Top 3 Altcoins to Watch This Week as Momentum Shifts

CoinMarketCap’s momentum tracker has spotlighted three standout performers this week, each driven by unique catalysts: Chiliz, Pump.fun, and Zcash.

Together, they reveal how regulation, meme culture, and privacy are reshaping market sentiment.

Chiliz Gains From EU Regulatory Clarity

Chiliz (CHZ) climbed 12.3% in 24 hours after its subsidiary, Socios Europe, secured a MiCA license from the Malta Financial Services Authority. Effective October 1, the approval enables regulated crypto services across the European Union, opening access to over 400 million potential users.

Trading volumes surged 131% alongside the rally, supported by partnerships in esports and hackathons. Analysts view this as sustainable growth rather than a speculative spike, with fan token adoption likely to accelerate as MiCA frameworks roll out.

• Next to watch: ESMA fan token registrations and the launch of compliant CHZ wallets.

Pump.fun Dominates Meme Coin Infrastructure

Pump.fun (PUMP) surged 19.55% in 24 hours, fueled by an HTX exchange listing and record activity on its Solana-based platform. September saw 35,000 new tokens launched, generating nearly $10 million in revenue.

The project’s daily buybacks, spending over 8,300 SOL in a single day, help reduce supply, while derivatives open interest rose in parallel with prices. Still, volatility remains a risk, as bonding curve volumes dropped by a third in the past month.

• Next to watch: Whether revenue from launch fees offsets cooling speculative activity.

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Zcash Rides Privacy Revival

Zcash (ZEC) posted the strongest move, up 25.17% in 24 hours and more than 62% in a week, reaching a 16-month high. The surge followed tech investor Naval Ravikant’s endorsement of ZEC as a hedge against surveillance, along with the Zashi Cross Pay upgrade enabling private cross-chain swaps.

Shielded transactions rose 15% to over three million coins, while derivatives volume jumped 58%. With Monero also rallying, privacy coins are clearly back in focus, though heightened regulatory scrutiny could follow.

• Next to watch: ZEC’s ability to hold above its $85 breakout level amid broader shifts in Bitcoin dominance.