A dramatic cooling of global trade tensions is setting the stage for a potential altcoin supercycle—at least according to South Korea’s hyper-engaged retail crypto traders.
Over the weekend, volumes on Korean exchanges exploded for XRP and Dogecoin, with both assets rallying more than 15% as traders responded to a softening macro backdrop. The rally comes after the U.S. and China agreed to scale back tariffs during peace talks in Geneva, sparking hope that further economic cooperation could be on the horizon.
The impact was immediate in Korea, where the appetite for speculative assets has long skewed toward high-beta tokens. UpBit data showed XRP and DOGE briefly overtaking bitcoin and ether in volume, marking a shift in retail focus.
“It’s textbook Korean trading behavior,” said Jisoo Lee, head of markets at CryptoSeoul. “Whenever the macro fog lifts, they move fast into altcoins—and right now, XRP and DOGE are at the center of that rotation.”
Analysts say the current sentiment could fuel a broader breakout across the altcoin market if U.S. inflation data later this week confirms cooling consumer prices. Until then, all eyes remain on Korea, where bullishness is back in force.
