With the loss of NewJeans to ADOR, and ADOR most certainly going to dungeon them if NewJeans doesn't exhaust their appeals, IVE stands essentially unopposed to take the crown and be viewed as the top group of 4th gen when it's all said and done.
Similar to how Wonder Girls was ahead of SNSD until they got deported to the American circuit, IVE will now pull ahead of NewJeans. This trial loss is NewJeans being sent to America. While NewJeans certainly did peak higher, IVE retains the second highest peak, and NewJeans domination will be limited to a couple of years. A very high impact group, but without the longevity over a long period of time to cover up the long foreseeable period of inactivity. That's the making of a Wonder Girls, not an SNSD.
Aespa will be the 2NE1 of 4th gen. They had a strong 2024, but they obviously can't replicate an admittedly stellar year (in terms of numbers). You can read Yama-chan's various threads about aespa recently to get a better idea of their issues 
idle and Le Sserafim need not apply. Neither does ITZY. While they all have their strengths, their argument isn't as comprehensive as IVE's.
More importantly, though, IVE's music is just better. None of these groups have brushed against "I Am" or "Love Dive," let alone stand with it. Maybe "Ditto" comes closest. The top K-pop (or K-popish) song of 2025 is an "I Am" clone. Not to mention their other songs. That's quality. That's what makes them the top group. (Of course some of their songs are garbage like "Supernova Love," but all groups have their period of flop.)
While some may say that IVE will only be on top because NewJeans essentially shot themselves in the foot: you are right! But the competitors deciding to take a smoke break while you chug along is something you can't control, and it's effectively meaningless.
For that brief two-year period, NewJeans was virtually undisputed. IVE, though, will have thrived through the era.
NewJeans is dead, and IVE will live forever! 
