1143 ET - Select altcoins are posting big gains, with Avalanche (AVAX) up 8.8% to $11.54. Aave, the token native to the Aave DeFi platform, is jumping 17.3% to $175.40. For both Aave and AVAX, it's the highest the tokens have traded at since January. Interest in altcoins continues to drive recent cryptocurrency trading, with activity in altcoin at its highest since last October, according to analysts with CryptoQuant in a note. However, the firm also says, demand for bitcoin appears to be cooling in the short term, which may soon be a drag on altcoins. Bitcoin climbs 0.4% to $83,799, ethereum rises 1.2% to $2,712, and XRP is up 3.5% to $1.55.