ICP Pumps 20% Despite Crypto Crash, Best Altcoin to Buy Now?

Bitcoin slipped below $100,000 on Tuesday for the first time since June. Spot BTC ETFs have also recorded their longest outflow streak in months, and sentiment is bearish across the board. Solana, XRP, and most other major altcoins are down double-digits since last week.

But Internet Computer (ICP) has bucked the trend entirely. ICP surged 20% in the past 24 hours, climbing to $5.84 while the rest of the market nursed losses. And the rally wasn’t random – DFINITY Foundation publicly rolled out an upgraded AI platform that’s boosting network activity.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER), a Layer-2 project targeting Bitcoin’s DeFi bottleneck, has now raised over $26 million in its presale. With the market still in flux, could HYPER be the best altcoin to buy now?

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ICP Defies Market Conditions with 95% Weekly Surge

ICP is now up 95% over the past week. This rally pushed its market cap past $3.1 billion, with $720 million in spot trading volume flowing through exchanges since yesterday. Open interest has also spiked to levels not seen since September 2021.

So, why is ICP soaring? The DFINITY Foundation just rolled out Caffeine, an upgraded AI platform that now handles image and code prompts in addition to text. It lets developers build AI-powered apps on the Internet Computer blockchain using natural language – no advanced coding required.

Each app burns “cycles” – ICP’s version of gas fees – creating deflationary pressure on the token supply. More apps mean more cycles consumed, which lowers the circulating supply and could push price up over time.

Caffeine also runs entirely on-chain, sidestepping centralized cloud providers. That gives it a security edge and positions Internet Computer as a front-runner in decentralized AI, which is the kind of narrative that draws in investors.

What Internet Computer Actually Does

Internet Computer is a blockchain that wants to replace AWS and Google Cloud with a decentralized network of independent node machines. Launched by the DFINITY Foundation in 2021, it hosts applications, websites, and data on-chain – no centralized servers needed.

The network runs on “canisters,” which are beefed-up smart contracts. They store code, data, and state in one package, handling everything from basic websites to full AI models. Developers pre-fund compute costs with ICP tokens using “reverse gas,” so end users interact for free.

Chain Key Technology keeps nodes secure without requiring full trust between them, allowing Internet Computer to communicate with Bitcoin or Ethereum without bridges. Transactions finalize in under a second, and the network can handle over 1,000 TPS.

Real-world use cases include OpenChat, a fully on-chain messaging app with end-to-end encryption, and DSCVR, a social metaverse where NFTs and assets live natively on Internet Computer. DAOs also use the “Service Nervous System” to launch community-governed projects.

Bitcoin Hyper Raises $26M in Presale as Layer-2 Solution Gains Traction

ICP’s rally shows what can happen when a blockchain solves a real problem, but another project is building momentum with a different thesis. Bitcoin Hyper just crossed $26 million in its presale – pulling in multiple six-figure whale buys along the way.

Its pitch is straightforward: Bitcoin’s blockchain can’t handle DeFi at scale, so why not build a Layer-2 network that keeps settlement on Bitcoin while moving execution to a faster network?

Bitcoin averages just over 3 TPS, with confirmation times usually around 10 minutes. To streamline this, Bitcoin Hyper uses the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), batching transactions at high speed, then committing the state back to Bitcoin for finality.

The native HYPER token powers this Layer-2 environment. Investors can buy HYPER in presale for just $0.013225 right now, with price increases scheduled every few days. Also, investors can stake their HYPER immediately for an APY of 45%.

Looking ahead, the project’s whitepaper outlines plans for DEXs, developer toolkits, and more – essentially a full DeFi stack running on top of Bitcoin. Crypto analysts like Borch Crypto believe these plans are why Bitcoin Hyper might “explode” once it goes live.

If you’re looking for the best altcoins to buy that solve infrastructure gaps rather than just chase hype, Bitcoin Hyper is one to watch. It has the presale backing, the advanced tech, and the timing to capitalize on Bitcoin’s limitations.