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Mùa altcoin đã chính thức gõ cửa khi Altcoin Season Index đạt 62 lần đầu tiên trong năm 2025. Đây là tín hiệu quan trọng thu hút sự chú ý mạnh mẽ của giới đầu tư đang săn tìm altcoin tiềm năng để mua ngay lúc này.

Sau nhiều tháng dao động dưới ngưỡng 60, chỉ số này cuối cùng cũng bứt phá. Dù mốc xác nhận 75 chưa tới, nhiều chỉ báo khác đã cho thấy dòng vốn đang rời khỏi Bitcoin và chảy mạnh vào các altcoin với tiềm năng tăng trưởng vượt trội.

Yếu tố rõ ràng nhất là sự sụt giảm đều đặn của Bitcoin Dominance. Trong 10 tuần vừa qua, thị phần của Bitcoin đã giảm gần 13% — từ 66% xuống 58%. Lịch sử thị trường cho thấy, khi điều này xảy ra, altcoin thường bắt đầu giai đoạn bùng nổ.

Các chuyên gia tin rằng, thiết lập hiện tại rất giống giai đoạn khởi đầu của những chu kỳ altcoin trước, báo hiệu Q4/2025 có thể là một đợt tăng giá mạnh mẽ.

Dự báo: Altcoin có thể tăng 10x–50x trong Q4/2025

Chuyên gia crypto nổi tiếng Ash Crypto (gần 2 triệu người theo dõi trên X) dự báo:

• Bitcoin (BTC) có thể đạt 150.000 USD
  
• Ethereum (ETH) hướng tới 8.000 USD
  
• Các altcoin có thể bùng nổ 10x–50x ngay trong Q4 năm nay
  

Ngoài ra, báo cáo mới công bố của Coinbase Institutional cũng khẳng định việc Bitcoin mất dần thị phần là “tín hiệu rõ ràng của chu kỳ xoay vòng sang altcoin”. Ông David Duong, Giám đốc nghiên cứu của Coinbase, cho biết thị trường hiện đã sẵn sàng cho một “mùa altcoin toàn diện” bắt đầu từ tháng 9.

Với các chỉ báo kỹ thuật lẫn tổ chức đồng thuận, nhiều altcoin triển vọng đã bắt đầu tăng tốc để chuẩn bị thống trị giai đoạn thị trường sắp tới.

Những Altcoin tiềm năng nhất để mua trong Q4 bull run

Tổng vốn hóa thị trường crypto đang hình thành mô hình “vòng đáy” tăng giá và dao động quanh ngưỡng 4 nghìn tỷ USD.

Trong mùa altcoin trước, vốn hóa altcoin tăng 5,7%, vượt xa mức tăng của Bitcoin chỉ 1,3%. Các nhà phân tích kỳ vọng kịch bản này sẽ lặp lại trong những tháng tới.

Dưới đây là hai cái tên altcoin nổi bật đang ở giai đoạn presale, thu hút dòng vốn mạnh từ cả retail và tổ chức.

Maxi Doge (MAXI) – Presale gần 2 triệu USD nhờ nhu cầu bùng nổ

Maxi Doge đang tái định nghĩa cách làm presale meme coin với tốc độ huy động vốn cực nhanh, đạt gần 1,91 triệu USD chỉ trong chưa đầy hai tuần.

Dự án được xem là “phiên bản Dogecoin thế hệ mới”, thu hút nhà đầu tư bằng sự kết hợp giữa:

• Staking rewards lên tới 253% APY cho người mua sớm
  
• Giá presale siêu rẻ: chỉ 0,0002565 USD/token
  
• Tokenomics độc đáo với đòn bẩy 1.000x vĩnh viễn, kết hợp cùng branding kiểu “degen + gym-bro”
  

MAXI đang nổi bật trong không gian meme coin, và nếu roadmap được thực hiện đúng, dự án này hoàn toàn có thể trở thành một trong những altcoin breakout lớn nhất Q4/2025.

Truy cập Maxi Doge

Pepenode (PEPENODE) – Altcoin đầu tiên với mô hình Mine-to-Earn

Pepenode mang tới mô hình mine-to-earn, biến việc đào coin thành một trò chơi ảo. Người dùng có thể mua node kỹ thuật số, xây dựng server room ảo và nhận phần thưởng thụ động mà không cần tới phần cứng đắt đỏ hay chi phí điện năng.

Điểm nổi bật của Pepenode:

• “Gamified mining” – người chơi kiểm soát dàn máy đào ảo, mua node để tăng hashpower
  
• Cơ chế burn 70% token khi nâng cấp, giảm nguồn cung mạnh mẽ
  
• Đã huy động hơn 946.856 USD trong presale
  
• Giá hiện tại: 0,0010533 USD/PEPENODE
  

Nhiều nhà phát triển gọi đây là “mining không cần phần cứng”, và nhà đầu tư đang đổ vào trước khi giá bước sang vòng presale tiếp theo.

Truy cập Pepenode

Kết luận

Với Altcoin Season Index vượt 60 và Bitcoin Dominance giảm mạnh, tín hiệu đã quá rõ ràng: dòng vốn đang chuyển sang altcoin. Các chuyên gia dự báo nhiều altcoin có thể đạt 10x–50x lợi nhuận chỉ trong Q4/2025.

Trong đó, Maxi Doge (MAXI) và Pepenode (PEPENODE) nổi bật nhất nhờ cơ chế độc đáo, cộng đồng đang tăng trưởng và mức huy động vốn ấn tượng.

Nếu bạn đang tìm altcoin tiềm năng để đầu tư, đây chính là thời điểm không nên bỏ lỡ.

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

Crypto analyst Ash Crypto has revealed when the Bitcoin price is likely to reach $150,000, while Ethereum rallies to $8,000 and the altcoin season begins in full force. This comes as the crypto market looks to rebound, with BTC attempting a successful break above $112,000. 

On Bitcoin Price and Ethereum Rally And Altcoin Season Timeline

In an X post, Ash Crypto declared that the Bitcoin price will rally to $150,000, Ethereum will rally to $8,000, and the altcoin season will happen in the fourth quarter of this year. During that period, he expects altcoins to pump between 10x and 50x. In line with this, he urged market participants to relax and be patient.

Related Reading

In another X post, the analyst stated that the Bitcoin price will likely bottom this month. Ash Crypto remarked that he is expecting BTC to form a low between $94,000 and $100,000, making everyone believe that $124,000 was the top. When that happens, he predicts that the flagship crypto will then record a massive breakout in October and reach between $150,000 and $180,000 by December. 

Crypto analyst Stockmoney also indicated that market participants can expect significant moves from the Bitcoin price and Ethereum in Q4 of this year, while an altcoin season could be on the horizon. In an X post, the analyst stated that BTC is following the same pattern throughout the bull market. 

Based on this, he remarked that impulsive moves happen in the fourth quarter, and this is where most pumps historically occur. Stockmoney noted that these rallies are usually preceded by a longer consolidation period in the form of a falling wedge or bullish megaphone. His accompanying chart showed that the Bitcoin price could reach as high as $180,000 by year-end. 

Altcoin Season May Already Be Starting

Market commentator Milk Road suggested that altcoin season may already be starting, even as the Bitcoin price and Ethereum find their footing. In an X post, Milk Road noted that ETH has outperformed BTC over the last two quarters. ETH is up around 110% in the second and third quarters, while BTC is up 34% during this period.

Related Reading

This represents an over 300% return for Ethereum over the Bitcoin price. In line with this, Milk Road declared that historically, this kind of flipping often marks the start of altcoin season. Blockchain Center data shows that the market is currently closer to altcoin season than Bitcoin season. More altcoins have continued to outperform BTC over the last 90 days. However, 75% of the top 50 coins by market cap still need to outperform BTC for it to be considered officially altcoin season. 

At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $112,000, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

Sure, the data above doesn’t scream “crypto’s thriving.”

But zoom out, and you’ll see that we’re actually in quite a sweet spot – the bull market’s still on, institutions no longer take crypto as a joke, and regulators have started making the rules feel less like hieroglyphs.

And for crypto companies, this combo means they gotta rethink how they grow.

Right now, most of ’em are still private. That means they’re stuck with venture capital or token sales to fund their growth.

Both options suck in their own ways – VCs are picky and expensive, while token sales are a gamble that depends on whether the market is feeling good that day.

Public markets, on the other hand, offer something they can’t get anywhere else: steady access to massive amounts of capital, plus the kind of mainstream credibility that venture funding just can’t buy.

That’s why IPOs are kinda having a moment rn.

And the results are wild:

Circle (the issuer of USDC) went public earlier this year. Their stock more than doubled on the first day, making it the biggest crypto IPO since Coinbase.

Bullish (a crypto exchange) IPO’d last month. Shares opened above $90, increased to around $118, then settled at $68 – still 84% higher than the IPO price.

Crazy numbers.

And now, we’ve got two more companies hoppin’ on the IPO train.

“Oh my goshies oh my goshies!1!! Who??” – you maybe.

Ay, chill, you don’t have to guess. I gotchu

1/ Gemini

Gemini, the crypto exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins, plans to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker GEMI.

They wanna sell 16.67M shares at $17 – $19, which could raise up to $317M and value the company at ~$2.22B.

And they’ve got some serious support – Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and Cantor are all lead bookrunners.

Translation: these are the banks in charge of organizing the IPO and finding investors to buy the shares – so, Gemini’s kicking things off with Wall Street’s A-team.

2/ Figure Technology Solutions

The blockchain-focused lender Figure Technology Solutions is getting in on the action as well.

Just like Gemini, it’s heading to Nasdaq – under the ticker FIGR.

The plan is to sell 21.5M shares at $18 – $20, which could raise about $526M and value the company near $4.3B.

The IPO’s being handled by Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Jefferies.

Now, what’s in it for you, the everyday crypto investor, from all this? A few things

1⃣ More legitimacy

A listing on Nasdaq is basically TradFi giving crypto companies a

That builds trust with institutions, which eventually means more money going into the crypto ecosystem – including the coins in your wallet.

2⃣ New ways for normies to get crypto exposure

Not everyone wants to deal with private keys, hardware wallets, or gas fees. IPOs let regular stock investors buy into the industry without touching actual crypto.

More money coming in from different angles is good for everyone.

Basically, IPOs don’t pump your coins directly, but they make crypto look way more professional to the outside world.

And in the long run, that respectability should help your portfolio

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Ethereum ($ETH) is nearly back at its all-time high (ATH) of $4,868.80, recorded in November 2021. With its price now hovering between $4.7K and $4.8K, investor excitement is building.

Altcoin season appears to finally be around the corner. And that makes now the best time to buy the top altcoins, including newcomers like Snorter Token ($SNORT) and Best Token ($BEST).

Ethereum’s ETF-Driven Rally & Treasury Demand

Over the past three days, spot Ethereum ETFs attracted a staggering $2.3B in US inflows, equating to roughly 500K $ETH. That’s more than the 450K $ETH issued by the network since the Merge in September 2022.

An incredible $1.03B of that inflow came on Monday, August 11, as traders roared back after the weekend. Even apart from red-letter days like that one, $ETH ETF inflows have been on a nearly-uninterrupted hot streak recently.

BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust snagged $500M+ of that $1.03B inflow by itself.

Standard Chartered highlights that ETFs now account for about 3.8% of ETH’s circulating supply, while treasury firms have accumulated 2.3M $ETH (1.9% of total supply) since June, and may eventually hold up to 10%.

That’s roughly on-par with the amount of $ETH held in treasury companies, per Standard Chartered.

Unsurprisingly, given the above stats, Standard Chartered upped its year-end price prediction for Ethereum. The company now expects $ETH to hit $7.5K, up from its original prediction of $4K.

The ETF surge and accompanying price prediction increase reinforces bullish investor sentiment. It also highlights an ongoing supply-demand crunch.

There’s far more $ETH flowing out of exchanges than there is coming in, creating a compelling supply-demand dynamic.

On-Chain Supply Pressure & Price Momentum

It’s not so much limited supply but booming demand that’s creating prime conditions for $ETH to make big moves.

Ethereum is facing shrinking sell-side pressure: over the past month, exchanges have seen average withdrawals of 40K ETH per day – a negative netflow.

On the institutional level, that’s Ethereum heading into crypto treasuries or ETFs; on the retail end, it points to investors likely HODLing, staking, or sinking $ETH into DeFi activity.

On that side, Ethereum’s total volume locked (TVL) in DeFi just passed $96.9B – within range of the peaks of 2021, when TVL sat north of $100B.

Key Price Points & Future Predictions

$ETH decisively reclaimed key resistances at $4K and $4.5K, and is now challenging the $4.8K ATH.

A breakout beyond this level could trigger a move toward $5K, while a short pullback may consolidate at the $4K support zone.

The economic laws of supply and demand are hard to beat, leaving Ethereum in a prime position to continue its strong performance. Analysts are taking note:

• VanEck acknowledges the connection between Ethereum and growing crypto sectors, like tokenization and stablecoins (accounting for 62% of all stablecoin value transfer in 2025). It adds that Ethereum could ‘still emerge as a better store of value than Bitcoin.’
• Tom Lee of Fundstrat highlights the immense growth potential still available with Ethereum, noting that it is still ‘undersold’ from an institutional point of view. Some 48% of investor portfolios contain exposure to gold – only 9% to crypto.

It’s no surprise that while Standard Chartered thinks Ethereum will hit $7K, Fundstrat forecasts $10K to $15K in a far more ambitious prediction. And Standard Chartered shares the same long-term bullishness. It estimates that Ethereum could reach $25K by 2028.

A bullish Ethereum is a bullish altcoin market all round. If you’re thinking of investing in potentially explosive altcoins, Snorter Token ($SNORT), Best Token ($BEST), and Tron ($TRX) stand out as cryptos ready to make big moves.

1. Snorter Token ($SNORT) – Find, Trade, Win Solana-Based Meme Coins on Telegram

Snorter Token ($SNORT) is a utility-oriented meme coin powering Snorter Bot, a Telegram-native crypto trading bot engineered for lightning-fast sniping of meme coin launches on Solana (and eventually EVM-compatible chains).

It features MEV-resistant trade execution, rug-pull detection, copy trading, limit orders, and real-time portfolio tracking, all within Telegram.

What is $SNORT itself? The token, currently in presale, operates on both Solana and Ethereum as a multi-chain token. Early investors can stake tokens to earn an estimated 142% APY during the presale, disbursed over one year post-launch.

Snorter makes finding and sniping meme coins easier than ever, and for $SNORT token holders, the 0.85% fees are some of the lowest around.

Investors have poured over $3M into the presale already. The token price sits at $0.1011 right now, but our $SNORT price prediction shows it could reach $0.94 by the end of 2025, and $1.92 by the end of 2026 as Snorter expands the bot’s integration with Ethereum and EVM chains.

$SNORT blends the viral appeal of a meme coin with actual trading utility through Telegram. Sniff out those hidden meme coin gems, snipe them, and save big. Check out our How to buy $SNORT guide for more information.

Join the Snorter Token ($SNORT) presale today while its price is still low.

2. Best Wallet Token ($BEST) – Powerful Web3 Wallet Unlocks Crypto Presales

Best Wallet Token ($BEST) is the native utility token of Best Wallet, a rapidly growing non‑custodial multi‑chain crypto wallet. Security is top-notch, too, using a combination of advanced biometrics and Fireblocks’ MPC.

The $BEST token is powering Best Wallet’s mission to dominate 40% of the global crypto wallet market by the end of next year. And holding  $BEST means lower trading fees and higher staking rewards.

There’s also the chance for big wins, with access to the best crypto presales in Best Wallet’s upcoming tokens section.

You can also research projects, read whitepapers, and purchase tokens directly within Best Wallet.

Over $14.7M has been raised in the $BEST presale already. Tokens cost $0.025475, and our $BEST price prediction forecasts that could reach $0.072 by year’s end. Discover how to buy $BEST to get in early.

Ready to invest in $BEST? Head to the presale today.

3. TRON ($TRX) – Justin Sun’s Leading Stablecoin-Friendly Blockchain

TRON ($TRX) has been around the block(chain). Established by Justin Sun and launched via ICO in 2017, Tron operates as a decentralized, Proof-of-Stake smart contract blockchain, designed to support scalable, low-cost dApps.

TRON initially aimed to decentralize content sharing by allowing creators to monetize without intermediaries. Its evolution saw it migrate from Ethereum to its own network and grow into a thriving dApp ecosystem, with ongoing focus on speed, scalability, and user experience.

In recent years, however, Tron has also grown in importance as a home for stablecoins – in particular, Tether’s $USDT.

That has provided a degree of stability for Tron, while introducing a number of other use cases related to $USDT – cross-border settlements, payments, and more.

$TRX regularly ranks between the eighth and tenth spot by market cap among cryptos. This makes it a major player, but with plenty of room for growth.

You can find Tron ($TRX) on Binance right now.

Ethereum’s Road Ahead: Will Altcoin Season Follow?

With $ETH on the verge of fresh highs, the broader altcoin market stands poised to rally. As Ethereum retakes dominance and confidence rises, investors hope capital flows into smaller-cap altcoins, igniting altcoin season.

Among the big winners could be the likes of $SNORT and $BEST. As altcoins packed with utility, they have the potential to explode – especially as altcoin season appears imminent.

As always, though, do your own research. This isn’t financial advice.

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

Altcoin traders can hardly contain themselves as the long-awaited breakout appears to have begun. ETH posted gains of over 20% the last seven days and smaller cap coins like SOL, DOGE, and BNB are close behind, with Chainlink’s LINK token up 30% in the same timeframe. Does this mean alt season finally here?

A painful bull market for altcoin traders

2025 has been a stellar year for Bitcoin, seeing the number-one crypto climb steadily higher, marking a fresh all-time high of ~$122,838 on July 14, fueled by rising institutional demand and a favorable regulatory climate stateside.

The same cannot be said of altcoins, which have languished far from their peak levels. Ethereum’s lackluster performance, in particular, caused divisions within its community, leading many to question whether the divergence between technology and price was an existential issue.

Just as ETH price was beginning to break out and see sustained momentum, renowned trader and former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes rattled ETH holders, selling 2,373 coins from his stash and forecasting near-term headwinds for the number-one alt, which, he believed, would test the $3,000 mark based on a weaker-than-expected jobs report and a short-term slowdown in global liquidity.

Those who continued to HODL their ETH are feeling euphoric today as ETH price has surged more than 50% in a month, with some prediction platforms forecasting price targets over $60,000. Even Hayes has taken to crypto Twitter this morning to admit the folly of his decision, tagging Tommy Lee’s Fundstrat, now the largest holder of ETH, with the words:

“Had to buy it all back, do you forgive me? I pinky swear, I’ll never take profit again.”

Is alt season finally here?

With Hayes back on board, BTC and crypto allowed in 401ks, and Ethereum bulls from Buterin to Bankless, finally believing in the strength of this latest rally, does this mean that the long-awaited alt season is finally here?

It certainly looks that way as smaller-cap coins begin to pump across the board. Before you get over your skis, however, take note: this year’s alt season may differ from previous cycles. As prominent day trader and LINK ambassador Ito Shimotsuma, points out:

“Each #Altseason is smaller than the previous ones. And this is why I tell you to focus more on DYOR. In 2017, any random ICO pumped 100x. In 2021, any VC backed alt pumped 50x-100x. This time, very selective alts will outperform. Look for those alts with strong narrative and revenue sharing.”

Another well-known altcoin trader, Miles Deutscher, similarly exercises more caution, confirming that, in his opinion, a mini alt season is finally happening, but watch out for the rotation back into BTC between the $120-140K mark.

Into the Cryptoverse founder Benjamin Cowen is notably less bullish on alts, warning:

“This is not alt season.

This is ETH season

Let’s not confuse the two”

Is Bitcoin’s rally finally over?

With Ethereum and alts pumping, Bitcoin is currently being outperformed, and Bitcoin dominance has dropped to 59.2% at the time of writing after months of holding steady over 60%.

According to Bitcoin macro strategy analyst ecoinometrics, Bitcoin’s correlation with the Nasdaq is behind this recent stall.

“Bitcoin’s correlation with the Nasdaq helps explain recent price action.

When stocks dropped sharply late last week, Bitcoin followed. That’s what you expect when correlations are elevated.

Now that the Nasdaq is resuming its uptrend, Bitcoin is moving with it again.”

All eyes will be on the broader macro picture moving into next week to see what Bitcoin’s next move will be, and how long this alt season may last.

Mentioned in this article

The debate over whether the crypto market is in Bitcoin Season or on the verge of Altcoin Season has dragged on for many months, especially due to Ethereum’s price action in the past few days. LUCIE, Shiba Inu’s marketing lead, recently touched on the matter, sharing insights on what’s currently happening, what to expect for an altcoin season, and when to anticipate a breakout in the Altcoin Season Index.

Altcoin Season Index Points To Bitcoin Dominance

Many traders and analysts have been closely watching the Altcoin Season Index, with posts on the social media platform X and news reports increasing in anticipation of a market-wide move that could favor altcoins against Bitcoin. Although the current market still tilts toward Bitcoin, signs of change are starting to emerge, especially with Ethereum now approaching the $4,000 price level.

Related Reading

According to the Altcoin Season Index from BlockchainCenter.net, which was also shared by Shiba Inu’s marketing lead, the index is currently standing at 39, well below the 75 threshold required to confirm altseason. Notably, the data from BlockchainCenter.net shows that the index has been hovering in this range after bouncing from lower levels earlier in the year. As shown in the chart below, despite recent momentum from Ethereum and XRP, Bitcoin is still holding a dominant position in the total market cap.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin dominance is currently around 61%, above the 60% level that typically signals room for altcoins to take over. Interestingly, this is a notable reduction from Bitcoin’s 64.3% dominance from three weeks ago. 

Lucie attributed this decline in Bitcoin dominance to alt momentum slowly gaining traction across various sectors, including major altcoins and meme-based projects. This gradual build-up, she suggested, could represent an accumulation phase. This is a familiar August pattern that’s mostly always seen before stronger altcoin rallies.

Eyes On September For Possible Breakout

Although the current readings confirm that it is still Bitcoin Season, Lucie believes everything may already be setting the stage for an altcoin breakout next month. The combination of a drop in BTC dominance and a surge in the Altcoin Season Index above 75 would officially mark the shift. For now, eyes are on this breakout. Particularly, Lucie noted a September window for a decisive move that could ignite a true altseason.

Related Reading

At the time of writing, Bitcoin’s market dominance is at 60.0%, according to data from Coinmarketcap. Ethereum, on the other hand, has a market dominance of 12.2%. The last time the market saw altcoin dominance was in December 2024, when the Altcoin Season Index spiked to a reading of 88.  Since then, Bitcoin has maintained control, with the most recent attempt to push the index higher stalling at a 59 reading on July 21.

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

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Hongji Feng

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Hongji Feng

About Author

Hongji is a reporter who covers crypto, finance, and tech. He graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s. He has previously interned at HTX,…

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August 1, 2025

The crypto market enters August 2025 with mixed interpretations about whether an altcoin season is taking shape.

While Bitcoin remains near its recent highs, some traders are shifting attention toward projects like Tron, Sui, and Pi Coin. Each shows contrasting price action and sentiment, making them part of the debate over the durability of the current altseason trend.

Tron: Steady Growth With Utility

Tron (TRX) has maintained steady traction in recent weeks. The Tron price is around $0.32, according to CoinMarketCap, with a market cap of about $31 billion and daily trading volume of nearly $1.54 billion, up by 44% within the past 24 hours.

July trading showed a stable range between $0.28 and $0.33. This consolidation suggests steady demand despite market volatility. Analysts cite Tron’s DeFi footprint and lower supply compared to competitors as reasons why it continues to attract flows during periods when altcoin season activity rises.

Whale accumulation and consistent activity across Tron’s DeFi applications add to the case for continued relevance. Some research outlets have pointed to its ability to maintain liquidity and support ecosystem projects, which has allowed TRX to stay in the conversation despite stronger competition from the Ethereum and Solana ecosystems.

Sui: Growth Meets Recent Pullback

The Sui price currently sits near $3.58, supported by a market cap of about $12.3 billion and daily trading volume exceeding $2.4 billion. Data shows a modest pullback of about 5% over the past 24 hours, after a month of strong inflows.

Sui Price (Source: CoinMarketCap)

Sui’s object‑based design and parallel execution continue to set it apart among Layer‑1 protocols. On‑chain adoption in DeFi and GameFi has supported TVL growth, though recent price softness has tempered short‑term sentiment. LunarCrush metrics earlier in July showed strong social engagement, reinforcing that traders continue to monitor SUI closely despite the decline.

Analysts suggest late‑2025 could prove important if upcoming integrations and ecosystem expansions deliver new user activity. For now, Sui represents an asset with utility and traction but is facing pressure from broader market sentiment.

Pi Coin: Supply Concerns Pressure Sentiment

The Pi Coin price is trading around $0.4, with recent reports pointing to downward pressure following a July supply unlock.

Pi’s daily volumes remain low compared to Tron and Sui, indicating weaker liquidity. Analysts note that a 17% drop in July coincided with a token unlock event of about 160 million PI, raising concerns about further dilution.

Investor sentiment remains cautious. Without clear use cases or robust DeFi integration, Pi’s price action suggests it is more dependent on community participation and speculative cycles than underlying protocol adoption.

Altcoin Season or Market Pause?

The Altcoin Season Index remains 36, meaning that Bitcoin continues to outperform most altcoins. Yet the steady performance of Tron, the active though volatile market for Sui, and the ongoing debate over Pi Coin show that interest in mid‑cap assets persists.

Some traders argue that altseason requires a broader rotation into tokens like these. Others believe current conditions represent selective trading rather than a full cycle.

Whether this develops into a sustained altcoin season remains uncertain. Tron offers steady liquidity and usage, Sui continues to build out infrastructure despite recent declines, and Pi Coin reflects the risks of supply shocks.

Together, these tokens capture the range of outcomes possible in an altseason: steady performers, growing platforms, and speculative risks. For traders, they illustrate how the cycle can extend beyond Bitcoin—even if the breadth of participation remains limited.

Author

Hongji Feng

Author

Hongji Feng

About Author

Hongji is a crypto and tech reporter. He graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s. He has previously interned at HTX (Huobi Global),…

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Last updated: 

July 24, 2025

As Bitcoin dominance continues to slide in Q3 2025, traders are shifting focus to altcoins with outsized potential. In this altcoin season, previously dismissed tokens are regaining momentum.

Shiba Inu and Bonk represent a renewed wave of meme coin speculation, while Cardano is attracting capital on institutional narratives. Together, the three tokens indicate a market phase driven by a mix of hype, community strength, and real development, where sentiment cycles are moving faster than ever.

Shiba Inu: More Than a Meme

SHIB is trading at $0.00001367 with a market cap of $8 billion and a 24-hour volume of nearly $462 million.

While often still called a meme coin, SHIB has quietly built out an ecosystem. The Shibarium Layer-2 network supports DeFi, NFTs, and dApps. SHIB is also used for gas fees, marking a clear move toward functionality.

Recent community DAO proposals and staking integrations have added to its infrastructure.

Whale wallets have increased holdings by over 600% in recent weeks, according to CryptoRank. On LunarCrush, SHIB recorded 6,400+ mentions and nearly 350,000 engagements in July.

These figures, paired with a 15% monthly gain, suggest that SHIB may be evolving into a hybrid token: part-meme, part-platform. In this cycle, that blend may be what keeps it relevant.

Bonk: Taking Over in Altcoin Season

BONK is trading at $0.000034 with a $2.76 billion market cap and a 24-hour volume of over $1.6 million.

BONK Price (Source: CoinMarketCap)

The token is now integrated into multiple Solana dApps, including Jupiter and native GameFi applications.

Though it began as a meme, BONK’s utility in liquidity provisioning and in-game use cases has grown. Exchange support has expanded, and burn campaigns have supported scarcity narratives.

Social activity remains high, with whale wallets rotating in and out, suggesting both speculation and trend-based trading.

It has gained nearly 140% in the past 30 days, and despite volatility, BONK appears to be maturing in tandem with Solana’s broader ecosystem rebound. If the altcoin season truly returns in the second half of 2025, BONK could deliver competitive performance.

Cardano: Utility Anchored in Narrative

ADA is trading at $0.81 with a $29 billion market cap and $2.4 billion in daily volume.

Cardano’s market position is supported by fundamental upgrades. The Hydra Layer-2 scaling protocol is operational, and the Mithril fast-sync update is now live. Voltaire governance milestones are also progressing, giving token holders greater control.

Stablecoin activity is increasing. Djed and USDA are both active, contributing to on-chain liquidity.

Unlike meme coins, ADA benefits from long-tail trust, and its current breakout mirrors their trend, showing how retail and institutional flows can align.

Altcoin Season: Attention is Allocation

SHIB, BONK, and ADA sit at different points on the speculation-to-utility spectrum. But all are benefiting from renewed flows in a fast-rotating market. Meme energy, protocol upgrades, and community activation have all contributed. As altcoin season accelerates, attention is proving to be a proxy for momentum. And for now, these three tokens have it.

Retail enthusiasm is rising alongside deeper on-chain activity, suggesting this altseason is no longer limited to quick pumps. Instead, even legacy tokens are evolving under market pressure, blending narrative, utility, and engagement.

When volatility returns, SHIB, BONK, and ADA show the different ways tokens can stay relevant. Whether driven by community, use case, or trader momentum, they remain in rotation—at least for now.

With one week already gone in the month of July, Ethereum has already begun to perform better than Bitcoin. While the gap is still very close, the outperformance of Ethereum over Bitcoin for only the second time this year could signal the entrance of better things for the altcoin market. If this continues, then an altcoin season might be on the horizon, as historical data shows it always begins with ETH outperforming BTC. So, let’s take a look at how both assets have been performing.

Ethereum Barrels Ahead Of Bitcoin In July

So far, in the month of July, the Ethereum price has been putting in more green candles, suggesting that bulls are making their move again. This has led to a small outperformance when compared to the Bitcoin price over this time period and could be the signal that altcoin season could be starting soon.

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Data from the CryptoRank website shows that Ethereum is already up more than 2.50% since the start of July. Meanwhile, the Bitcoin price, while having seen some price increases, is up only 1.20% at the time of this writing. Thus, Ethereum is already performing better in the month of July.

If this outperformance continues, then this would be only the second time that the Ethereum price will be doing better than the Bitcoin price so far in 2025. The first was back in May, when the Ethereum price rallied by over 41% in one month. This was major compared to Bitcoin’s 11.1% move in that month.

However, while the Bitcoin rally in the month of May saw its price reach new all-time highs, Ethereum continues to struggle and remains below its $4,800 all-time high levels. Nevertheless, Ethereum’s rally did translate to bullishness for the altcoin market as the likes of PEPE and BONK rallied by more than 100% in response to this.

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Given that Ethereum has led the altcoin season in the past, its outperformance of Bitcoin at this level remains a positive. If it continues, then the altcoin market could start to see further increases in price. And if Ethereum rises another 41% from here, it would put it right on the path to $4,000.

However, the month of July has not historically been the best month for Ethereum, with an average return of +5.13%. The whole of the third quarter of the year is also a mixed bag for the altcoin, with an equal number of green and red closes over the last decade. Thus, it remains to be seen how the ETH price will perform this quarter and if it can successfully outpace Bitcoin.

Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com