Altcoins Outperform Bitcoin Amid Historic Precious Metals Rally

Altcoins outpaced bitcoin in quiet Sunday trading as BTC remained range-bound near $88,000 and investors kept an eye on a historic rally 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) gained 0.5% to $87,872, while ether (ETH) rose 0.5% to $2,939. Among major altcoins, XRP climbed 1.1%, Solana (SOL) advanced 1.3% to $123.28, and Dogecoin (DOGE) increased 1.3%, all outperforming BTC and ETH.

TradingView data from Bitstamp showed bitcoin moving within a tight $87,500–$87,900 band. After an early dip, BTC found support near $87,500 before rebounding toward the upper range. Upward moves met resistance, while pullbacks were shallow—a pattern consistent with weekend consolidation in low-liquidity conditions.

Crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe noted on X that BTC remains trapped between $86,500 and $90,000. He said a test of the lower boundary could weaken support, pointing to $83,000 and $80,000 as potential downside zones. On the upside, a move above $90,000 and the 20-day moving average could pave the way for a rally toward $105,000.

On-chain insights

Glassnode reported that spot BTC trading around $87,800 sits near the active investors’ mean at $87,700. The short-term holder cost basis is $99,900, the true market mean $81,100, and the realized price $56,200. Trading near the active investors’ mean often coincides with sideways action, as small moves push holders between modest profit and loss.

Macro backdrop

Precious metals remained in focus. 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—echoing 1979’s high-inflation period.

Fred Krueger, author of The Big Bitcoin Book, noted that silver lacks bitcoin’s network effects and could fall sharply as narratives fade, with some investors potentially questioning why they did not hold BTC instead.