Expectations for Altcoin Season in 2026

As we approach 2026, the biggest question on investors' minds is: Will the altcoin season arrive? 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. Over the last 90 days, only 17 of the top 100 assets in the market have performed better than Bitcoin (BTC).

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

Notable figure and BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes is signaling that the world's risk appetite may change. According to on-chain data, Hayes sold 1,871 Ethereum last week (approximately $5.53 million) to go to cash. He then made purchases totaling about $609,000 in projects such as Ethena (ENA), Pendle (PENDLE), and ether.fi (ETHFI). This move is seen by analysts as a transition strategy.

Four key altcoins on analysts' radars are as follows: Solana (SOL), which has fallen 58.6% from its January 2025 peak, indicating that in a potential price increase the ecosystem growth may carry revaluation potential. Ethena (ENA) is currently trading at $0.203 and is a significant part of Hayes’ portfolio. For Pendle (PENDLE), there is a strong growth indicator within 2025. ether.fi (ETHFI) has dropped from $1.60 in September to $0.70 and is noteworthy for its position in the liquid restaking sector.

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