Altcoins Outperform Bitcoin as Precious Metals Rally Dominates Macro Focus
Altcoins posted broader gains in relatively quiet Sunday trading, while bitcoin held a narrow range near $88,000 as analysts weighed crypto markets against a historic surge in precious metals.
As of 10:35 a.m. UTC, total crypto market capitalization stood at $3.06 trillion, up 0.8% over the past 24 hours. Bitcoin (BTC) rose 0.5% to $87,872, and ether (ETH) gained 0.5% to $2,939. Among major altcoins, XRP climbed 1.1%, Solana (SOL) advanced 1.3% to $123.28, and Dogecoin (DOGE) rose 1.3%, all outperforming bitcoin and ether over the same period.
TradingView data from Bitstamp showed bitcoin moving within a narrow band. After an early-session dip, BTC found support around $87,500 before rebounding toward $87,900. Attempts to push higher met resistance, while pullbacks remained shallow—a pattern consistent with weekend consolidation in low liquidity conditions.
Crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe noted on X that bitcoin remains confined between roughly $86,500 and $90,000. He said another test of the lower end would be key, as repeated retests can weaken support. Failure to hold that area could open the door to declines toward $83,000 and $80,000. On the upside, a move above $90,000 and the 20-day moving average could set the stage for a stronger rally toward $105,000.
On-chain insights
Glassnode reported that several widely followed on-chain models have shifted slightly. Spot trading around $87,800 sits near the active investors’ mean at $87,700, while the short-term holder cost basis is $99,900, the true market mean is $81,100, and the realized price stands at $56,200. Analysts note that spot levels near the active investors’ mean often coincide with sideways price action, as small fluctuations push holders between modest profit and loss.
Macro backdrop
Precious metals continued to dominate investor attention. The Kobeissi Letter highlighted that silver has surged roughly 155% year-to-date, briefly becoming the world’s third-largest asset by market capitalization, while gold rose about 72% in 2025—a move reminiscent of 1979’s double-digit inflation environment.
Fred Krueger, author of The Big Bitcoin Book, noted on X that silver lacks bitcoin’s network effects. He suggested that while silver spikes sharply, it can also fall quickly as narratives fade, and that some investors may eventually ask why they did not simply hold bitcoin instead.
