Which Cryptos Could Outperform Bitcoin Before the End of 2026?

Several of the largest cryptocurrencies have seen gains while Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) dropped 27.6% over the past year, leading investors to wonder which altcoins could outperform Bitcoin before the end of 2026. Bitcoin is trading around $80,500, 36.2% below its record high of $126,080. It has fallen 4.5% in the last 30 days and 1.3% over the past week.

Most major coins have fallen more sharply than Bitcoin in the last week, with only three showing gains: privacy-focused Monero (CRYPTO:XMR) up 7.2%, BNB up 1.4%, and Bitcoin Cash up 0.7%. Ethereum, the second-largest coin, fell by 3.0%.

In our analysis, we ranked the top 50 coins based on momentum vs. Bitcoin, potential growth catalysts before the year ends, distance from all-time highs, liquidity, and associated risks. We excluded stablecoins and BNB from this analysis. Five coins stood out as potential candidates, but their success hinges on Bitcoin’s future performance.

Altcoins Need Bitcoin’s Market Share to Fall

Bitcoin’s dominance—its share of the total cryptocurrency market—stands at 59.5%. Altcoins, any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin, usually outperform Bitcoin when this dominance declines. A drop in Bitcoin’s market share suggests investors are shifting funds from Bitcoin to other cryptocurrencies.

However, that shift hasn’t happened. Total cryptocurrency market value fell 4.2% in the 24 hours leading up to today, and trading volume fell 10.8%. The Fear and Greed Index, which measures market sentiment on a scale from 0 to 100, read 46, indicating neutral sentiment.

Recent fund flows reflect this caution. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs took in $528.4 million on October 21, only to see an outflow of $635.5 million on October 22—the largest one-day outflow since September 24.

Spot Ethereum ETFs are looking even weaker, losing $110.5 million on October 22 and cutting total net assets from $17.8 billion on September 25 to $14.6 billion. Ethereum has also dropped 40.3% over the past year, far more than Bitcoin, which is why it did not make our list.

Monero and Hyperliquid Have Beaten Bitcoin by Wide Margins

Monero is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that conceals the identities of both senders and recipients. XMR trades around $593, up 7.2% this week, 8.4% over the last month, and 80.2% over the past year. While Monero has shown resilience, it remains 25.7% below its all-time high of $798.

However, the liquidity of Monero is a significant concern. XMR’s trading volume was only $108.9 million in the 24 hours leading up to today—just a fraction of Bitcoin’s $22.1 billion. This thin trading volume means that a few large sell-offs could quickly reverse any gains.

Hyperliquid (CRYPTO:HYPE) runs a blockchain designed for decentralized trading. HYPE trades around $75 and is 23.1% below its record of $98. It has gained 90.2% over the past year but has dropped 17.1% in the last month.

Another point of concern for Hyperliquid is the supply. Its $16.8 billion market cap is based on just 222.4 million circulating tokens out of a maximum of 1 billion. If all tokens were circulating at the current price, HYPE’s market cap would reach roughly $75.4 billion. As those tokens enter circulation, the added supply could weigh on the price even if demand increases.

TRON Has Held Steady While NEAR and Quant Swing Hard

TRON (CRYPTO:TRX) is a blockchain platform for payments and token transfers. TRX trades around $0.33, which is 23.5% below its record high of $0.43. Over the past year, it has gained 6.4%, while Bitcoin has lost 27.6%. TRX’s small price swings have protected holders during Bitcoin’s downturn.

In contrast, NEAR Protocol (CRYPTO:NEAR) has surged 206.3% year to date and trades at about $4.50. However, it saw a 9.5% loss in the 24 hours leading up to October 24 and remains 78.1% below its record high of $20.

Quant (CRYPTO:QNT) has skyrocketed 98.8% in the last 30 days to around $178, but it also fell 8.3% in the last week. Both of these coins have outperformed Bitcoin this year, but their rapid gains can vanish just as quickly.

Bitcoin Needs to Stop Falling Before Altcoins Can Take the Lead

First, The Pomp Podcast noted Bitcoin’s consolidation between $83,000 and $87,000 in a September 26 episode, but Bitcoin has since slipped below that range. A return above $83,000 would signal a potential Bitcoin recovery.

Moreover, spot Bitcoin ETFs need to see more inflow days like the $528.4 million collected on October 21, and Bitcoin dominance should fall below 59.5% for altcoins to thrive.

Each potential outperformer also faces its own challenges. Monero could keep beating Bitcoin if it holds gains during downturns. Hyperliquid might surpass Bitcoin if demand pushes HYPE back above $98 while absorbing new token supply. TRON is more likely to outperform if Bitcoin continues to drift downward, as its stable price has offered holders better protection than Bitcoin over the past year.

However, the move into altcoins might not succeed. If outflow trends continue, like the $635.5 million seen on October 22, most altcoins could falter as well.

Which Cryptos Could Outperform Bitcoin by the End of 2026?

Looking ahead to the end of 2026, Monero appears to be the top candidate to outperform Bitcoin. Following Monero, Hyperliquid and TRON also show promise. However, in a strong market rally, NEAR and Quant could outshine these three, though their price volatility makes them less reliable choices.

Each of these cryptocurrencies has its own challenges: Monero tends to have lower trading volume, Hyperliquid faces issues with new supply, and TRON may struggle to keep pace as prices rise because of its more stable price movements.

For those invested in altcoins, Bitcoin’s dominance is a crucial metric to monitor. If Bitcoin’s dominance consistently drops below 59.5%, combined with new inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs, it could signal that investors are starting to shift money into alternative cryptocurrencies.

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