it has found itself losing ground recently due to the overall market downturn.
– Lido DAO ($LDO), a decentralized staking protocol, is facing challenges as Ethereum’s staking ecosystem has come under pressure, impacting Lido’s token value.
– Official Trump ($TRUMP), a meme-inspired project, has struggled with the speculative nature of its value, which has been increasingly difficult to maintain during uncertain times.
– Optimism ($OP), which supports Ethereum scalability through layer-2 solutions, has seen its value diminish despite its technological potential.
– Trillioner ($TLC), a more niche project, has failed to sustain its earlier momentum, alongside the broader market struggles.
6. Hedera ($HBAR): -33% Decline
Hedera ($HBAR), a blockchain platform that is very well-known, has been affected by market conditions, suffering a 33% drop in its market cap over the last month. While the technology of Hedera remains one of the more advanced in the crypto space, it has not been able to avoid this larger downturn. This drop demonstrates how many projects struggle to maintain any kind of value amidst regulatory and market pressures.
Market Uncertainty Persists Despite Some Relief
The weekend sell-off saw a not-so-pleasant spiral effect that caused the market to briefly dip below US$ 180 billion. Thankfully, it managed to recover back above US$ 200 billion before the market opened on Monday morning (13 August).
Still, this cryptocurrency market cap downtrend doesn’t seem to be ending just yet. Even after this morning’s recovery, cryptocurrency prices remain absolutely battered across the board.
Battered by a turbulent 2025, the future of cryptocurrencies is unclear. Some tokens might make a temporary recovery, while others could still find themselves on the downside as a result of broader economic and regulatory developments. For now, though, investors need to tread carefully and watch the markets closely to see if anything resembling a recovery takes hold.
To conclude, the last month has been an eventful one for a number of crypto projects, with some of their major tokens facing serious downdrafts. The entire market seems to be in a state of flux, and several external factors, such as trade wars and worries about the global economy, seem to be adding to the overall uncertainty. That said, there are a number of signs that the overall market could be stabilizing in the near future, especially if trade tensions ease even more. Of course, the crypto space remains as volatile as ever, and it is impossible to forecast with certainty which specific projects will come out on top.
Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any Metaverse crypto coins.