RUNE surged more than 26% in 24 hours to lead gainers among the top 200 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization after THORChain activated its v3.20 upgrade on Aug. 26. The release enables direct swaps of Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC) for Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and stablecoins, expanding the network’s addressable market for privacy-focused users. Trading volume rose threefold to more than $20 million, while short liquidations and broader crypto-market strength added to the move. RUNE’s 200-day EMA has turned bullish, but the token remains below the $0.65 level that marked the last lower high; a sustained move above it could confirm a shift in market structure. Buying data and a Sentiment score of 80 supported the rally, although its sentiment-driven nature leaves open the risk of a short-lived advance.