In a surprising turn of events in 2025, older cryptocurrencies, often termed “dinos,” such as Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and XRP are experiencing remarkable stability in a turbulent market. This phenomenon raises questions about the evolving dynamics within the cryptocurrency landscape.
A Shifting Market Landscape
Earlier in the year, significant buzz surrounded AI tokens and advanced blockchain technologies. Investors were primarily focused on these so-called innovative sectors, believing they would dominate the market. However, emerging data indicates that these once-hyped sectors have drastically underperformed compared to established cryptocurrencies.
Performance of Older Cryptos
Data from Delphi Digital highlights that the “dinos” are thriving amidst uncertainty. Since January 2025, this group of older assets has only seen an average decrease of approximately 16%. Notably, Bitcoin Cash and XRP have even posted gains, with BCH climbing over 4% and XRP nearly 6% year-to-date.
The Euphoria and Its Fallout
The initial optimism surrounding cryptocurrencies this year was fueled by the Trump administration’s perceived shift towards a more crypto-friendly approach. This sentiment helped push Bitcoin past the $105,000 threshold for the first time, sparking widespread excitement across the market. However, as political and economic uncertainties arose, including issues regarding tariffs and foreign policy, the market sentiment took a downward turn.
Trends in Underperformance
In contrast to the resilience of older cryptocurrencies, newer sectors have suffered significant declines. For instance, the modular blockchain category, which encompasses projects like StarkNet and Optimism, plunged by over 70%. Similarly, tokens related to gaming infrastructure saw steep reductions, and even projects focused on artificial intelligence dropped by more than 57%.
Other Affected Sectors
The Ethereum-based decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens, which include notable assets like Aave and Uniswap, recorded a decline of over 17%. Furthermore, Solana’s DeFi offerings faced a more significant dip of 38%. In stark contrast, even memecoins, despite their reputation for high volatility, outperformed many serious crypto projects with a 38% drop, showcasing a degree of resilience compared to other sectors.
Benchmarks and the Future Outlook
Finally, examining the leading “benchmarks” basket comprising Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana reveals that they have fared better than most, albeit still down an average of 14.25% from 2024. This performance suggests that while the market remains volatile, established cryptocurrencies continue to offer a level of stability that newer projects are currently struggling to achieve.
The current state of the cryptocurrency market underscores the unpredictable nature of investments, reminding both new and seasoned investors that not all trends lead to sustained growth. The ongoing tug-of-war between legacy assets and emerging technologies will undoubtedly shape the future of the crypto landscape.
