The cryptocurrency market had another volatile week, with the major coins displaying macro caution and broad consolidation, but there were pockets of resilience in the altcoin market. Some undervalued tokens have shown strength and renewed interest rather than a full bear-market retreat.
Some sectors that have bounced back include AI and computing, which have advanced, signaling renewed investor enthusiasm for tokens that have been in the background for the last few months. Privacy coins have also taken the spotlight in the current rotation as investors seek user anonymity through advanced cryptography and untraceability. This has prompted regulators to increase their vigilance against illicit activities, and some exchanges have restricted trading in privacy tokens. These tokens offer privacy but are still not invisible to forensic tools and tracking… for now.
The niche sectors have demonstrated real utility and continue to attract investors as the Fear Greed Index is between neutral and greedy for altcoins, a posture of speculative optimism. The mindset for traders now appears to be quality over quantity.
BTC Rallies After a Substantial Dip
The crypto market leader dipped below USD 75k yesterday but has since rebounded and is retracing past losses. BTC has lost some ground, but on-chain metrics suggest a bullish trend is underway. Many whales have been accumulating at discounted levels, and these patterns have signaled strong rallies in the past. Institutional investor Strategy purchased another 855 BTC yesterday for USD 75m, bringing its holdings to 713,502 BTC. This purchase is just below Strategy’s breakeven price of 76k USD and is the company’s 5th purchase in 2026.
BTC is trading at 78K USD after breaking through the key resistance of 76K USD. The growing user adoption and a robust BTC network provide a solid foundation as long-term holders and institutional investors continue to build on the chain. Short-term selling pressure will subside as BTC’s strengths and support continue to mature alongside the rest of the crypto market.
ETH Continues to Grow
Ethereum had a challenging week from broad market selling pressure, but stabilized yesterday and remained flat today. The coin held critical levels, absorbed selling pressure, and continued to demonstrate its strength. The price decline does not reflect the network’s strong fundamentals.
The institutional investor Bitmine continues to make headlines, stating that it owns 4,285,125 ETH (9.86B USD), which is 3.56% of Ethereum’s total supply, and intends to increase that stake to 5% within 6 months. The company has also staked 2,897,459 ETH worth 6.7b USD, more than any other institution globally.
Another indicator of a strong ETH foundation is the surge in the ETH validator queue. The queue is now over 3m ETH, with a 54-day wait time to join the network. Validators are creating a bottleneck for new capital due to a zero-exit queue, which means institutional investors are taking long-term ETH positions. The Pectra upgrade has alleviated some congestion by enabling it to handle large positions without requiring a large number of validators.
ETH continues to innovate and grow, driven by institutional support and on-chain technology, so the current price of 2.29K USD is just a blip in its ongoing progress and potential.
EU Certification for XRP
There have been some positive developments regarding XRP in the last few days. Ripple has got full approval from the CSSF in Luxembourg for an EU Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license. All requirements were met last month in a provisional agreement but got the license approval today. XRP has regulatory backing to offer e-money and payment services to European clients. Last month XRP obtained an EMI license from the U.K.’s FCA.
Globally, Ripple has over 75 licenses in regulated countries and territories. A crypto broker Caleb & Brown launched the XRP payment platform to enable USD transfers, withdrawals and real-world utility within the U.S. The CEO stated that the partnership would enhance customer service/experience and outperform the previous banking structures.
Last Wednesday XRP traded over 60m USD which was a record high for the company. The increase in volume reflects more market participation that is focused on digital financial products, in a trend where investors have been pulling back. XRP is currently trading at 1.60 USD with strong resistance at 1.66 USD and continues to be the leading bridge between digital and traditional finance.
Cardano Metrics and Security Enhanced
Cardano had several highlights this week which included solid on-chain metrics with staking over 55% of supply (21b ADA), reflecting holder confidence and low supply pressure. Active addresses signaled steady organic user commitment and growth of up to 110K daily users. The transaction metric also increased to 2m per day due to low fees and stability amid higher volumes.
The founder of Cardano posted several statements in the past 2 days. The major announcement was that ADA will receive a large-scale security upgrade for its AI agent, Logan. The upgrade will also include a Hardware Security Module, and both enhancements will reduce hacking focused on wallets, bridges and DeFi platforms. The founder also had an opinion on the U.S. Clarity Act, stating that it favors banks and gives the SEC too much power. He added that the Act will stifle innovation and promote banking through the growing adoption of digital assets.
Cardano declined 7% following the founders’ comments, but has gained 1% over the past day and is trading at 0.2986 USD, with strong resistance at 0.31 USD.
There were many positives this week despite a crypto market downturn. Many idle sectors are on a comeback, on-chain metrics for some of the main chains are experiencing steady growth, and the market is cautiously bullish (Fear-Greed Index). Accumulation and selective opportunities were evident in the past week, as showcased by increased interest in the real-world utility of some tokens. Positive market sentiment is the outlook for the coming week.
