The new trading week kicked off with a surprising shift in market momentum. Bitcoin managed to climb back toward the $88,000 region, but the real story was happening elsewhere. Altcoins (especially XRP, SUI, PEPE, NEAR, and TEL) showed the strongest reaction after last week’s heavy liquidation-driven selloff.
Santiment’s chart paints that picture clearly. Bitcoin’s recovery is visible, but only modest compared to the standout performers in the altcoin basket. While BTC hovered in a tight upward grind, the heatmap and bar chart show a clear rotation: trader attention, trading activity, and short-term capital flowed straight into mid-cap and high-volume altcoins.
The most notable spikes on the chart come from SUI at +11%, PEPE at +8%, XRP and NEAR both at +7%, along with Ethereum and TEL posting respectable green numbers. The treemap at the top visually reinforces this shift. Many altcoins are highlighted in green, indicating positive social volume and positive price performance, while Bitcoin’s square remains much more muted. That suggests traders spent the weekend recalibrating, shifting from panic into opportunity hunting.
The bar chart at the bottom gives an even clearer breakdown. Nearly every major altcoin sector saw pockets of strength, from DeFi to infrastructure tokens to meme coins. XRP’s +7% bounce stands out considering how aggressively the market sold it last week during the ETF narrative confusion. SUI and PEPE also grabbed attention, suggesting that traders were willing to take on risk quickly once Bitcoin found temporary stability.
This kind of rebound is common after sharp corrections. Last week’s FUD forced a lot of retail out of the market, which Santiment also mentioned in earlier updates. Now, with leveraged traders flushed out and fear peaking, altcoins have more room to breathe. Historically, these conditions often produce quick relief rallies because even a small amount of fresh demand can push prices up significantly when liquidity is thin.
Where the market could go next depends on whether Bitcoin can maintain its footing above the mid-$80,000 region. If BTC stays stable, the altcoin rebound likely continues. SUI and PEPE have the strongest short-term momentum on the chart, and XRP’s reclaim of +7% shows that dip buyers are still active despite the broader uncertainty.
But if Bitcoin fails once again under pressure (particularly from derivatives or macro news) altcoins will be the first to feel it. These rallies are often fragile when the broader market foundation is still shaky.
For now, though, Monday’s chart is a reminder that despite the fear dominating social media last week, traders haven’t abandoned risk. They’ve just shifted their focus. Bitcoin provided the floor, but altcoins provided the show.
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