While bitcoin anchored the broader market, Cardano ($ADA) emerged as the week’s standout performer, logging double-digit gains for the second consecutive week. $ADA rallied from $0.174 to hit $0.211 on Aug. 6—a high not seen since June 4—fueled by news of a strategic integration between Cardano and the Injective protocol. Despite this short-term breakout, $ADA remains down nearly 30% over a 90-day horizon.
Privacy-focused assets also caught a bid, with ZEC and XMR jumping 8% and 7%, respectively. Large-cap altcoins mirrored the positive sentiment: BNB rose 5% to reclaim the psychological $600 level, matched by gains in SOL and HYPE. Gold-backed tokens PAXG and XAUT advanced over 7% in tandem with spot gold, which rallied from $4,233 per ounce to a Friday high of $4,364.
Conversely, select major altcoins lagged behind the broader market expansion. XRP slid below $1.02 on Aug. 7, finishing down 1.5% and standing as the sole top-10 digital asset to post weekly losses. Stellar (XLM) also retreated 3.3%, while steeper corrections hit CC (-20%), (CRO (-9%), SHIB (-8.8%), and ONDO (-8%).
Looking ahead, confirmation that the CLARITY Act vote has been delayed removes a major macroeconomic catalyst that market participants had counted on to spark a sustained bitcoin rally in the second half of 2026. With federal legislative momentum temporarily stalled, short-term price action will likely be driven by sector-specific narratives and native crypto catalysts, at least until Sept. 15, when the Senate is expected to bring the bill back to the floor.
