The crypto market turned slightly bearish today as Bitcoin (BTC) dropped 2.08%, retesting the $115,000 level. XRP slipped below $3 and Ethereum (ETH) dipped 3.5% under $4,300, raising questions about the best crypto to buy during this pullback. While most sectors moved lower, some tokens managed to stand out with strong gains.
In particular, decentralized finance (DeFi) projects showed resilience, led by Chainlink (LINK), which surged 14.32% after announcing a new on-chain reserve system and a strategic partnership with ICE, the parent company of the NYSE.
Maker (MKR), Aerodrome Finance (AERO), and DEFI.ssi also posted gains, highlighting how parts of the DeFi sector are emerging as strong contenders even in a weak market.
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DeFi Gains Spotlight as Best Crypto to Buy; Qubic Targets Dogecoin After Monero Attack
With Bitcoin under pressure, investors are now eyeing projects that combine momentum with real utility. LINK, MKR, and AERO are increasingly viewed as the best cryptos to buy as broader markets consolidate.
In other news, Qubic, an AI-focused blockchain that recently carried out a 51% attack on Monero, has voted to make Dogecoin (DOGE) its next target. The project’s founder, Sergey Ivancheglo, asked the community which proof-of-work chain to attack next, and DOGE received the majority of votes over Kaspa and Zcash. With Dogecoin’s $35 billion market cap now in focus, the move has sparked concerns over the vulnerability of mining-based blockchains.
The #Qubic community has chosen #Dogecoin. pic.twitter.com/EnevIZUAw5
— Come-from-Beyond (@c___f___b) August 17, 2025
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Qubic holders, however, pushed back on the “attack” narrative. Community members argued that their activity should be seen as mining, not malicious action.
Stay tuned for ongoing updates as the market reacts to these shifts.
$411 Million in Token Unlocks: Key Projects to Watch This Week
According to Tokenomist, over $411 million worth of tokens are set to be unlocked in the coming seven days, a development that could bring some volatility in market liquidity and sentiment.
The biggest one-time unlocks, each exceeding $5 million, involve ZRO, KAITO, and SOON. These events typically attract trader attention due to the sudden increase in circulating supply, which can pressure short-term prices.
Meanwhile, several projects face linear daily unlocks above $1 million, including major names like Solana (SOL), Worldcoin (WLD), Celestia (TIA), Dogecoin (DOGE), Bittensor (TAO), Avalanche (AVAX), Sui (SUI), and Polkadot (DOT). Additional unlocks are lined up for IP, Morpho (MORPHO), EtherFi (ETHFI), Jito (JTO), Ethereum Name Service (ENS), and more.
The post [LIVE] Latest Crypto News, August 18 – Best Crypto To Buy As Bitcoin Price Falls 2% Retesting $115K: LINK Surges And Qubic Targets DOGE After Monero appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
