Expectations for Altcoin Season in 2026

As 2026 approaches, the biggest question on investors' minds is: Will the altcoin season come? Current market data shows that Bitcoin dominance continues and high risks for altcoins persist. According to CoinMarketCap data, the Altcoin Season Index has dropped to 17 this week. In the past 90 days, only 17 of the top 100 assets in the market have outperformed Bitcoin (BTC).

The performance of 2025 demonstrates how distant altcoins are from a low-risk appetite. Bitcoin experienced a sharp pullback from its record level of $126,000 in October and is currently seeking balance in the $80,000–$90,000 range. During this period, while Bitcoin lost about 6 percent of its value throughout 2025, some low-cap tokens have faced declines of up to 90 percent from their peak prices.

Notable figure and BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes is signaling that the risk appetite in the world could change. According to on-chain data, Hayes has liquidated 1,871 Ethereum (worth approximately $5.53 million) in the past week. Subsequently, he made purchases totaling approximately $609,000 in the Ethena (ENA), Pendle (PENDLE), and ether.fi (ETHFI) projects. This move is interpreted by analysts as a transition strategy.

The four important altcoins on analysts' radars are as follows: Solana (SOL) has dropped by 58.6 percent from its January 2025 peak, indicating that ecosystem growth may have potential for price revaluation in the event of a possible price increase. Ethena (ENA) is currently trading at around $0.203 and is a significant part of Hayes’ portfolio. There is a strong growth indicator for Pendle (PENDLE) for the year 2025. Meanwhile, ether.fi (ETHFI) has declined from $1.60 in September to $0.70, drawing attention with its position in the liquid restaking sector.

Another altcoin project to closely monitor for 2026 is Minotaurus (MTAUR). Market analysts are considering long-term growth scenarios of 50 percent for this project. If an investment is made in this project today, a 50 percent increase from the level of 0.00020 USDT could theoretically bring investors to the level of $3,960. Consequently, investors should continue to carefully monitor changes and price movements in the markets.