Will 2026 Be the Year of Altcoins: Predictions for ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, and DOGE

The cryptocurrency market experienced some select altcoins performing better than others in 2025, yet a widespread altcoin surge did not occur. As per data from CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin maintained its dominance around 55.5%, a low reached on January 5, 2025. This indicates that traders did not abandon Bitcoin for altcoins.

Key Takeaways

The cryptocurrency market is still heavily favoring Bitcoin over altcoins.
Predictions for major altcoins in 2026 remain uncertain, with Ether, BNB, XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin facing various challenges.
Price predictions indicate key support and resistance levels, which will determine the future movements of these altcoins.
Observations illustrate the importance of key price levels for potential bullish or bearish trends in the coming year.

Will 2026 Be the Year of Altcoins: Predictions for ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, and DOGE

Glassnode recently pointed out on platform X that nearly all segments of the crypto market underperformed compared to Bitcoin over the last three months, creating an environment where investors are favoring Bitcoin.

Will we see a rebound in major altcoins in 2026? Let's delve into the analysis of the top five significant altcoins.

Ether (ETH) Price Forecast

In August, Ether crossed the $4,868 resistance; however, this breakout quickly proved to be a bull trap.

ETH/USDT Weekly Chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The current Ether price has fallen below the 50-week simple moving average (SMA) of $3,070, indicating bearish control. Attempts by buyers to initiate a recovery are being met with selling pressure at the 20-week exponential moving average (EMA) of $3,454.

There is support at $2,623, but a breach below this level could see the ETH/USDT pair decline to $2,111 and then potentially to $1,600. Buyers are expected to strongly defend the area between $1,600 and $1,385.

A decisive break and close above the 20-week EMA will be the first sign of bullish strength, suggesting the bears are losing control. This could prompt a rally to $4,000 and, later, to $4,956. If the price exceeds $4,956, a surge to $6,194 and then to $9,030 is a possibility.

BNB Price Outlook

BNB has been oscillating between moving averages, reflecting a balance between supply and demand.

BNB/USDT Weekly Chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

A drop below the 50-week SMA of $775 would suggest that the bears are dominating. This could lead the BNB price to plummet to solid support at $500. The $400 to $500 area is anticipated to see strong buying interest.

Historically, after sharp declines, prices often consolidate before making their next significant movement. This could see the BNB/USDT pair trading within a range of $500 and $930 for some time.

Contrarily, a breakout above the 20-week EMA would indicate a bullish resurgence, potentially driving prices to $1,182 and eventually to its all-time high of $1,375.

XRP Price Prediction

XRP is trending toward robust support at $1.61, where buying interest is expected to appear.

XRP/USDT Weekly Chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Should XRP bounce off the $1.61 level, it will likely encounter selling pressure around the 20-week EMA of $2.38. A sharp decline from this EMA would increase the chances of falling below $1.61. If that occurs, the XRP/USDT pair could drop to $1.25, with a subsequent test of psychological support at $1.

Alternatively, if the price rebounds from its current or $1.61 support and breaks above the 20-week EMA, it could signify diminishing bearish momentum. This shift might enable the pair to rise to $3, setting up for a larger range between $1.61 and $3.66. A close above $3.66 could propel XRP to $5.19.

Solana (SOL) Price Forecast

Solana has been trading below its moving averages and is potentially positioned to decline to the $95 support level.

SOL/USDT Weekly Chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

While buyers are expected to defend the $95 support, any relief rally is likely to face selling pressure at the moving averages. If prices drop sharply from these averages, it would reflect negative sentiment, with bears potentially driving the SOL/USDT pair below $95. Successful support breaches could see prices fall to $80 and ultimately $50.

On the other hand, if Solana rebounds and breaks above the moving averages, it indicates a possible range-bound scenario between $95 and $260 for several more weeks. The next bullish move could take shape if prices close above $260, potentially soaring to $425.

Dogecoin (DOGE) Price Perspective

Dogecoin has recently dipped towards the lower end of the $0.13 to $0.29 range, where buying interest is anticipated.

DOGE/USDT Weekly Chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Both moving averages are descending, while the RSI indicates negative sentiment, showing bears are currently in control. Sustained trading below the $0.13 level could lead to increased selling pressure, with the DOGE/USDT pair possibly falling to $0.09.

The bulls face urgency and must aggressively protect the $0.13 level, pushing Dogecoin prices above the moving averages to prolong the current consolidation. The longer the consolidation period lasts, the more powerful the eventual breakout is likely to be. If buyers manage to push prices above $0.29, momentum is expected to accelerate towards $0.48.