This weekend saw the unexpected resurgence of metaverse tokens, with AXS skyrocketing and SAND and MANA following closely. What triggered the digital renaissance of GameFi, and why is Crypto Twitter suddenly nostalgic for pixelated real estate again?
Top gainers this week included:
Meanwhile, the biggest losers included:
This weekend’s digital dust-up wasn’t just another altcoin pump—it was a metaverse resurrection. Axie Infinity’s AXS exploded by 65.2%, reigniting long-dormant speculation in GameFi. Close on its stylized NFT heels were Sandbox’s SAND (up 27.09%) and Decentraland’s MANA (rising 20.36%), both of which haven’t seen such coordinated enthusiasm since the heady days of 2021’s metaverse boom.
To be clear: this isn’t the same dog-and-Lambo-fueled exuberance we saw last cycle. This time, the chatter feels grounded in actual ecosystem updates and emerging narratives—like renewed allocations in metaverse infrastructure, hints of fresh VC funding, and hints of web3 gaming integrations lurking beneath the social layer of crypto Twitter.
On-chain activity for AXS spiked Friday night, with a 3x jump in active wallets interacting with staking contracts. Notably, speculation rose after rumors circulated on Twitter that a major traditional gaming studio might be exploring a partnership with Sky Mavis. While nothing is confirmed, the rumor mill has shown just how fast dormant sectors in crypto can reheat with the right catalyst.
Social engagement numbers back the price movement: AXS-related mentions soared 250% on X (née Twitter), with hashtags like #GameFi2026 and #PlayToEarn making an unexpected return to trending status in crypto corners of the platform.
Equally interesting is that the revival isn’t happening in isolation. GALA (up 14.66%) and QNT (up 15.45%) are surfacing alongside metaverse leaders. GALA, once dismissed as yet another GameFi relic, got a jolt of volume from a surprise Binance listing rumor—which later turned out to be linked to a rollout of a revamped GALA node rewards system.
QNT’s inclusion might seem odd at first glance in this metaverse party, but its speculative appeal as infrastructure for tokenized assets continues to attract “future of finance” inflows, especially as TradFi players sniff around NFT standards for financial products.
While the metaverse crowd was busy dancing their way back into telegram groups, a few tokens quietly bled out. RIVER sank a shocking 22%, followed closely by MERL (-19.9%) and DASH (-16.5%), all thrashing in double-digit red.
Much of the selling seems to stem from waning liquidity on smaller exchanges, post-Christmas tax harvesting, and a broader exodus of liquidity vacuuming out the lower cap, low utility tokens. DASH, once a privacy coin darling, has become symbolic of crypto’s ghost towns, as on-chain volume fell below 2020 levels for the first time.
The common thread tying top gainers together? Storytelling. Metaverse tokens offer users a narrative to rally around. Whether it's nostalgia for prior gains, belief in decentralized creator economies, or simply speculation-based memetics around ‘owning’ digital space—this weekend’s price movement shows markets are still, at their core, driven by stories more than fundamentals.
This rotation back into ‘unserious’ sectors of crypto may also signify traders feeling safer taking on risk again. With bitcoin holding firm in the $42K-$44K range and Ethereum displaying less volatility than Solana did over the past week, some degree of confidence returned to the long tail of tokens.
Crypto Twitter is having a field day. Influencers like @crypto_hustlr and @ChainKyt have reignited metaverse hopium with viral threads mapping potential upside for gaming coins in 2026. Speculation is that institutional money is testing waters again—albeit through indirect exposure like tokenized ETFs or synthetic index plays.
A part of the community even coined the movement “Metaverse 2.0,” though skeptics argue it’s more of a reflex pump than a sustained shift. Either way, the memes are strong, and memes have market power.
What this weekend proved is that narratives never die—they just hibernate until someone cracks open another Red Bull and sends a bullish tweet. AXS may not be the messiah of gaming, but in a market greedy for stories, it plays the hero for now.
The rotation into metaverse tokens isn’t necessarily predictive of a new bull run, but it’s a reminder: never discount the power of coordinated narrative and some back-in-vogue branding. Like fashion, crypto trends always cycle back—with a touch more irony the second time around.
This weekend’s digital dust-up wasn’t just another altcoin pump—it was a metaverse resurrection. Axie Infinity’s AXS exploded by 65.2%, reigniting long-dormant speculation in GameFi. Close on its stylized NFT heels were Sandbox’s SAND (up 27.09%) and Decentraland’s MANA (rising 20.36%), both of which haven’t seen such coordinated enthusiasm since the heady days of 2021’s metaverse boom.
To be clear: this isn’t the same dog-and-Lambo-fueled exuberance we saw last cycle. This time, the chatter feels grounded in actual ecosystem updates and emerging narratives—like renewed allocations in metaverse infrastructure, hints of fresh VC funding, and hints of web3 gaming integrations lurking beneath the social layer of crypto Twitter.
On-chain activity for AXS spiked Friday night, with a 3x jump in active wallets interacting with staking contracts. Notably, speculation rose after rumors circulated on Twitter that a major traditional gaming studio might be exploring a partnership with Sky Mavis. While nothing is confirmed, the rumor mill has shown just how fast dormant sectors in crypto can reheat with the right catalyst.
Social engagement numbers back the price movement: AXS-related mentions soared 250% on X (née Twitter), with hashtags like #GameFi2026 and #PlayToEarn making an unexpected return to trending status in crypto corners of the platform.
Equally interesting is that the revival isn’t happening in isolation. GALA (up 14.66%) and QNT (up 15.45%) are surfacing alongside metaverse leaders. GALA, once dismissed as yet another GameFi relic, got a jolt of volume from a surprise Binance listing rumor—which later turned out to be linked to a rollout of a revamped GALA node rewards system.
QNT’s inclusion might seem odd at first glance in this metaverse party, but its speculative appeal as infrastructure for tokenized assets continues to attract “future of finance” inflows, especially as TradFi players sniff around NFT standards for financial products.
While the metaverse crowd was busy dancing their way back into telegram groups, a few tokens quietly bled out. RIVER sank a shocking 22%, followed closely by MERL (-19.9%) and DASH (-16.5%), all thrashing in double-digit red.
Much of the selling seems to stem from waning liquidity on smaller exchanges, post-Christmas tax harvesting, and a broader exodus of liquidity vacuuming out the lower cap, low utility tokens. DASH, once a privacy coin darling, has become symbolic of crypto’s ghost towns, as on-chain volume fell below 2020 levels for the first time.
The common thread tying top gainers together? Storytelling. Metaverse tokens offer users a narrative to rally around. Whether it's nostalgia for prior gains, belief in decentralized creator economies, or simply speculation-based memetics around ‘owning’ digital space—this weekend’s price movement shows markets are still, at their core, driven by stories more than fundamentals.
This rotation back into ‘unserious’ sectors of crypto may also signify traders feeling safer taking on risk again. With bitcoin holding firm in the $42K-$44K range and Ethereum displaying less volatility than Solana did over the past week, some degree of confidence returned to the long tail of tokens.
Crypto Twitter is having a field day. Influencers like @crypto_hustlr and @ChainKyt have reignited metaverse hopium with viral threads mapping potential upside for gaming coins in 2026. Speculation is that institutional money is testing waters again—albeit through indirect exposure like tokenized ETFs or synthetic index plays.
A part of the community even coined the movement “Metaverse 2.0,” though skeptics argue it’s more of a reflex pump than a sustained shift. Either way, the memes are strong, and memes have market power.
What this weekend proved is that narratives never die—they just hibernate until someone cracks open another Red Bull and sends a bullish tweet. AXS may not be the messiah of gaming, but in a market greedy for stories, it plays the hero for now.
The rotation into metaverse tokens isn’t necessarily predictive of a new bull run, but it’s a reminder: never discount the power of coordinated narrative and some back-in-vogue branding. Like fashion, crypto trends always cycle back—with a touch more irony the second time around.
The unexpected surge in metaverse tokens like AXS and SAND is being driven by a wave of speculative interest, ecosystem rumors, and renewed confidence in crypto gaming sectors. It’s a reminder that narratives drive markets as much as any macro trend.
Follow sharp Twitter threads—not just price charts. Market moves often follow meme cycles and viral narratives before they hit mainstream coverage. Getting ahead means reading sentiment, not just signals.
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