Since the beginning of the year, several tracks have produced quite a few dark horses. In the privacy sector, QUAI surged 261%, supported by the launch of new mining infrastructure and a threefold increase in revenue; in AI, PAAL skyrocketed 144%, driven by the QuantX trading robot which boosted trading volume; in DePIN, DSYNC rose 119%, with smartphone + AI participation modes attracting a group of contributors; in the RWA sector, AUTOS jumped 118%, with only 8% of tokens locked and revenue reinvested into the ecosystem; Layer1 projects also increased by 105%, paving the way through integration and ambassador programs.

Why can these projects outperform the same period’s market cap? I’ve summarized three core commonalities:

**Doing the work is more important than creating hype**

The most impressive projects don’t chase trends. They focus on reducing circulating supply pressure, reinvesting earnings into the ecosystem, and upgrading underlying technology—things that are intangible. But because they don’t flood the market with extra supply, a buy-in can cause rapid price surges. In a bull market, this foundation is much more effective than just issuing announcements. Projects with clear structures tend to rise twice as fast.

**Clear use cases bring trading activity**

The common point in this wave is—users can immediately understand what the project is for. Contributing computing power via mobile for AI, using robots for quantitative trading, improving network economy... these value propositions are straightforward. Truly useful projects don’t need extra incentives; the community naturally gathers around real products rather than just betting on concepts. Trading volume grows organically this way.

**Community needs leadership, not exploitation**

Ambassador programs, ecosystem integration, attracting contributors—these actions create a sense of identity for community members, transforming them from mere token holders into project ambassadors. In a bull market, an active community is ten times more effective than marketing budgets. Projects that genuinely guide users tend to rebound more strongly when the momentum returns.

The bull market rewards those who are prepared. Execution is the key to victory.