Top Altcoins to Watch During the BTC Bull Run
As Bitcoin prepares for another major bull run, many crypto investors aren’t just watching BTC—they’re also looking for altcoins that can outperform the market. Historically, during Bitcoin bull markets, altcoins tend to experience significant rallies as capital flows from Bitcoin into the broader crypto market.
In this article, we’ll cover the top altcoins worth your attention during the next Bitcoin bull run, focusing on strong fundamentals, ecosystem growth, real-world utility, and regulatory clarity.
Why Altcoins Matter During a Bitcoin Bull Run
When Bitcoin enters a bullish phase, it often leads the entire crypto market higher. But Bitcoin’s massive size also means that, percentage-wise, its gains can be smaller than those of lesser-known altcoins. This is where altcoins—cryptocurrencies outside of Bitcoin—become an opportunity for greater returns.
During past bull runs, certain altcoins outpaced Bitcoin by a wide margin. Investors looking to maximize gains often diversify their portfolios with promising altcoins alongside Bitcoin. New investors can buy Litecoin with credit card as a starting point before exploring other altcoin opportunities.
The key is choosing altcoins backed by real technology, community adoption, and strong market fundamentals rather than hype-driven projects.
Top Altcoins to Watch
XRP (Ripple)
What Makes XRP Stand Out: XRP is one of the most established altcoins, widely recognized for its role in improving global payment systems. Using the XRP Ledger (XRPL), it enables near-instant, low-cost transactions across borders.
Use Case & Ecosystem: Unlike many cryptocurrencies focused on consumer applications, XRP’s core market is institutional finance. It aims to replace outdated systems like SWIFT, offering transactions that settle in seconds rather than days. On exchanges like MEXC, the XRPUSDT trading pair remains one of the most active, highlighting its high liquidity and trader demand.
XRP’s technology is also ISO 20022 compliant, aligning it with emerging global financial messaging standards. This makes it easier for banks and payment processors to adopt Ripple’s technology in practice.
Regulatory Clarity Boosting Confidence: One of XRP’s major hurdles had been its long-standing lawsuit with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). However, recent legal victories have cleared much of this regulatory fog. Ripple has secured favorable rulings, boosting investor confidence and paving the way for potential institutional adoption.
Why It’s a Bull Run Contender:
- Technical Analysis Insights: Analysts point to bullish chart patterns like double bottoms and ascending triangles in XRP’s price action. If these patterns play out, XRP could rally from current levels (~$2.87) up to $5, $10, or even higher during the next bull market.
- Real-World Utility: XRP isn’t just speculative—it has a functioning product used by financial institutions globally. This gives it an advantage over purely hype-driven altcoins.
- Institutional Potential: Legal clarity opens the door for XRP to be included in crypto ETFs and other institutional investment products.
Solana (SOL)
What Makes Solana Stand Out: Solana is famous for its speed and low transaction costs. Handling over 50,000 transactions per second, it’s one of the fastest blockchains currently in operation.
Use Case & Ecosystem: Solana’s ecosystem includes DeFi, NFTs, and more recently, memecoins. Despite facing technical challenges in the past (notably several network outages), Solana has bounced back with increased adoption.
Why It’s a Bull Run Contender: Solana’s mix of speed, developer traction, and investor interest makes it a consistent name on top altcoin lists. Its performance during the next BTC bull run could surprise many, especially if its technical reliability continues to improve.
Ethereum (ETH)
What Makes Ethereum Stand Out: Ethereum remains the most widely used smart contract platform in the world. It has evolved rapidly with recent upgrades, making it more scalable and energy-efficient while maintaining its position as the backbone of DeFi, NFTs, and Web3 innovation.
Use Case & Ecosystem: Ethereum powers thousands of decentralized applications and continues to attract developers, institutions, and retail users alike. From tokenized assets to DAOs and decentralized exchanges, Ethereum’s ecosystem is unmatched in depth and utility.
Why It’s a Bull Run Contender: Ethereum combines proven fundamentals with expanding real-world use. As regulatory clarity improves and large funds seek crypto exposure beyond Bitcoin, the ETH USDT trading pair on top exchanges remains a go-to option for both institutional and individual investors.
Kaspa (KAS)
What Makes Kaspa Stand Out: Kaspa is gaining attention for its innovative approach to blockchain scalability. Unlike traditional blockchains that use linear chains, Kaspa uses a blockDAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) structure. This allows multiple blocks to be created simultaneously, improving transaction throughput and confirmation times.
Use Case & Ecosystem: Kaspa aims to solve one of crypto’s core challenges: balancing scalability, security, and decentralization. Its growing developer community and expanding ecosystem suggest Kaspa may become a serious contender among Layer-1 blockchains.
Why It’s a Bull Run Contender: Investors see Kaspa as an under-the-radar gem. Its focus on technology rather than marketing buzz means its price potential could be unlocked as broader awareness builds.
NEAR Protocol (NEAR)
What Makes NEAR Stand Out: NEAR Protocol is another Layer-1 blockchain designed for high scalability and user-friendly development. Its sharding architecture allows it to handle thousands of transactions per second while maintaining low fees.
Use Case & Ecosystem: NEAR has positioned itself as a developer-friendly blockchain, hosting a wide range of decentralized applications (dApps), DeFi protocols, and NFT platforms. Its recent push into integrating AI tools and services shows its commitment to staying relevant as blockchain technology evolves.
Why It’s a Bull Run Contender: NEAR’s active ecosystem, strong developer support, and focus on real-world utility give it staying power. As Layer-1 blockchains battle for dominance, NEAR’s unique architecture puts it firmly in the running.
Where to Trade Altcoins?
Choosing the right exchange is key to maximizing altcoin gains. MEXC is a top choice, serving 36M+ users in 170+ countries with over 3,000 listed cryptocurrencies. It offers 0% maker fees, ultra-low taker fees, and deep liquidity, ensuring tight spreads and minimal slippage. MEXC is known for early listings of trending projects, high-volume, and diverse markets including spot, futures (up to 500x leverage), ETFs, and staking. With regular Proof of Reserves audits and robust security, MEXC provides a reliable, cost-efficient platform for trading both established coins and hidden gems during the upcoming bull run.
How to Approach Altcoin Investing During a Bull Run
While these five altcoins show strong potential, investors should keep the following strategies in mind:
- Diversification: Avoid putting all your capital into one or two coins. Spreading your portfolio across several altcoins reduces risk.
- Fundamental Analysis: Focus on projects with real-world use cases, active development teams, and growing ecosystems.
- Risk Management: Even during bull markets, crypto remains volatile. Set stop-losses and only invest money you’re prepared to risk.
- Keep an Eye on Bitcoin: Bitcoin’s performance still drives overall market sentiment. When BTC moves, altcoins typically follow.
Final Thoughts: Building a Smart Altcoin Portfolio for the 2025 Bull Run
The upcoming Bitcoin bull run isn’t just about BTC. Historically, some of the biggest gains in crypto happen when altcoins catch fire alongside Bitcoin’s rise. By focusing on solid projects like Kaspa, NEAR Protocol, Solana, Toncoin, and XRP, investors position themselves to capture that upside without chasing low-quality hype coins.
XRP deserves special mention in this cycle. With its regulatory issues largely resolved, increasing institutional interest, and real-world utility in global payments, XRP stands as both a safer and potentially more profitable bet compared to many smaller altcoins.
The key takeaway? Mix established Layer-1 platforms with proven ecosystems and payment-focused giants like XRP for a well-rounded altcoin strategy heading into 2025 and beyond.
