Crypto market’s weekly winners and losers – M, ZEC, STORY, JUP

This week in the crypto market, investor patience was tested.

Despite the rate cut, Bitcoin [BTC] moved decently. Ethereum [ETH] showed a stronger recovery, hinting at early signs of an altcoin season. Among this, a few altcoins topped the charts with massive double-digit gains.

Weekly winners

MemeCore [M] — Meme-focused L1 led gains with a solid rebound

MemeCore [M] topped the weekly charts with a 42% bounce. The structure is flashing early FOMO signals, with M printing its first green weekly candle after three straight red weeks, following a brutal 60% drawdown.

Zooming in, this run has pushed price back toward its late-November range, which naturally raises questions about follow-through. A near-50% weekly move can be heavy, especially if momentum cools.

That said, the technicals aren’t stretched yet. Weekly RSI is sitting near 60, suggesting the move hasn’t gone overbought. If momentum holds, M could be setting up for a pushback toward the $2 level.

Source: TradingView (M/USDT)

However, bears are creeping back in. After a 6.97% intraday dip, sellers appear to be leaning hard on the $1.90–$2.00 overhead supply zone, marking a key resistance M hasn’t flipped since late November.

If bulls play this right and hold the line, a short squeeze could be back on the menu, with a clean $2 breakout in sight. If not, rejection here likely sends price back to retest lower support as momentum fades.

Merlin Chain [MERL] — Bitcoin L2 needs a resistance break to extend gains

Merlin Chain [MERL] was the second-biggest weekly gainer, ripping 33% off the $0.35 open. The weekly chart is flashing a textbook consolidation-to-breakout setup after an eight-week sideways chop.

Backing the move, on-chain data looks solid. As AMBCrypto noted, MERL’s double-digit gains are supported by a growing HODLer base, showing early FOMO signals. In this setup, momentum still looks constructive.

That said, the $0.50 resistance is the key level to watch.

A clean break above it is crucial for continuation. With fundamentals lining up, a bear trap around resistance looks increasingly likely. Overall, MERL shapes up as a strong short-term momentum play if bulls follow through.

Zcash [ZEC] — Privacy token is still searching for a bottom

Zcash [ZEC] came third on the weekly gainers list with a 25% pop, pushing price into a key inflection zone. This comes after three weeks leading the losers, showing just how heavy the bearish positioning had become.

From that angle, the move reads like a clean short squeeze. Late shorts got trapped, and price snapped higher. To keep this move healthy, ZEC likely needs to chop sideways over the next week instead of going full vertical.

If that base holds, ZEC could start working back toward prior highs and even take a shot at the $70 resistance. Near term, the play looks like consolidation first, breakout later once remaining shorts get flushed.

Other notable winners

Outside the majors, altcoin rockets stole the spotlight this week.

FOLKS [FOLKS] led the charge with a massive 287% jump, followed by NUMINE TOKEN [NUMI] climbing 187%, and Pippin [PIPPIN] rounding out the leaderboard with a strong 98% gain.

Weekly losers

Story [IP] — Layer-1 token erased all of its previous weekly gains

Story [IP] led this week’s losers, sliding 10%. In a risk-off tape, that kind of drop usually looks manageable, especially with L1s broadly seeing on-chain flows dry up.

But IP’s chart tells a rougher story. The weekly structure is firmly bearish, printing its seventh straight red candle since breaking below $6 in mid-October, showing clear signs of capitulation.

From here, a sweep of the $1 level is very much on the table.

Source: TradingView (IP/USDT)

From the technical perspective, the RSI sat at around 38, not deeply oversold yet, which suggests there’s still room for downside. With the bears in control, it’s hard to see the bulls mounting a meaningful defense for now.

Jupiter [JUP] — Solana-based DEX failed to hold key support levels

Jupiter [JUP] ranked as the second-biggest weekly loser, dropping 9.17% from its $0.22 open. Like IP, JUP is seeing persistent outflows and is now down roughly 50% from its late-November high at $0.44.

So, is sell-side pressure easing? Not really. The weekly chart still shows a bear-controlled structure, with bulls repeatedly failing to defend key support—signaling sellers are still leaning in.

Even after a short 4% bounce in late November, bulls couldn’t flip $0.25 into support. That rejection pushed price lower, and in this setup, JUP remains at high risk of breaking below $0.20 next if bears stay in control.

The Graph [GRT] — Data protocol shows clear bear control

The Graph [GRT] took third place among weekly losers, slipping 9%. While GRT and JUP are both stuck under bearish pressure and struggling to hold support, GRT’s chart still looks a bit more constructive.

Since Q3, bulls have made two clear base attempts. The first around $0.08, then near $0.07. Each time, bears slapped price back down, dragging GRT deeper into correction.

That said, unlike JUP, buyers are still defending dips, giving GRT a slight edge. If this holds, a phase of heavier accumulation could be next. For now, volume is the key tell to watch.

Other notable losers

In the broader market, downside volatility hit hard.

Legacy Token [LGTC] led the losers with a steep 66% drop, followed by OKZOO [AIOT] falling 64%, and Pieverse [PIEVERSE] slipping 52% as momentum sharply cooled.