Crypto Gainers and Losers Today: Canton, NEAR and Chainlink Surge as CPI Looms
Top Crypto Gainers and Losers Today: Canton, NEAR and Chainlink Rise Ahead of US CPI
Cryptocurrency markets were relatively subdued on August 12 as traders positioned themselves ahead of the latest U.S. inflation report, with several major altcoins moving sharply in opposite directions.
Canton, NEAR Protocol and Chainlink were among the notable crypto gainers during the session, supported by fresh developments involving institutional adoption, artificial intelligence products and tokenized assets. On the other side of the market, Audiera, Monero and Uniswap posted declines, with Audiera suffering the steepest drop among the tokens highlighted.
Bitcoin traded around $63,690.22, down approximately 0.42% over the previous 24 hours. The broader cryptocurrency market was also showing limited movement, with total market capitalization holding near $2.19 trillion.
Investor attention was increasingly focused on the latest U.S. Consumer Price Index report, or CPI, which was expected to provide another signal about the direction of U.S. monetary policy and potentially influence cryptocurrency prices in the days ahead.
Market sentiment remained cautious. The Fear and Greed Index stood at 37, indicating fear among investors, while the Altcoin Season Index was at 45 out of 100, according to CoinMarketCap data available at the time of writing.
Crypto Market Waits for the US CPI Report
The U.S. inflation report was the central macroeconomic event on the market calendar Wednesday.
Forecasts pointed to a monthly CPI reading of 0.1%, compared with -0.4% in the previous month. Even a relatively small deviation from expectations could influence investor expectations surrounding interest rates, liquidity and risk assets.
Cryptocurrency markets have become increasingly sensitive to U.S. economic data because Bitcoin and other digital assets often respond to changes in expectations for Federal Reserve policy.
A softer-than-expected inflation reading could potentially improve sentiment toward risk assets by strengthening expectations for easier monetary conditions. A stronger inflation figure, by contrast, could reinforce concerns that interest rates may remain restrictive for longer.
That uncertainty helps explain why Bitcoin and the broader market remained relatively stable while individual altcoins experienced much larger moves.
Top Crypto Gainers Today
Among the cryptocurrencies highlighted in the latest market data, Canton, NEAR Protocol and Chainlink recorded some of the strongest gains.
| Coin | Price | 24H Change | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton (CC) | $0.09946 | +4.6% | $3.91B |
| NEAR Protocol (NEAR) | $1.64 | +2.93% | $2.14B |
| Chainlink (LINK) | $8.72 | +4.0% | $6.52B |
Data based on the figures available at the time of writing.
Canton Leads the Gainers
Canton's CC token gained approximately 4.6% to trade around $0.09946. Its market capitalization reached roughly $3.91 billion, while 24-hour trading volume increased by about 37.38% to $25.55 million.
 |
| Source: CC price chart CoinMarketCap |
The move followed several developments surrounding the Canton Network, including news that Franklin Templeton had become a Super Validator through CIP-0118.
Franklin Templeton, one of the world's largest asset managers, oversees more than $1.5 trillion in assets. Its involvement adds an institutional dimension to Canton's broader push to develop blockchain infrastructure for financial markets.
Canton also announced the launch of cETH, a wrapped version of ETH, through a partnership involving Cancore and OnRails Finance. The token was reported to have undergone an audit by Consensys Diligence.
Another development involved an integration between Alpend and OneSwap for on-chain liquidation activity.
Taken together, the announcements provided investors with several reasons to pay closer attention to Canton at a time when the broader altcoin market remained relatively cautious.
The market's reaction illustrates an increasingly important theme in cryptocurrency: tokens associated with infrastructure, institutional participation and real-world financial applications can attract attention even when overall market momentum is limited.
NEAR Gains as AI and Yield Products Expand
NEAR Protocol also moved higher, rising approximately 2.93% to $1.64.
The token's market capitalization reached about $2.14 billion, while trading volume increased around 20% to $181.05 million.
 |
| Source: NEAR price chart CoinMarketCap |
One of the major developments surrounding the ecosystem involved NEAR AI. Staking for NEAR AI was announced as live, giving users an opportunity to stake NEAR while accessing confidential inference and always-on AI agents.
The platform supports more than 40 models, including models associated with major artificial intelligence companies such as Anthropic and OpenAI.
The combination of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence has become one of the market's strongest narratives, and NEAR has continued positioning its ecosystem around that intersection.
NEAR also introduced new Earn vaults for USDC through near.com. The vaults are curated by Gauntlet and 628 Labs, allowing users to seek yield on their USDC while keeping funds within the wallet environment.
The combination of AI-related developments and new financial products helped provide a fundamental narrative behind NEAR's price increase.
Chainlink Rises on Tokenized Asset Developments
Chainlink was another major crypto gainer, climbing approximately 4% to $8.72.
The token's market capitalization reached around $6.52 billion, while 24-hour trading volume surged approximately 65.64% to $407.27 million.
 |
| Source: LINK price chart CoinMarketCap |
Chainlink's latest developments were closely tied to the growing tokenization of traditional financial assets.
The project confirmed that xStocks had gone live on Hyperliquid, with Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol helping facilitate the cross-chain infrastructure.
Tokenized assets such as NVDAx and SPYx were among the products involved in the rollout.
Chainlink also highlighted eight new integrations involving five services and six blockchain networks. The reported partners included Bitget, BitGo and LBank Exchange.
For investors, the developments reinforce Chainlink's broader narrative as infrastructure connecting blockchain networks with real-world financial data and assets.
That narrative has become increasingly relevant as financial institutions and crypto platforms explore tokenized stocks, funds and other traditional assets.
Top Crypto Losers Today
The other side of the market looked considerably weaker.
Audiera's BEAT token suffered the largest decline among the highlighted assets, while Monero and Uniswap also recorded notable losses.
| Coin | Price | 24H Change | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audiera (BEAT) | $1.10 | -20.37% | $366.49M |
| Monero (XMR) | $383.09 | -3.34% | $7.19B |
| Uniswap (UNI) | $3.77 | -5.52% | $2.35B |
Data based on the figures available at the time of writing.
Audiera Faces Heavy Selling After Token Unlock
Audiera's BEAT token fell approximately 20.37% to $1.10, making it the most significant loser among the assets examined.
 |
| Source: BEAT price chart CoinMarketCap |
The sharp decline was linked to a major token unlock.
On August 1, approximately 21.25 million BEAT tokens entered the market, representing roughly 6.9% of the circulating supply. The additional supply created pressure as investors adjusted positions following the release of previously locked tokens.
Large token unlocks can create short-term selling pressure because holders receiving newly available tokens may choose to sell some or all of their allocation.
The situation can become more pronounced when leveraged traders are involved. A rapid decline can trigger liquidations, potentially adding another layer of selling pressure.
Audiera continued its regular token-burning activity and reported that approximately 800,200 BEAT tokens had been burned during the week. However, the burn activity was not enough to offset the selling pressure associated with the larger token unlock.
The broader market's caution ahead of the CPI report may have further contributed to the decline.
Monero Slips as Privacy Coins Weaken
Monero declined approximately 3.34% to $383.09, while its market capitalization stood near $7.19 billion.
 |
| Source: XMR price chart CoinMarketCap |
Trading volume fell about 3.15% to $87.21 million.
Unlike some of the other tokens on the list, Monero's decline did not appear to be driven by a major project-specific announcement.
Instead, the move coincided with weakness across the broader privacy-coin sector.
Other privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, including Zcash, also experienced declines during the session. That pattern suggests investors may have been reducing exposure to the sector as part of broader market rotation.
When multiple tokens within the same category move lower simultaneously, the explanation is often more closely connected to sector sentiment than to an isolated development involving one project.
Uniswap Falls as DEX Tokens Come Under Pressure
Uniswap's UNI token declined approximately 5.52% to $3.77.
Its market capitalization fell to around $2.35 billion, while trading volume jumped approximately 55.65% to $189.1 million.
 |
| Source: UNI price chart CoinMarketCap |
The combination of falling price and sharply higher volume is notable because it suggests the decline was accompanied by active trading rather than simply a lack of buyers.
UNI's weakness also came as decentralized exchange tokens broadly struggled.
The market capitalization of the wider DEX token category declined approximately 1.53% during the period covered by the data.
That broader weakness suggests UNI's decline may have been driven more by sector rotation than by a specific negative development involving Uniswap itself.
Liquidations Ease as Traders Remain Cautious
Despite the sharp moves in individual altcoins, overall crypto liquidations were relatively contained compared with previous periods of heightened volatility.
Total liquidations declined approximately 12.3% to $165.68 million over the previous 24 hours.
The reduction suggests traders were carrying somewhat less leveraged exposure into the CPI release.
That could change quickly if the inflation data differs significantly from expectations.
Cryptocurrency markets can react rapidly to macroeconomic surprises, particularly when traders are heavily positioned around interest-rate expectations.
What Today's Crypto Gainers and Losers Reveal
The latest market moves highlight several different forces affecting cryptocurrency prices.
Canton, NEAR and Chainlink all benefited from developments that provided investors with specific narratives around their ecosystems.
Canton's gains were linked to institutional involvement and new infrastructure developments. NEAR benefited from its artificial intelligence and yield-related announcements. Chainlink continued to gain attention from developments involving tokenized assets and cross-chain infrastructure.
The losers, meanwhile, were driven by different factors.
Audiera faced direct supply pressure from a significant token unlock. Monero declined alongside other privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, while Uniswap weakened as the broader DEX token sector came under pressure.
The contrast demonstrates why cryptocurrency prices can diverge significantly even when Bitcoin and the overall market are relatively flat.
CPI Could Set the Tone for the Next Move
The next major catalyst remains the U.S. CPI report.
With Bitcoin hovering around $63,690 and the total cryptocurrency market capitalization near $2.19 trillion, investors entered the session with limited conviction.
A CPI result close to expectations could allow markets to return their attention to individual crypto developments and sector-specific narratives.
A significant surprise, however, could trigger a much broader move across Bitcoin, Ethereum and the altcoin market.
For traders watching today's crypto gainers and losers, the key question is therefore not only which tokens are rising or falling, but why they are moving.
Supply changes, institutional adoption, AI developments, tokenization and sector rotation are all playing a role.
Conclusion
Canton, NEAR Protocol and Chainlink emerged among the notable crypto gainers on August 12, with each supported by fresh developments involving institutional adoption, artificial intelligence, financial products or blockchain infrastructure.
At the other end of the market, Audiera's BEAT token suffered a sharp decline following supply pressure associated with a major token unlock. Monero weakened alongside other privacy coins, while Uniswap fell amid broader weakness across decentralized exchange tokens.
Bitcoin remained relatively stable near $63,690, while overall crypto market capitalization held around $2.19 trillion.
The immediate focus now turns to the U.S. CPI report. With market sentiment still in fear territory, the inflation data could determine whether cryptocurrencies remain range-bound or enter a new period of volatility.
For investors following the top crypto gainers and losers today, the latest session offers a clear reminder that individual token performance can be driven by very different forces even when the broader market appears calm.
HOKANEWS will continue tracking Bitcoin, altcoins, macroeconomic developments and the market's reaction to the latest U.S. inflation data.
hoka.news – Not Just Crypto News. It’s Crypto Culture.
Writer: Barland Vex Crypto Market Analyst & Onchain Storyteller
Barland Vex is a veteran crypto writer who treats the chaos of digital markets as his playground. With a sharp instinct for reading Bitcoin's movements, DeFi waves, and the narratives that move millions of dollars in a matter of hours, Vex delivers analysis that's always one step ahead of the market itself.
From deep onchain reports to bold trend predictions, every piece is crafted to give readers one thing: an edge. Followed by traders, builders, and investors who refuse to miss a beat, Barland Vex is the name the market turns to when things start moving wild.
Crypto Market Analyst & Onchain Storyteller
Barland Vex is a veteran crypto writer who treats the chaos of digital markets as his playground. With a sharp instinct for reading Bitcoin's movements, DeFi waves, and the narratives that move millions of dollars in a matter of hours, Vex delivers analysis that's always one step ahead of the market itself.