Expectations for Altcoin Season in 2026

As we approach 2026, the biggest question on investors' minds is: Will the altcoin season come? Current market data shows that Bitcoin dominance continues and high risks persist for altcoins. According to CoinMarketCap data, the Altcoin Season Index dropped to 17 this week. Over the last 90 days, only 17 out of the top 100 assets in the markets have performed better than Bitcoin (BTC).

The performance in 2025 proves 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 process, while Bitcoin lost about 6% of its value throughout 2025, some lower-volume tokens faced declines of up to 90% from their peak prices.

Notable figure and BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes suggests that there may be signals indicating a shift in the world's risk appetite. According to on-chain data, Hayes converted 1,871 Ethereum (approximately $5.53 million) into cash in the past week. Subsequently, it was revealed that he made purchases totaling about $609,000 in the Ethena (ENA), Pendle (PENDLE), and ether.fi (ETHFI) projects. This move is seen by analysts as a transition strategy.

Four significant altcoins currently on analysts' radar are as follows: Solana (SOL), which has dropped 58.6% from its January 2025 peak, indicating the ecosystem's growth potential in the event of a price increase. Ethena (ENA) is currently trading at around $0.203 and is an important part of Hayes' portfolio. Pendle (PENDLE) has a strong growth indicator for the year 2025. ether.fi (ETHFI) has declined from $1.60 in September to $0.70 and is gaining attention with its position in the liquid restaking sector.

Another altcoin project that should be closely monitored for 2026 is Minotaurus (MTAUR). Market analysts are evaluating long-term growth scenarios of %50 for this project. If investment is made in this project today, a 50% increase from the 0.00020 USDT level theoretically could take investors to around $3,960. As a result, investors should continue to carefully monitor changes in the markets and price movements.