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GameFi rebounds in 2026 as AXS and SAND rally, while ZKP gains attention at the intersection of privacy and AI.
Summary
- ZKP emerges as a new cycle contender, using zero-knowledge cryptography to power privacy-first AI.
- Backed by $100m in self-funded development, ZKP flips the crypto model with live infrastructure pre-presale.
- Analysts cite ZKP’s privacy-AI focus and long-term auction presale as drivers of potential 100x upside.
The crypto market is entering 2026 with a clear shift in momentum. After a brutal 2025, capital is rotating back into sectors that were written off too early. GameFi is one of them. Axie Infinity (AXS) and The Sandbox (SAND) are both staging strong rebounds, and their rallies are not happening in isolation. They reflect a broader reset where projects with real products, real users, and long-term roadmaps are being re-priced.
At the same time, another narrative is quietly building underneath the market. Privacy and AI infrastructure are moving from niche ideas to core requirements. This is where Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) enters the picture, and why some analysts already describe it as the best crypto to buy for the next cycle.
Why Axie Infinity is rallying again
Axie Infinity has surprised many traders by coming back into focus. AXS has posted sharp gains heading into early 2026 as GameFi capital rotates back into the market. This move is not just speculation. Sky Mavis has spent the last year rebuilding Axie from a single play-to-earn loop into a broader gaming ecosystem.
The upcoming MMO-style title Atia’s Legacy signals a shift toward deeper gameplay, longer retention, and a more traditional gaming experience. At the same time, Axie’s tokenomics have been adjusted. Rewards are tighter, bot incentives have been reduced, and more AXS is consumed through breeding, evolution, and governance. These changes don’t guarantee success, but they do explain why AXS is being treated again as a serious asset rather than a relic of the last cycle.
For traders, AXS represents a high-beta recovery play. For longer-term investors, it is a test of whether web3 games can finally compete on gameplay first, not just rewards.
Why The Sandbox is moving with it
The Sandbox has followed Axie’s lead. SAND has bounced alongside other metaverse and gaming tokens as the sector recovers. Like Axie, its rally is tied to real development rather than hype alone.
In 2025, The Sandbox focused heavily on creator tooling. New Game Maker upgrades, better multiplayer mechanics, improved physics, and AI-assisted world building lowered the barrier for creators. On top of that, the rollout of SANDchain, an Ethereum-aligned Layer 2, aims to reduce fees and friction for creators and players alike.
SAND is often treated as a bellwether. If it fails, the market will likely conclude that the metaverse narrative is truly over. If it succeeds, it confirms that Web3 gaming still has room to grow. This positioning is why many lists still include SAND as a best crypto to buy when GameFi momentum returns.
Why Zero Knowledge Proof is getting attention
While AXS and SAND represent recovery plays, Zero Knowledge Proof is being discussed as a fresh cycle leader. ZKP is a privacy-first Layer 1 blockchain designed to run AI computation on encrypted data using zero-knowledge cryptography. In simple terms, it allows data to be used without being exposed.
This matters more than it sounds. As AI adoption accelerates, data privacy is becoming a bottleneck. Enterprises, institutions, and even governments want AI, but they cannot afford data leaks. ZKP is built specifically to solve that problem.
What makes ZKP stand out further is its funding and structure. The team spent over $100 million of their own capital building the network before opening its presale. The testnet is live. Infrastructure exists. This flips the usual crypto model, where ideas are funded first and built later.
ZKP also uses a long-term presale auction model rather than a one-off sale. Tokens are distributed daily over 450 days, allowing price discovery to happen gradually. Many analysts see this as a fairer and more sustainable way to launch a network. It is one of the reasons ZKP keeps appearing on best crypto to buy lists despite still being in its early phase.
Why analysts talk about 100x potential
The reason ZKP is described as a potential 100x is not because of short-term hype. It comes down to math and market size. Privacy-first AI infrastructure touches multiple large markets at once, including enterprise AI, secure data processing, healthcare, and finance. If ZKP captures even a small slice of that demand, its upside is structurally larger than most gaming or metaverse tokens.
On top of that, ZKP is projected to raise more than $1.7 billion through its presale auctions, which would make it one of the largest presales in crypto history. For many investors, that scale signals long-term ambition rather than a quick exit.
Final take
AXS and SAND explain why GameFi is rallying again. They are rebuilding, retooling, and benefiting from a sector-wide reset. But when investors ask what could lead the next leg of the cycle, many are looking elsewhere.
For those searching for the best presale crypto to buy with asymmetric upside, Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) stands apart. It sits at the intersection of privacy, AI, and infrastructure, with real capital already committed and a launch structure designed for long-term participation. In a market rediscovering fundamentals, that combination is hard to ignore.
To learn more about Zero Knowledge Proof, visit the website, auction, Twitter (X), and Telegram.
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