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Altcoin Season Starting? XRP, DOGE, ADA Jump, While Memecoins Rally

source-logo  coinpedia.org 16 March 2026 19:39, UTC
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Story Highlights

  • Altcoin market cap crossed $1.01 trillion as investors began rotating capital from Bitcoin into alternative cryptocurrencies.

  • $XRP, Doge, $ADA, Polkadot and Pepe gained between 4% and 20% in the past 24 hours.

  • Analyst Michaël van de Poppe predicts altcoins could rally 20% to 40% if Bitcoin dominance drops below 55%.

The crypto market started Monday on a bullish note, with altcoins showing early signs of a rally. The total altcoin market cap climbed to $1.01 trillion after weeks of sideways movement. Top altcoins like $XRP, DOGE, $ADA, and DOT rose 4–8%, while PEPE surged 20%.
Meanwhile, Crypto analyst Michael van de Poppe believes altcoins will rally 20 to 40%, once capital begins to rotate.

Altcoin Season Index Hit January High

The Altcoin Season Index, which tracks how many of the top 100 cryptocurrencies outperform Bitcoin, has climbed to 49, its highest level since January 9.

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Despite this rise, Bitcoin still dominates the market. It recently traded around $73,663, supported by strong institutional inflows. At the same time, Bitcoin dominance stands near 59.76%, showing it still controls most of the crypto market.

However, crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe believes a real altcoin rally may only begin if Bitcoin dominance drops below 55%, allowing smaller tokens to gain more market share.

Altcoins Began To Outperform Bitcoin

Several large-cap altcoins saw clear gains in the last 24 hours, showing that traders began rotating profits into alternative cryptocurrencies after Bitcoin’s recent rally.

Ethereum rose about 7.5%, higher than Bitcoin’s 3.1% gain. Other major coins like $XRP, Solana, Cardano, and Polkadot also climbed 4% to 9% during the same time.

Memecoins performed even stronger. Pepe jumped nearly 20%, while Bonk, Shiba Inu, and Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) all posted double-digit gains.

Memecoins often rise quickly during early altcoin rallies because they are highly volatile and attract strong retail trading activity.

Altcoin To See 20–40% Upside Rally

Crypto analyst Michael van de Poppe believes the altcoin rally may only be getting started.

According to him, the total altcoin market capitalization may rise 20–40% before reaching major resistance levels. If this happens, the crypto market could move closer to a full altcoin cycle.

Historically, altcoin rallies begin after Bitcoin stabilizes or moves sideways, allowing traders to shift capital into higher-risk tokens.

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