Key notes
- ATOM, ZEC and ASI outperform the market with strong double-digit moves despite broader crypto weakness.
- Each token’s rise is tied to new catalysts: ATOM’s ecosystem updates, ZEC’s treasury and wallet developments, and the continued momentum of ASI’s AI alliance.
- These gains highlight how selective narratives can drive exceptional altcoin performance, even in a volatile market.
The cryptocurrency heat map today, November 20, looks greener than during the bloodbath earlier this week. However, the major coins have not yet recovered:
BTC
$91,767
24h volatility:
0.1%
Market capitalization:
$1.83 million
Flight. 24h:
$85.91 billion
still hovers around $91,000, while
ETH
$3,026
24h volatility:
2.2%
Market capitalization:
$365.55 billion
Flight. 24h:
$37.61 billion
is down 2% to $3,000.
Crypto heatmap on November 20 | Source: Coin360.com
Let’s follow Michael Saylor’s advice to stay optimistic and take a look at the coins that are outperforming the crypto market today, showing visible gains.
Cosmos (ATOM): the best altcoin to buy now?
Cosmos (ATOM) surged 14% in the last 24 hours to $3.11, making it one of the best altcoins to buy today. Recent ecosystem headlines have become more constructive after the fall turbulence. A November network maintenance on major Korean exchange Bithumb that reinstated ATOM deposits/withdrawals underscored continued infrastructural support, while community discussions about channeling Interchain Security (ICS) revenue into ATOM buybacks reignited debate over the token economy, both contributing to sentiment at the margins.
Atom price today | Source: CoinMarketCap
Cosmos was created by Jae Kwon and Ethan Buchman to build an “Internet of Blockchains”. The 2016 white paper introduced the stack (Cosmos SDK, IBC, and what is now CometBFT/Tendermint). The Cosmos Hub launched in 2019 as the first zone. Messari’s 2024 Handbook details ATOM’s role in security, fees and governance.
Zcash (ZEC): Privacy Coin Gains Over 8%
Zcash (ZEC) is up 8.6% at $672 at the time of writing, making it the second best performing altcoin today.
Zcash price today | Source: CoinMarketCap
ZEC has benefited from specific catalysts, including reports of new treasury accumulation and new wallet features (e.g., protected swaps in the Zashi wallet stack). These stories helped ZEC decouple over a few sessions this month.
Launched in 2016 by Electric Coin Company, Zcash pioneered private transactions based on zk-SNARK. The NU5 upgrade (May 2022) introduced the Orchard pool built on Halo 2, removing trust configuration and modernizing its privacy architecture.
Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI)
Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI) gained 9.6% and is trading around $0.32. The ASI token, tracked below the FET line on major pricing sites, has rallied at times thanks to renewed AI-crypto momentum and continued exchange support for migration/conversion behind the alliance (e.g. conversion rates for OCEAN → FET). The broader AI narrative around the merger keeps speculative interest high even as parts of the alliance evolve.
ASI price today | Source: CoinMarketCap
ASI is the result of a large-scale initiative in 2024 to combine Fetch.ai, SingularityNET and Ocean Protocol into a single token economy, aiming to create an open and decentralized AI network. The Financial Times chronicled the merger’s goals and delays; subsequent media coverage followed changes in the coalition’s composition.
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Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article is intended to provide accurate and current information, but should not be considered financial or investment advice. Because market conditions can change quickly, we encourage you to verify the information for yourself and consult a professional before making any decisions based on this content.
Yana Khlebnikova joined CoinSpeaker as an editor in January 2025, following previous stints at Techopedia, crypto.news, Cointelegraph and CoinMarketCap, where she honed her expertise in cryptocurrency journalism.
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