Today, the market in crypto mainly rose as investor confidence improved.
From a technical perspective, the total crypto market cap saw almost $40 billion in intraday inflows, of which about 75% flowed into Bitcoin. [BTC]making the move clearly led by BTC. BTC itself gained about 1.66%, rising above the $80,000 level for the first time since losing in early January.
Overall, the market is back in risk mode, but sentiment is still not fully aligned. The Fear & Greed Index is still about 12 points below the ‘greed’ zone, which is usually the point where strong accumulation phases start to appear, especially after BTC breaks through a key supply level. If sentiment does not catch up soon, a short-term cooldown or reset cannot be ruled out.
That said, some important trends are developing in the crypto market.
According to AMBCrypto, these trends could act as a strong macro catalyst for broader flows between different sectors. The Real World Assets (RWA) story continues to strengthen, with its total value exceeding $27 billion and reaching a new all-time high, demonstrating a clear capital rotation into tokenized assets on-chain.
However, the movement doesn’t just stop at RWA.
The AI story becomes stronger as Solana takes the lead
The AI sector within crypto is showing strong momentum both technically and fundamentally.
Solana [SOL]for example, is building strong hype ahead of the Accelerate event starting May 5 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, where AI is expected to be a major theme. Solana’s official account has also been deleted cryptic messages This indicates major announcements, which has added to the buzz in the market.
On the technical side, the AI sector is up more than 2.5% intraday, pushing back towards the $20 billion market cap level, a zone the sector has not been able to regain since losing it in early January 2026. In this context, Solana’s move appears to be a clear attempt to ride the growing momentum, positioning itself at the center of capital inflows while the broader market remains in a risk-taking mode.
So, beyond the RWA story, AI is now emerging as one of the key trend drivers in crypto.
The stablecoin market in particular exhibits a similar setup. According to DeFiLlama, it remains near an all-time high market cap of $320 billion, reinforcing the strong liquidity support behind both technical momentum and broader sector rotation within crypto. Overall, the timing couldn’t have landed better.
BRIGHTNESS repricings and major crypto stories increase overall sentiment
2026 is already shaping up to be a big year for the DeFi sector.
On the bearish side, the three major DeFi exploits have resulted in more than $600 million in user losses, and the broader impact is still rippling through the market. Even with some near-term recovery, Total Value Locked (TVL) remains nearly $15 billion below the pre-crash high of $100 billion. A 1.9% increase in the past 24 hours signals a mild recovery, but still reinforces the cautious tone in the sector.
In this context, the latest repricing of CLARITY Act odds on Polymarket stands out, with the probability jumping back above 60%+ for the first time in over a month.
Against this backdrop, intraday crypto momentum has continued to increase.
While sentiment remains cautious, the bigger picture is still driven by key structural themes. RWA, AI, and stablecoins continue to attract steady capital flows this cycle, acting as key catalysts that help support Bitcoin’s move above the $80,000 zone, even as macro uncertainty remains in the background.
Final summary
- Crypto is rising, led by Bitcoin, but overall sentiment is still a bit cautious.
- Major themes driving the market are AI, RWA and stablecoins, which are attracting funds even as DeFi risks and uncertainty remain.