- Selective altcoins, led by XRP and Solana, have outperformed majors amid market consolidation.
- Analysts describe the move as a sentiment-driven rotation into higher-risk assets.
- Rally drivers include ongoing spot Solana ETF inflows and speculation about an XRP ETF approval in 2026.
- Key U.S. economic releases—the employment report and CPI—could trigger a broader Bitcoin breakout or test downside support.
- Market participants remain cautious; smart money is largely in a waiting mode and volatility may cause quick reversals.
Bitcoin and Ethereum have paused after a strong start to 2026 while several altcoins posted notable weekly gains as market participants rotated capital into higher-risk tokens. Over the past week, selective tokens rose while majors retraced, a pattern analysts link to sentiment and specific ETF-related narratives.
According to CoinGecko data, XRP gained nearly 10% and Solana about 7% in the week, while smaller tokens such as Sui, Bittensor, and Shiba Inu registered gains between roughly 14% and 17%. By contrast, year-to-date gains for Bitcoin and Ethereum have fallen to near 4%.
Marcin Kazmierczak, co-founder of RedStone, described the flows as a rotation toward perceived upside optionality. “The altcoin rally reflects a classic rotation pattern—capital flowing toward perceived upside optionality when macro uncertainty peaks,” he said, and added the move was “largely sentiment-driven rather than fundamental,” noting limited fundamental backing.
Analysts also point to narrative tailwinds. Continued inflows into a spot Solana ETF and market talk of a possible XRP ETF approval in 2026 have raised interest. Nicolai Søndergaard of Nansen said this attention helps explain the demand and that smart money remains in a “wait and see mode,” needing further positive news to broaden the rally.
The broader market awaits U.S. macro data. Yuya Hasegawa at Bitbank highlighted the U.S. employment report on the 9th and the U.S. Consumer Price Index on the 13th as key catalysts. He noted a potential Bitcoin breakout toward $98,000 or a return to a CME futures gap near $88,000, adding expectations of “meaningful support” around that lower level.
Market watchers expect continued volatility into the weekend. As Kazmierczak warned, “Alt jumps are quick to reverse without follow-through volume.” Early next week’s economic data will likely provide the next signal for institutional risk appetite.
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