The cryptocurrency market posted broad-based gains on Jan. 14, rebounding after consecutive correction sessions, with most major sectors advancing between 3% and 8% over 24 hours, according to data from SoSoValue.
The NFT sector led the rally, surging 8.34%, as risk appetite returned across digital assets. The move coincided with a sharp upside breakout in bitcoin, which climbed 4.34% to reclaim the $95,000 level, while ether jumped 7.40% to move above $3,300.
NFTs outperform as speculative appetite returns
NFT-linked tokens were the strongest performers on the day. Within the sector:
Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) surged 13.36%
ApeCoin (APE) gained 13.17%
The strength in NFTs came alongside rising volumes in high-beta segments of the market, suggesting renewed speculative positioning rather than isolated token-specific catalysts.
Sector-wide gains reflect improving sentiment
Other major crypto sectors also recorded solid advances:
Meme sector: +7.31%, led by Pepe (PEPE) up 16.06%
Real-world assets (RWA): +6.95%, with Keeta (KTA) rising 16.69%
Layer 2: +6.92%, as Optimism (OP) climbed 17.21%
DeFi: +6.73%, with Ethena (ENA) gaining 13.06%
PayFi: +5.35%, driven by Dash (DASH), which surged 42.84%
Layer 1: +4.99%, led by Polkadot (DOT) up 9.48%
CeFi: +4.55%, with BNB rising 4.81%
Crypto sector indices confirm rotation into higher beta
Sector indices tracking historical performance echoed the rotation into risk:
ssiNFT: +8.88%
ssiMeme: +7.78%
ssiRWA: +7.09%
Meanwhile, broader thematic indices also advanced, with MEME.ssi up 9.09%, DEFI.ssi gaining 7.30%, and MAG7.ssi rising 5.84%.
Market context
The rally followed a period of consolidation and declining leverage, setting the stage for a relief-driven rebound as macro conditions stabilized and traders repositioned for higher volatility. Bitcoin’s move above $95,000 appeared to act as a catalyst for capital rotation into altcoins and sector-specific themes, particularly NFTs and memes.
Whether the move develops into a sustained trend will depend on follow-through in spot volumes, macro data, and broader risk sentiment in the days ahead.
