The crypto market is entering 2026 with renewed participation following a challenging period in 2025. Several sectors that had seen reduced activity are beginning to show signs of recovery, particularly GameFi. Tokens associated with established gaming ecosystems, such as Axie Infinity (AXS) and The Sandbox (SAND), have recorded notable price movement as development updates and ecosystem changes attract renewed attention.
These shifts suggest a broader market reset, where projects with active development, existing user bases, and defined roadmaps are gradually regaining relevance. Alongside this trend, other areas of the market are also drawing interest, including privacy-focused infrastructure and AI-oriented blockchain systems. This has brought Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) into broader market discussions.
Axie Infinity Shows Early 2026 Gains Following Ongoing Development
Axie Infinity has recorded a measurable recovery as 2026 begins, with capital returning to parts of the GameFi sector. Over the past year, Sky Mavis has focused on expanding Axie beyond its original gameplay model into a broader ecosystem.
Attention has centered on Atia’s Legacy, an MMO-style project designed to extend the platform’s long-term engagement. In parallel, changes to token mechanics have been implemented, including adjustments to rewards, efforts to reduce automated farming, and increased token burns tied to in-game activity and governance.
These updates have contributed to renewed market interest. From a broader perspective, Axie Infinity’s performance is being watched as an indicator of whether blockchain-based games can sustain activity through gameplay depth and ecosystem development rather than short-term incentives alone.
The Sandbox Gains Support Through Platform Enhancements
The Sandbox has also seen increased activity, moving in line with other metaverse-related projects. Its recent performance has been supported by continued development rather than isolated market events.
Throughout 2025, the project introduced creator-focused upgrades, including improved physics tools and AI-assisted world-building features aimed at lowering technical barriers. The launch of SANDchain, an Ethereum-linked Layer-2 network, was designed to reduce transaction costs and improve scalability for users and developers.
SAND’s recent movement reflects broader interest in digital world platforms that continue to expand functionality and creator participation. As such, The Sandbox remains a reference point for tracking the evolution of metaverse-focused blockchain projects.
ZKP Crypto and Its Focus on Privacy-First Infrastructure
While GameFi projects focus on ecosystem recovery, Zero Knowledge Proof has been gaining attention for a different reason: its emphasis on privacy-preserving computation and AI-ready infrastructure.
ZKP is designed as a Layer-1 blockchain that integrates zero-knowledge technology to enable computation on encrypted data. This allows results to be verified without exposing underlying information, a feature relevant to sectors such as finance, healthcare, research, and enterprise analytics.
One distinguishing aspect of ZKP is its development approach. The project reports that over $100 million was invested into infrastructure, hardware, and network development prior to opening public participation. The testnet is active, and core components are already in operation, positioning the presale as access to an existing system rather than funding an early concept.
Token distribution follows a multi-stage presale auction model spanning approximately 450 days, with daily allocations set through on-chain mechanisms. This structure is intended to support gradual price discovery and controlled supply rather than short-term concentration.
Because of this combination of privacy technology, AI relevance, and structured distribution, ZKP is increasingly referenced in discussions about long-term infrastructure-focused crypto projects.
Summary
Recent activity in AXS and SAND suggests that GameFi and metaverse platforms are regaining attention through continued development and ecosystem refinement. Both projects highlight how established networks are adapting after a slower market phase.
At the same time, market focus is broadening beyond gaming toward infrastructure layers that address privacy, computation, and data integrity. In this context, Zero Knowledge Proof stands out for its emphasis on verifiable, privacy-first computation and its build-first development strategy.
Rather than competing directly with gaming or metaverse tokens, ZKP occupies a different segment of the market, aligned with longer-term demand for secure data processing and AI-compatible blockchain systems. As 2026 progresses, these contrasting approaches illustrate how different sectors of the crypto market are evolving in parallel.
Explore Zero Knowledge Proof
- Website: https://zkp.com/
- Buy: http://buy.zkp.com/
- Telegram: https://t.me/ZKPofficial
- X: https://x.com/ZKPofficial
This article contains information about a cryptocurrency presale. Crypto Economy is not associated with the project. As with any initiative within the crypto ecosystem, we encourage users to do their own research before participating, carefully considering both the potential and the risks involved. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
