HYPE, WLD, UNI surge as Bitcoin cools: AI and DeFi tokens rally
In brief
- HYPE surged 13% to record above $76, up nearly 200% in 2026
- WLD gained 12%, with monthly advances reaching roughly 180%
- UNI jumped 18% after Standard Chartered initiated coverage with $100 2030 price target
Hyperliquid's record-breaking run
HYPE surged as much as 13% to a fresh record above $76 before paring some gains. The token is now up nearly 200% in 2026, making it one of the best-performing large-cap crypto assets this year.
Hyperliquid operates a blockchain-based exchange that allows users to trade perpetual futures through an onchain order book. The platform has differentiated itself through a novel revenue-sharing model: it made Circle's USDC the primary trading pair, with part of the revenue generated from U.S. Treasury securities backing USDC used to purchase HYPE tokens. This arrangement ties the token's value directly to platform adoption.
AI and DeFi fuel broader momentum
Worldcoin's WLD token gained 12%, pushing its monthly advance to roughly 180%. The project, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has become one of crypto's most direct ways to express a bullish view on artificial intelligence.
Uniswap's UNI token surged another 18% after Standard Chartered initiated coverage on Monday with a highly bullish long-term outlook. Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank's head of digital asset research, argued that decentralized finance (DeFi) could become one of crypto's biggest growth stories as tokenized stocks, bonds and other traditional assets move onchain. He initiated coverage with a $100 price target for UNI by 2030, implying roughly 30 times upside from current levels.
"Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank's head of digital asset research, argued that decentralized finance (DeFi) could become one of crypto's biggest growth stories as tokenized stocks, bonds and other traditional assets move onchain."
Market backdrop: selective strength in a cooling market
In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41 trillion, the lowest since September 2024. Yet RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% in May, hitting a new all-time high. The divergence underscores a shift in trader focus: while spot and traditional derivatives volumes contract, institutional and retail participants are increasingly allocating capital to platforms and tokens tied to emerging narratives like AI infrastructure and onchain finance.
