"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 show that Bitcoin dominance continues and high risks for altcoins persist. According to CoinMarketCap data, the Altcoin Season Index fell to 17 this week. Over the past 90 days, only 17 of the top 100 assets in the markets have performed better than Bitcoin (BTC).

The performance of 2025 demonstrates how distant altcoins are given the low risk appetite. Bitcoin experienced a sharp pullback from the 126,000 dollar record level in October and is currently seeking balance in the 80,000–90,000 dollar range. During this process, while Bitcoin lost around 6 percent of its value throughout 2025, some low-cap tokens 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 may change. According to on-chain data, Hayes sold 1,871 Ethereum (approximately 5.53 million dollars) to convert to cash in the last week. He then made purchases totaling approximately 609 thousand dollars in the projects Ethena (ENA), Pendle (PENDLE), and ether.fi (ETHFI). This move is being interpreted by analysts as a transition strategy.

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

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