HTX, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, has announced the launch of the sixth phase of its Crypto Gem Hunt program. Amidst a crypto market characterized by persistent volatility, with Bitcoin fluctuating between $100,000 and $110,000, market sentiment remains largely influenced by macroeconomic policies, regulatory developments, and speculative behavior. Against this backdrop, HTX’s Crypto Gem Hunt leverages rigorous data analysis and a meticulous selection process to spotlight seven standout projects. These projects are strategically positioned for growth and demonstrate strong community engagement. The selected assets span some of today’s most dynamic sectors—including RWA/DeFi, AI, Meme, LSD, and SocialFi—and feature both promising new entrants and well-established projects that have recently outperformed broader market trends.
New Listings Shine Across a Well-Balanced Sector Mix
In May, HTX listed 23 new assets, including six stablecoins, an approach that underscores its commitment to staying at the forefront of the stablecoin trend and expanding its asset offerings. Notably, USD1 made its global debut on HTX. The token, issued by World Liberty Financial (a company backed by the Trump family), focuses on building a DeFi lending ecosystem in the United States. USD1 quickly gained traction as one of May’s most discussed projects on social media and received an S rating.
Besides USD1, two other new assets in Crypto Gem Hunt #6 have stood out:
SYRUP (Maple Finance), a key player in the RWA/DeFi sector, experienced an impressive 117.7% surge following its listing on May 8, earning an A rating. SYRUP is the native token of Maple, a decentralized lending protocol that allows users to deposit USDC, receive syrupUSDC, and earn yield. All loans are collateralized by digital assets, ensuring both strong security and sustainable returns.
KAITO, an innovator in the InfoFi/AI sector, recorded a remarkable 263.6% increase since its listing on HTX on February 23, securing an A rating. KAITO is building an AI-driven crypto information network that streamlines content distribution among creators, users, and capital. By empowering the content ecosystem, KAITO is positioning itself at the forefront of the convergence between crypto and AI.
Despite continuous shifts in market dynamics, a select group of earlier-launched projects are demonstrating remarkable resilience. Backed by strong product fundamentals and vibrant community support, they’ve recently returned to the spotlight with evolving narratives and renewed momentum, capturing the attention of both investors and users.
Two Meme projects from last September, MOODENG and NEIROCTO, serve as notable examples:
MOODENG, built on the Solana (SOL) chain, surged an incredible 961.5% and received an A rating. Inspired by the famous pygmy hippopotamus from Thailand, MOODENG’s unique design, strong community, and viral momentum propelled it to a nearly tenfold increase post-launch.
NEIROCTO (First Neiro On Ethereum) is community-driven and carries on the spirit of Doge. Since its launch on September 7, 2024, it has seen a peak increase of 235%. Through consistent operational efforts and content-driven initiatives, NEIROCTO has cultivated a highly engaged Meme community.
ETHFI (ether.fi), launched in March 2024, emerged during the boom of the LSD sector and has since recorded a 258.7% increase. With rising interest in LSD solutions within the Ethereum ecosystem, ETHFI shows strong growth potential and a solid track record.
MASK (Mask Network), launched in 2021, is a SocialFi project that recently gained 187.3%. Acting as a bridge between Web2 (traditional internet) and Web3 (decentralized internet), MASK integrates decentralized applications into mainstream social media via a browser plugin. Recent feature updates and community efforts have significantly contributed to its price recovery.
HTX Crypto Gem Hunt Empowers Users Across Market Cycles
To date, HTX has launched six rounds of its Crypto Gem Hunt program. The latest selection features not only high-growth new assets from emerging sectors but also established projects that have recently delivered strong performance. Together, these assets offer users a well-balanced portfolio—combining defensive stability with high-upside potential.
Looking ahead, HTX Crypto Gem Hunt will continue to empower users through professional, intuitive asset discovery supported by robust data and forward-looking analysis.
About HTX
Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.
As a world-leading gateway to Web3, HTX harbors global capabilities that enable it to provide users with safe and reliable services. Adhering to the growth strategy of “Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance,” HTX is dedicated to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.
BeInCrypto sat down with members of the LBank team to analyze the possible resurgence of the meme coin market as a leading crypto narrative and what their fusion with artificial intelligence (AI) can have on their reach.
LBank also discussed the impact of the four-month-old Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation on its operations across Europe. They described a fundamental change in investor confidence in light of greater regulatory clarity and simplified accessibility.
Have Meme Coin Highs Given Way to Devastating Lows?
In recent years, the meme coin market has largely been characterized by overwhelming highs and devastating lows. The first few months of 2025 have further confirmed the volatile nature of these tokens, to the point that a vocal part of the crypto community believes that their recent lows have marked the end of the meme coin lifecycle.
These claims are not unfounded, especially now that the US President has become a meme coin player. When Trump launched his meme coin in mid-January, TRUMP reached a market capitalization of nearly $8.8 billion, a number never before seen by a meme coin launch.
When insider traders capitalized on the surge to sell off their holdings and retain millions of dollars in gains, retail investors bore the brunt of the massive sell-off, suffering hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
“The decline in meme coin market cap since January can be attributed to a combination of market dynamics and sentiment shifts. A key driver was the rapid rise and subsequent crash of the TRUMP token, which drew significant market capital due to its viral appeal but collapsed sharply, eroding investor confidence and triggering a broader risk-off sentiment,” Eric He, Community Angel Officer and Risk Control Adviser at LBank told BeInCrypto.
After similar experiences with the MELANIA token and the LIBRA launch, some of these retail investors realized that meme coins —as unregulated and unpredictable as they are— may not be the best investments.
Is the Meme Coin Frenzy Coming to a Halt?
Given the devastating effects that these episodes have had on the meme coin market, trading has reduced significantly. The crypto community seems to have become saturated with news of pump-and-dump schemes and rug pulls, likely contributing to a halt in the meme coin frenzy.
The total meme coin market capitalization has been free-falling since January’s peak following the presidential token launches. Now, its levels resemble those of September 2024. The greater economic downturn that traditional and crypto markets experienced over the past several weeks has only worsened prospects.
Yet, despite this downward pressure, the market still experiences a high level of activity. It has a $14.5 billion trading volume and a $57 billion market capitalization.
Total meme coin market capitalization. Source: CoinGecko.
According to the LBank team, the meme coin industry is due for a revival.
LBank’s Belief in the Revival of the Meme Coin Market
Though the decline in meme coin performance has been significant, the LBank team expressed that these circumstances are far from unexpected. Meme coins are inherently tied to community support and social momentum.
The sustained trading volumes and large market capitalization serve as tangible indicators that, even in a downturn, the market is seeing active community engagement and liquidity. Investors still see value in the tokens’ cultural and speculative appeal.
“We see it as a healthy market correction rather than a fundamental shift. Meme coins have always been volatile, but the fact that trading volumes remain high shows continued interest. What’s happening now is not the end of the trend—it’s just a recalibration before the next wave,” Mario Iemma, Head of Spanish Markets at LBank, told BeInCrypto.
In fact, Iemma believes that meme coins will not be dying out anytime soon.
AI agents represented the first significant shift in the evolution of the cryptocurrency industry. These autonomous systems proved that they could make decisions and perform tasks independently. This technology enhances intelligence, adaptability, and fairness in financial mechanisms.
Now, developers have unlocked artificial intelligence’s potential on tokens. Systems like Grok have already made news by using AI to automatically and independently design and launch tokens.
However, with a nascent technology like AI, the LBank team emphasized the need for responsible and thorough deployment for the long-lasting success of AI-generated tokens. This success hinges on two particular factors: accessibility and security.
Security and Accessibility Challenges for AI-Generated Tokens
The concept of security is frequently associated with any emerging technology. Artificial intelligence is no exception, especially in a particularly unregulated industry like crypto.
According to He, AI-generated token projects’ degree of security and transparency will determine their success.
Iemma agreed, adding that if AI-generative tokens become widely accessible, this development will also require additional layers of oversight.
“That same accessibility demands better filters, vetting, and AI-based security audits—areas where exchanges like LBank are already investing resources,” he said.
While reflecting on the security risks associated with artificial intelligence and the breaches in consumer trust that meme coins have had on the crypto community, the LBank team also emphasized the need for greater regulation in the industry.
The development of cryptocurrency regulations varies significantly across the globe. Notably, the European Union implemented comprehensive rules almost five months ago, while key markets such as the United States are still establishing adequate frameworks.
MiCA’s Effect on the European Crypto Market
Last December, with the implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, the European Union became the first jurisdiction to establish a comprehensive and unified regulatory framework for crypto-assets across all its member states, marking a significant milestone.
According to the LBank team, MiCA gives users and institutions a trustworthy framework. This development has proven critical for industry growth across the region.
“MiCA has forced firms to become more transparent and compliant, which is a good thing for long-term trust. We’ve seen exchanges accelerate their legal and operational upgrades. For users, it creates a safer, more predictable environment,” Iemma said, adding, “With clearer rules, banks and investment firms are more willing to explore crypto partnerships, custody solutions, and even tokenized assets. Regulation reduces reputational risk, and MiCA is helping bridge that gap.”
However, this experience can be largely attributed to established firms in the industry and investors with access to substantial resources. Other players, however, have struggled to gather the requirements to apply for a MiCA license.
Future Accommodation for Smaller Crypto Businesses
In discussing the impact of MiCA since its enactment last December, He highlighted how different industry players have responded to the landmark regulation. He noted that startups struggle the most to obtain an operational license.
When evaluating the cost-effectiveness of an operational license, He’s conclusions make sense.
MiCA is an expensive regulation. It mandates minimum capital requirements based on the crypto services offered. These requirements range from €50,000 for advisory and order-related services to €125,000 for exchange and trading platforms and up to €150,000 for custody services. Businesses must maintain this capital as a financial safeguard.
Beyond minimum capital requirements, companies must factor in government and legal fees, local presence costs, bank setups, and ongoing operational costs. But for prominent exchanges like LBank, the benefits outweigh the costs.
Future MiCA updates could address the high compliance costs for smaller businesses. Meanwhile, other regions developing their crypto regulations should consider this aspect to avoid creating similar barriers.
Over the last couple of weeks, buzz has been growing about the CLARITY Act, a proposed new framework for US crypto regulation. The bill’s first markup is scheduled for tomorrow morning.
But what is the significance of this new crypto bill, and which industry players support it?
New Act Brings CLARITY To Crypto Regulation
Since the GENIUS Act cleared a key cloture vote, US crypto policy has been an especially important topic. In late May, GOP Congressman French Hill proposed the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, a new framework for Web3 regulation.
The bill’s first markup will happen tomorrow morning at 10 AM EST.
NEW: @FinancialCmte has officially scheduled a markup of the crypto market structure bill — the CLARITY Act — for Tuesday, June 10 at 10:00 AM EST alongside a handful of other bills.
The proposed act assigns the CFTC as the primary regulator for digital commodities (on‑chain tokens), including exchanges, brokers, and spot markets. It preserves the SEC’s authority over investment contract assets—securities under the Securities Act.
Overall, it creates precise definitions and compliance pathways to reduce inconsistent enforcement.
In addition to consumer protection measures, it attempts to provide thorough rules for defining tokens as securities or commodities, a thorny issue for regulators.
Without getting into excessive detail, the bill aims to remove ambiguity from several such situations.
Although it was proposed by a Republican, the CLARITY Act has strong bipartisan support, reflecting the desire to create a solid framework for crypto regulation.
However, the initial language focused specifically on assets, their classification, and firms that custody them. The proposed bill also exempts “DeFi activities” (like developers, transaction relayers) from conventional registration.
It also explicitly protects peer-to-peer transactions and individual self-custody of assets.
New and Upcoming Amendments
To correct some of the oversight, The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA) was recently introduced as an amendment to the bill. Presently, the crypto industry’s political lobbying groups are attempting to help it along.
In addition to an initial show of support, eight leading trade associations have made further statements earlier today:
Crypto Groups Support the CLARITY Act. Source: Eleanor Terrett
Specifically, this amendment would ensure that the CLARITY Act doesn’t apply heavy-handed regulations where it isn’t appropriate.
However, some regulators may also disagree with this overall ethos. After all, what are laws like this for? Former CFTC Chair Tim Massad, who recently warned of crypto corruption, also testified about some potential pitfalls in the CLARITY Act:
“The CLARITY Act seems to start with the technology and ask, what do we need to do to make it easier for people to invest in this technology? But the strength of our securities and derivatives laws lies in the fact that we have traditionally focused on regulatory goals, and provided…the flexibility to achieve those goals,” Massad claimed.
It’s not yet clear how much this will impact the final bill, but the GENIUS Act underwent substantial amendments from its first version. Between tomorrow’s markup and the voting process, this bill could change dramatically in the next few weeks.
Pi Network (PI) has been struggling to recover from recent losses. Despite attempts to push past the $0.71 resistance level, the altcoin is currently unable to gain significant upward momentum.
As of now, PI is sitting at $0.63, and its future movements remain uncertain. Investors are growing increasingly skeptical, with the recent mainnet migration roadmap failing to inspire enough confidence to stop outflows from the network.
PI Investors Pull Back
The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) indicator has shown a sharp downtick in recent days, signaling that investor interest in Pi Network is waning. This negative sentiment is reflected in the substantial amount of money being pulled out of PI.
While the mainnet migration roadmap was expected to boost the altcoin’s appeal, it has not been enough to stop the ongoing outflows. The CMF reflects a broader trend of declining interest as investors pull their funds from the platform in anticipation of further price declines.
Pi Network’s investor sentiment has been notably negative over the past month. Many are questioning the value proposition of the token, particularly given its rapid loss of launch hype. This, combined with ongoing volatility and a lack of clear utility, has led to hesitancy in the market.
Investors are not seeing a compelling reason to hold onto their PI tokens, and this has fueled the continued sell-off.
Furthermore, with Pi Network’s price struggling to stay above the critical $0.61 support level, it is evident that market sentiment remains fragile. Without a significant catalyst, such as a strong use case or promising developments, Pi Network risks further price erosion. The absence of an optimistic outlook is pushing investors away.
Currently, Pi Network’s price stands at $0.63, holding just above the $0.61 support. However, the altcoin appears vulnerable, and there is a real possibility that it will fail to maintain this level. If outflows continue and PI falls below $0.61, it could experience a sharp drop to $0.51, erasing the gains made in April.
This potential drop would extend the losses for Pi Network, and the price may even approach $0.50. The rapid outflows and negative sentiment surrounding PI could lead to a prolonged downtrend if the altcoin cannot recover soon.
However, if Pi Network manages to hold above the $0.61 support, it could push toward the $0.71 resistance level. A breach of this level would signal a recovery and could help the altcoin recover some of its recent losses.
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