Amid a year of big losses for major large-cap cryptocurrencies, two under-the-radar tokens captured the market’s attention by delivering eye-popping returns.
The Unprecedented Surge
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL)-based memecoin pippin (PIPPIN) skyrocketed 5384% in 2025 to become the cryptocurrency market’s biggest gainer of the year.
Largely dormant throughout the year, the coin ignited an explosive rally around mid-November, culminating in an all-time high of $0.6109 last week.
PIPPIN was launched as a viral AI-generated unicorn image by Yohei Nakajima, creator of the autonomous AI agent BabyAGI. After going viral on social media, the community decided to transition the token into an autonomous AI agent on X.
Cryptocurrency
YTD Gains +/-
Price (Recorded at 8:14 p.m. ET)
pippin
+5384.24%
$0.4212
AB
+2716.16%
$0.004567
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Similarly, AB (AB) token rallied 2716%, emerging as the second-most successful cryptocurrency of the year. Unlike PIPPIN, the coin erupted to new highs in early 2025 but lost its footing in the later stages.
AB, formerly known as Newton Project, is a modular blockchain ecosystem focused on cross-chain interoperability and real-world asset integration. The native token is used for paying transaction fees, executing smart contracts and enabling governance.
These towering gains stood in stark contrast to the losses endured by more popular assets like Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE), which lost their way in the last quarter of the year following robust rallies earlier.
While Bitcoin lost 4.59% year-to-date, Dogecoin has bled 60% since 2025 started.
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