The next significant movement in the cryptocurrency market will not originate with Bitcoin but rather with altcoins. This pattern is consistent with every market cycle, as liquidity shifts towards assets with greater upside potential, where substantial returns are realized.
This analysis will explore six altcoins that Altcoin Buzz is monitoring in anticipation of the next market upswing. These are not speculative picks or lottery tickets, but rather projects demonstrating genuine demand, active user bases, and tangible catalysts. If the market sentiment turns positive, these are the cryptocurrencies that could lead the initial surge, and that initial momentum often captures the most significant gains.
Ripple (XRP)
Ripple (XRP) is the first altcoin on this list with the potential for significant gains during the next market upturn. It is a cryptocurrency that has been extensively covered previously, with a dedicated playlist of related videos available for further review.
In a surprising development, XRP experienced a 20% increase in value during the first week of the year, even surpassing BNB in market capitalization. It now ranks directly behind Bitcoin and Ethereum. The most striking aspect of this performance is that a project with such a substantial market cap can still achieve a 20% price movement.
Previously, Ripple faced significant regulatory challenges, but these appear to have largely subsided. The prolonged legal dispute with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has seen a substantial resolution. Institutional interest in XRP is also robust, with six XRP spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) already attracting billions in inflows.
It is important to note that after 12 years, approximately 40% of XRP remains in Ripple's wallets. Investors should be aware of potential regular token dumps onto the market. The current XRP price is trading around $2.
Solana (SOL)
Solana (SOL) is an essential altcoin to consider for this list and has consistently been a focal point. Solana is widely recognized for its fast and low-cost transaction capabilities.
The network has also garnered considerable institutional interest, with at least seven SOL spot ETFs and two futures ETFs available in the United States, collectively attracting billions in inflows.
However, it is also prudent to be aware of ongoing lawsuits involving Solana and Pumpfun, a launchpad platform known for facilitating the creation of numerous memecoins. Allegations suggest that token launches were manipulated, granting insiders preferential access through Solana's validator and transaction infrastructure.
Pumpfun, the Solana Foundation, and the founders.
What was obvious has now reached the courtroom.
The 5.5 Billion USD RICO Case.Here is everything summarized that is known so far:
In July 2025, a consolidated class action lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the… pic.twitter.com/NczF0HIQEP
— MASTR (@MastrXYZ) December 18, 2025
This situation may contribute to the current slump in the SOL price, which is trading around $140. Nevertheless, SOL appears to be slowly recovering after dipping to the $120 region last month. Solana's development roadmap indicates numerous positive upgrades are forthcoming.
BREAKING: After 3 years of development, Firedancer is now live on Solana Mainnet, and has been running on a handful of validators for 100 days, successfully producing 50,000 blocks 🔥💃 pic.twitter.com/Y0WxxEj2WL
— Solana (@solana) December 12, 2025
Chainlink (LINK)
Chainlink (LINK) is a long-standing favorite altcoin, and it has been frequently discussed. Chainlink is recognized as the dominant decentralized oracle network, providing real-world data to smart contracts across various blockchains.
Beyond its oracle services, Chainlink is actively involved in emerging sectors like tokenization. The Real-World Asset (RWA) sector is experiencing significant growth, with potential for substantial expansion. Chainlink's involvement in this space is further enhanced by its cross-chain interoperability protocol (CCIP), which facilitates global connectivity between financial institutions, decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, and public blockchains.
Understand why everyone is excited about @Chainlink & $LINK in 5 easy steps 🧵
1. What is the future of the crypto industry?
Tokenized real-world assets (RWAs).
Basically, the tokenization of anything of value and the creation of services for those assets. It’s the next… pic.twitter.com/eDDGNFGpfc
— ⬡ The_Crypto_Oracle ⬡ (@Crypto___Oracle) August 13, 2025
This positions LINK as a utility token at the nexus of these developments. While users might initially pay in fiat, all services are ultimately settled in LINK. Coupled with the LINK reserve, the current LINK price of approximately $13 is considered undervalued. This undervaluation can be partly attributed to Chainlink's business-to-business (B2B) focus, which may be less appealing to the average retail investor.
Sui Network (SUI)
The Sui Network (SUI) was a standout performer in 2025 and continues to show significant potential for the current year. Sui is known for its fast and low transaction fees.
A key differentiator for Sui is its Move programming language, which offers distinct advantages, particularly in security aspects, compared to other languages. Sui also provides a comprehensive native stack, encompassing everything from wallets to storage solutions.
We often talk about achieving mainstream user adoption in Web3.
Yet, hacks and scams have eroded trust in the industry.😔
Improving code security is critical to Web3’s growth.
🔒Learn how Sui Move is designed to be inherently secure:https://t.co/Is3WOYUYqB
— Sui (@SuiNetwork) October 5, 2023
Sui also has a well-defined roadmap for the upcoming year, with a strong emphasis on stablecoins. The network already supports various native stablecoins, and private transactions are also a key focus. The introduction of USDsui, a native stablecoin issued by a Stripe company, further anchors the Sui economy, powering payments, DeFi, and real-world use cases.
Sui unveils USDsui, a native stablecoin issued by @Stablecoin, a @Stripe company.
Fiat-backed, GENIUS-ready, and yield-sharing – USDsui anchors the Sui economy, powering payments, DeFi, and real-world use cases across the network. pic.twitter.com/ehI7txlODL
— Sui (@SuiNetwork) November 12, 2025
With the current SUI price trading between $1.80 and $2, there is considerable potential for further upside in the coming year.
Hedera (HBAR)
Hedera (HBAR) is another altcoin that warrants attention in the current market. A distinguishing feature of Hedera is its use of hashgraph technology instead of a traditional blockchain, offering advantages such as high throughput, low latency, and predictable costs.
Hedera is actively engaged in various sectors, including:
- •Tokenization of Real-World Assets (RWAs).
- •Payments.
- •Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- •Decentralized Identity.
- •DeFi.
These diverse use cases make Hedera a versatile platform. Its governance council includes major global organizations like Dell, Google, Hitachi, and IBM, providing significant expertise and influence across multiple industries.
Hedera has also launched the third ETF after Bitcoin and Ethereum, signaling strong institutional interest. With the current HBAR price trading around 11 cents, it presents an attractive entry point.
Today marks history as HBAR becomes the third ever crypto ETF to launch after Bitcoin and Ethereum.
To make this clear, out of the 19M+ cryptocurrency’s that @CoinMarketCap tracks, it was the @CanaryFunds HBAR ETF that passed – citing @Hedera’s institutional-grade network 🧵 pic.twitter.com/Rc5U6eX35M
— Hedera Foundation (@HederaFndn) October 28, 2025
Hyperliquid (HYPE)
Hyperliquid (HYPE) is a leading decentralized perpetual exchange (DEX) with a current daily trading volume of approximately $210 million. Decentralized perpetual exchanges saw significant growth in 2025, and this trend is expected to continue.
Hyperliquid made a notable entrance with its HYPE Token Generation Event (TGE) in December 2024, featuring a substantial airdrop that provided significant rewards to early users. This event set a new benchmark for airdrops, notably achieved without any venture capital involvement.
The biggest DeFi airdrop ever 👇
310M $HYPE dropped to the community on Nov 29, 2024.
When it hit its ATH of $59.37 on Sep 18, 2025, that airdrop was worth $18.39 BILLION 🤯
Even someone around rank 10,000 on the points leaderboard got over $150K+ in airdrop. Imagine what the… pic.twitter.com/iHRebZpCwh
— Pranjal Bora 🧭 (@Crypto_Pranjal) October 8, 2025
The HYPE token offers considerable utility, including governance rights and staking opportunities. The current HYPE price is around $24, making it a noteworthy asset to monitor.
Did this analysis cover one of your preferred altcoins for the upcoming period, or was a significant one missed? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Disclaimer
The information presented by Altcoin Buzz is for educational, entertainment, and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The strategies and opinions shared are based on the writer's and reviewers' risk tolerance, which may differ from yours.
Altcoin Buzz is not responsible for any losses incurred as a direct or indirect result of the information provided. Investing in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies involves high risk; therefore, thorough due diligence is essential.
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