Best Crypto to Buy in October 2026: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and High-Potential Alternatives
Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and Bitcoin each tell a different story heading into October, but a 64% chance of a Fed rate hike and a 5% Treasury yield could scramble the rankings before the month even begins.
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As of September 30, Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) has seen impressive growth, climbing about 57% over the past 90 days. This outperformed other major coins: Solana (CRYPTO:SOL) increased by 48%, XRP (CRYPTO:XRP) grew by 37%, and Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) rose by 36%. For instance, if you had invested $1,000 in Ethereum at the beginning of July, you would have around $1,573 by the end of September.
In the last month alone, Solana led with a 15% increase, while Ethereum and XRP rose 8% and Bitcoin gained 6%. Currently, Solana is priced at $118, about 60% lower than its all-time high, while Ethereum trades at $2,706, about 45% below its peak. This suggests Ethereum not only posted strong 90-day gains but has also fallen less from its peak.
Bitcoin Trails the Majors but Holds Up Best Against Its Record
Despite trailing behind other major coins, Bitcoin has shown resilience. It currently trades at $83,893, about 33% below its record high of $126,080—the smallest gap among the major cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin closed its first winning quarter in a year, making it an appealing option for those prioritizing value protection over aggressive gains.
XRP is trading at $1.49, approximately 59% below its peak of $3.65 in July 2025. While it performed better than Bitcoin over one month and 90 days, it didn’t quite keep up with Ethereum or Solana in terms of growth, leaving it without a significant edge.
NEAR, Arbitrum and Zcash Beat Every Major, but With More Risk
Among the smaller coins discussed, NEAR Protocol (CRYPTO:NEAR) stands out, with a year-to-date increase of about 230% and an impressive 89% growth over the last 12 months. If you invested $1,000 in NEAR at the start of September, you would hold about $2,590 by the end of the month. However, NEAR is currently priced at $5.11, 75% below its record high of $20.44 from January 2022.
Arbitrum (CRYPTO:ARB), a layer-2 network that offers cheaper transaction processing for Ethereum, has surged about 165% over the last 90 days, yet it trades at only about 20 cents—91% below its all-time high of $2.39 —after falling to a record low in June.
Zcash (CRYPTO:ZEC), known for its privacy features, has also performed well, rising about 75% last month, with its current price at $1,402 and a market value that ranks it among the top ten cryptocurrencies.
Other coins like Sui (CRYPTO:SUI), Uniswap (CRYPTO:UNI), Litecoin (CRYPTO:LTC), and Hedera (CRYPTO:HBAR) also experienced gains between 38% and 74% in September, but their momentum is based on a single month’s performance.
A 5% Treasury Yield and the October Fed Meeting Threaten Every Coin
Consider the external economic environment when evaluating cryptocurrencies. On September 25, the 10-year Treasury yield was at 5.17%, creating a known return for bonds while cryptocurrencies rely solely on price appreciation for gains. Additionally, the chances of a quarter-point rate hike by the Federal Reserve during its October 27-28 meeting stand at about 64%.
Although Goldman Sachs has delayed its rate-hike forecast due to weaker inflation data, traders’ expectations tend to shift frequently. If rates rise, borrowing costs will increase, and speculative cryptocurrencies may take the hardest hit.
What Is the Best Crypto to Buy in October 2026?
Among the major coins, Ethereum seems to be the best choice for October 2026 because of its strong performance over the last 90 days and its ability to retain more value than Solana. Bitcoin is a solid option for those focused on value preservation, followed by Solana and XRP.
Among the smaller coins, NEAR stands out, with Zcash following closely. Arbitrum, Sui, Uniswap, Litecoin, and Hedera are better suited for a smaller portion of any portfolio.
Keep in mind that while Ethereum has excelled recently, it still trails Solana over the past month and remains 45% below its peak value. If the Fed holds off on raising rates on October 28, smaller coins could continue to outperform their larger counterparts. However, if a rate hike occurs, those smaller coins could see more significant declines, while Bitcoin and Ethereum may hold up better against market pressures.
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Sam Daodu is a crypto analyst who's spent nearly a decade making blockchain understandable—no easy task when most whitepapers read like fever dreams. He writes for 24/7 Wall St., covering Bitcoin, altcoins, and crypto market analysis for investors. Before crypto, he was a tech writer (back when explaining "the cloud" was peak innovation). Since 2018, he's written for CoinTelegraph, Yahoo Finance, The Block, Cryptonews, Zypto, Rain, and more—basically anywhere people want crypto news without the headache. Sam runs MacLabs Marketing, a content agency for crypto brands tired of sounding like AI wrote their website. He also publishes free crypto education on his site for Web3 enthusiasts who think "gas fees" is a typo. When he's not writing or staring at charts, Sam's either: - Watching anime (currently convinced One Piece has better tokenomics than most altcoins) - At the gym sculpting himself into a Greek god - Listening to the music your mum warned you only bad boys listen to Connect: LinkedIn | Email | MacLabs Marketing
