Avalanche's AVAX Token Surges Nearly 50% in October, Outperforming Major Cryptos

Avalanche's native token, AVAX, has seen a remarkable increase of approximately 49.7% over the last four weeks, outpacing both Bitcoin and Ether during the same period. The token's price climbed from a range of around $7.20 to $7.50 in mid-September to between $10.85 and $10.95 by October 11, 2026, bringing Avalanche's market capitalization close to $4.8 billion.

Key Catalysts for Growth

• Helicon Upgrade: Launched on September 22, 2026, this upgrade significantly improved performance, with block verification speeds reportedly up to 100 times faster. It also shortened staking periods, allowing users to lock up AVAX for less time, and included measures to reduce AVAX issuance over time.
• Real-World Assets (RWAs): In the month leading up to September 29, Avalanche added $266 million in RWA market capitalization, the largest gain among tracked chains. This growth was largely driven by tokenized equities, with inflows into tokenized stocks reaching $131.2 million.

Institutional Interest

Recent developments have included integrations with major financial institutions like Goldman Sachs and testing related to tokenized assets with the New York Stock Exchange and ICE. Discussions around exchange-traded fund inflows into AVAX products have also emerged.

Future Considerations

Despite the impressive climb, AVAX remains approximately 92% below its all-time high of around $145, set in November 2021. Key points to monitor include whether the inflows of RWAs maintain their momentum, the real-world performance of the Helicon upgrade, and the potential for ETF-related demand for AVAX products.

New Developments in Avalanche's Tokenized Treasury Market

As of October 7, 2023, tokenized US Treasury assets on the Avalanche network have reached approximately $545 million, marking a significant growth of about fourfold over the past year.

This expansion highlights the increasing adoption of institutional financial products on public blockchain infrastructure, indicating that Avalanche's efforts to position itself for real-world asset applications are gaining traction.

Tokenized Treasury products allow investors to access Treasury-linked yields while utilizing blockchain for settlement and ownership records, showcasing a clear product-market fit beyond speculative crypto assets.

Major firms like Franklin Templeton and WisdomTree are contributing to this market, which is becoming increasingly competitive across various blockchain networks, including Ethereum and Solana.

The growth in tokenized assets signifies a shift in blockchain competition, focusing on becoming infrastructure for established financial products rather than just hosting decentralized exchanges or speculative tokens.