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Web 3 Journalist
Tim Hakki
Web 3 Journalist
Tim Hakki
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Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $126,080 in early October, but the much-anticipated “Uptober” rally came to an abrupt halt after Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on China triggered a sharp market sell-off on October 6.
For veteran traders of the digital asset, the retracement was far from unexpected, and in many ways, welcomed. Corrections help eliminate excess leverage and speculative froth, often laying the foundation for stronger, more sustained rallies to follow.
Now that volatility is easing and investor sentiment is getting better, analysts believe that momentum could accelerate in 2026. Here’s why XRP, Ethereum, and Zcash could become some of the best performers in the next major bull cycle.
XRP (XRP): Powering the Next Era of Global Payments
of Ripple XRP ($XRP) continues to enhance the international payments environment with its fast and low-cost blockchain settlement system, positioning itself as a more efficient alternative to legacy networks such as SWIFT.
Ripple’s technology has been highlighted in reports by the UN Capital Development Fund and the White House, while the company continues to form high-level partnerships with global financial institutions. This expanding ecosystem has helped XRP secure its position as the fourth largest cryptocurrency, with a market capitalization close to $135.6 billion.
Ripple’s newest initiative, the US dollar-backed stablecoin RLUSD, highlights its aggressive push into what many see as crypto’s most important use case. Every RLUSD transaction, and all activity on the XRP Ledger, requires a tiny XRP burn, tying network adoption directly to long-term token value.
XRP has climbed 214.5% over the past year, reaching $3.65 in July, its first all-time high since 2018. In the same 12-month period, the price of Bitcoin grew only 3.4%.
If the United States approves spot crypto ETFs and passes Project Crypto, a legislative framework aimed at clarifying the regulation of digital assets, XRP could realistically target $10 or more by early 2026.
Ethereum (ETH): The Smart-Contract Titan is preparing for a major expansion
Ethereum ($ETH)which boasts a market capitalization of approximately $371.7 billion, remains the backbone of decentralized finance and Web3 development.
Holding approx $72.4 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL)Ethereum continues to dominate the DeFi and smart-contract sectors, reinforcing its vital role in the blockchain ecosystem.
A bullish scenario puts ETH at $10,000 by the end of the year, a big jump from its current level of $3,206 and almost doubling its previous high of $4,946 recorded in August.
The upcoming Fusaka upgrade, scheduled for early December, will significantly improve data availability for Layer-2 solutions while increasing network sustainability, security and scalability. These improvements could push ETH towards the $5,000 mark by the end of the month.
However, achieving a run to $10,000 will largely depend on clearer US regulation, which will unlock wider institutional participation.
Earlier this year, ETH broke out of a bullish flag pattern, rising from $1,800 to an ATH, although stronger momentum is needed to propel it into five-digit territory.
Zcash (ZEC): Private Coin Soars 147% in One Week
Launched in 2016 as a Bitcoin fork, Zcash ($ZEC) was developed with one mission in mind: preserving financial privacy.
ZEC uses zk-SNARKs, a powerful cryptographic technique that validates transactions without exposing the sender, recipient or amount involved.
Its dual address design offers users a choice between transparent and shielded transactions, maintaining a balance between anonymity and regulatory compliance.
ZEC has rallied 17% in the last 24 hours and a staggering 1,359% in the last 365 days. Now trading around $566, it accounts for most of the $32.7 billion privacy coin sector’s overnight gain of 17%. It also boasts a strong market capitalization of over $9 billion.
With an RSI near 68, ZEC is nearing overbought territory, suggesting a slight pullback could occur as traders take profits. Still, strong fundamentals and a renewed interest in privacy technology could propel ZEC to $1,000 before the end of the year.
Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER): A Meme Coin with Real Utility and Layer-2 Scaling
A rising star ready to make waves in 2026 is Bitcoin Hyper ($ HYPER)a project that combines the meme-coin culture with a significant blockchain infrastructure. Unlike typical meme tokens, HYPER provides tangible utility as a Bitcoin Layer-2 scaling solution, with the goal of increasing the network’s transaction flow, reducing fees, and enabling smart-contract functionality.
Powered by the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), Bitcoin Hyper supports DAO governance, cross-chain interoperability, and programmable contracts, enabling seamless interaction with Bitcoin across multiple networks.
The project has already collected $27.5 million during its presale phase, with analysts such as Borch Crypto projecting potential earnings of up to 100×.
A recent audit by Coinsult confirmed no security flaws in the smart contract, increasing investor confidence. The HYPER token enables staking, network fees and governance. Early presale stakers can earn up to 42% APY.
With Bitcoin approaching new highs and the presale of HYPER experiencing strong demand, many analysts expect this project to become one of the sculptors of 2026.
Visit the official presale site or follow Bitcoin Hyper on X and Telegram for more information.
Visit the official website here
