Next Altcoin Season: Which tokens have the potential for 3–5x growth in the next cycle?
The 2026 crypto market is no longer a playground for pure hype narratives. Instead, it has become a competition among platforms with real revenue, solid user bases, and proven scalability. The latest data from on-chain indicators and social mindshare shows a clear shift: Capital is flowing into protocols with genuine utility, rather than tokens driven purely by speculation.
Market Context 2025–2026: From Hype to Utility
The year 2025 marked a turning point in crypto investor behavior. According to analysis from Wintermute, altcoin rallies now last an average of 19 days, compared to 60 days in previous cycles, highlighting increased investor caution and selectivity.
Notably, the Altcoin Season Index currently stands at 41, suggesting that 2026 could see a strong rotation of capital into altcoins but this time it is likely to be qualitatively different from previous altcoin seasons.
Reference Opportunities for 3–5x Growth Potential
1. Real World Assets (RWA): Ondo Finance Leading with $2.4B in TVL
Ondo Finance (ONDO) is currently the second-highest RWA project by market mindshare, trailing only Libra. With TVL reaching $2.4B and steadily rising net deposits, ONDO is demonstrating real, sustained demand for tokenized traditional assets.
When compared to Stellar (XLM), which has a market capitalization of $5.75B, a similar valuation for Ondo appears entirely achievable, especially given Ondo’s impressive TVL growth rate and the accelerating tokenization trend being actively promoted by major institutions such as BlackRock.
🔸Current market cap: $1.35B 🔸Target: 3–5x upside in the next cycle
2. DePIN & AI: Bittensor (TAO) with $100M+ in Daily Trading Volume
Bittensor (TAO) leads the DePIN segment, with an average daily trading volume of $100–200M, reflecting exceptionally high liquidity and strong interest from institutional traders.
With the token supply nearly fully circulated (99.97% unlocked) and consistently high trading volume, TAO is well positioned for long-term growth. Compared to other AI-related tokens with relatively modest fundamentals, TAO has demonstrated a clear and validated product–market fit.
🔸Current market cap: $1.84B 🔸Target: 3–5x upside in the next cycle
3. High-Performance Layer 1: SEI Network with a $570M Market Cap
SEI Network represents the performance-focused Layer 1 segment, with a relatively modest $570M market capitalization compared to competitors such as Avalanche ($4.3B) and Polygon ($1.1B).
This presents a realistic upside opportunity, especially in the context of a potential “L1 season” in 2026, where blockchains with proven utility and strong on-chain activity are likely to be repriced by the market.
🔸Current market cap: $570M 🔸Target: 3–5x upside in the next cycle
4. IOTA in the DePIN Segment
OTA (market cap $310M) ranks in the top 5 DePIN projects by mindshare, highlighting its strong positioning within the infrastructure segment.
📉 Institutionalization Is the Key
Data from 2025–2026 points to a clear trend: the crypto market is maturing, with a shift from speculation-driven behavior toward utility-based investing. Protocols with real revenue, consistently growing TVL, and broad user adoption are likely to be the primary beneficiaries in the next altcoin season.
The RWA, DePIN/AI, and high-performance Layer 1 segments represent the most logically grounded 3–5x growth opportunities, supported by tangible on-chain metrics rather than pure hype narratives. The ongoing institutionalization of the crypto market is creating an environment where protocol quality and real utility are the decisive factors for long-term value creation.
THIS IS NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE. PLEASE CONDUCT YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND ASSESS YOUR PERSONAL RISK TOLERANCE BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT DECISIONS. #HotTrends #Binance #trading
Types of Content to Share If You Want to Leverage to Turn Crypto Ideas into Real Income
Content that attracts attention is often directly linked to the features of Square and the actual needs of Crypto users such as: Livestream, tip, gifts, and sharing trades. Below is my experience regarding the effectiveness of each feature.
Livestream is one of the notable forms. In other places, viewers mainly seek entertainment. But when Livestreaming on Binance, the mindset of viewers is completely different: They are looking for opportunities to place orders, participate to earn rewards, or even to receive new content. Direct interaction helps the content to have more depth compared to one-way articles.
🔸Extreme Fear: An index reading of 13/100 signals extremely negative market sentiment 🔸High volume: Heavy selling pressure across the entire market 🔸High correlation: Altcoins are moving largely in tandem with BTC
Risk Management:
🔸Position sizing: Risk no more than 2% of total account equity per trade 🔸Prudent leverage: Limit leverage to 3–5x under highly volatile market conditions 🔸News monitoring: A resolution to the government shutdown could trigger a market reversal 🔸BTC dominance: If BTC remains resilient, altcoins may continue to underperform
Potential Catalysts:
🔸Resolution of the government shutdown (expected before Feb 6) 🔸Capital rotation from gold back into risk assets 🔸Liquidity injections from new Fed policy measures $BTC $ETH $BNB
The crypto market is currently in a state of “Extreme Fear,” with the Fear & Greed Index at 13/100, the lowest level seen in the past 30 days. Bitcoin is trading at $77,709, down 11.8% from its peak of $95,398 on January 14.
Main drivers behind the decline:
🔸Global liquidity pressure stemming from a partial U.S. government shutdown 🔸Capital rotating into gold rather than risk assets such as crypto 🔸Broad-based market sell-off sentiment, particularly across altcoins 🔸Regulatory pressure from the OECD regarding crypto taxation across 12 EU countries
Key market developments:
🔸Total market capitalization: $2.637T (–3.1% over the past 24 hours) 🔸BTC dominance: Maintains the #1 position in market mindshare (49.2%) 🔸Altcoins underperforming: Many tokens have declined 15–30% over the past week $BTC $ETH $BNB
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Congratulations to those who won 🙌
Everyone, please write posts on Binance Square and don't hesitate 😆
Congratulations, @AriaMMT @Vừa múa kiếm vừa Trading @Ds ZEN @ErnestAcademy @Alidou Aboubacar you've won the 1BNB surprise drop from Binance Square on Jan 31 for your content. Keep it up and continue to share good quality insights with unique value.
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Read the article below to help you understand more clearly.
$BNB $BTC $SOL
👇
Ds ZEN
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Binance Square
Types of Content to Share If You Want to Leverage to Turn Crypto Ideas into Real Income
Content that attracts attention is often directly linked to the features of Square and the actual needs of Crypto users such as: Livestream, tip, gifts, and sharing trades. Below is my experience regarding the effectiveness of each feature.
Livestream is one of the notable forms. In other places, viewers mainly seek entertainment. But when Livestreaming on Binance, the mindset of viewers is completely different: They are looking for opportunities to place orders, participate to earn rewards, or even to receive new content. Direct interaction helps the content to have more depth compared to one-way articles.
BNB is currently trading in an attractive valuation zone, with a potential ROI of 60–75% from the current price of $851 (as of 31/01/2026), after declining 37.7% from its ATH of $1,370. Key catalysts include potential spot ETF candidacies from Grayscale and VanEck, along with its position as the #4 ecosystem in the market. However, short-term technical signals remain bearish, with a negative MACD and liquidations dominated by long positions. Recommendation: gradually accumulate in the $850–$860 support zone for a 12–18 month long-term scenario.
🔶Market conditions & valuation BNB is currently trading at $851.53, down 37.74% from its October 2025 all-time high of $1,369.99, and ranks #4 in the overall market with a market capitalization of $116 billion.
🔶Detailed quantitative analysis:
🔶Comparing top industries BNB is currently trading at 0.35x Ethereum in terms of market capitalization, indicating significant growth potential if it closes the gap with leading ecosystems.
🔶Technical Analysis & Derivatives Technical signals (January 31, 2026) The 4H and 1D timeframes show short-term downward pressure:
🔶Derivatives Market
🔸Open Interest: $2.63B (stable after the leverage flush) 🔸Funding Rate: -0.0439% (neutral, no significant leveraged selling pressure) 🔸24h Liquidations: $1.04M (69% long, 31% short — longs are under more pressure)
Overall, derivatives data indicates that the market has gone through a notable liquidation event and is now stabilizing, reducing the risk of further forced sell-offs.
🔶Fundamentals & Key News
Major catalyst: ETF candidacy Grayscale filed an application with the SEC for the GBNB ETF on January 23, 2026, following VanEck (which filed back in May 2025). This is an extremely positive signal:
“Grayscale's filing highlights the broader strategy to expand its lineup of crypto investment products following the approval of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.”
Historically, ETFs have acted as strong catalysts for institutional capital inflows, although the market’s reaction remains cautious given the broader macro conditions.
🔸BSC ecosystem activity 🔸BSC TVL: ~$7B (down 2.9% over 24h) 🔸DEX volume: $1.68B / 24h (accounting for 17% of total DEX market share) 🔸BNB Chain Rewards: $650K in ongoing incentive programs
🔶Investment Scenarios
Bullish scenario (30% probability)
🔸ETF approval within the next 6–12 months 🔸Crypto market recovery, with the Fear & Greed Index returning to the Greed zone 🔸BNB narrows the gap with ETH, reaching 50% of Ethereum’s market cap (~$162B) 🔸Price target: $1,500+ (ROI +75.85%)
Base / neutral scenario (50% probability)
🔸ETF approval delayed but not rejected 🔸BNB maintains a top-5 market position, moving in line with the broader market 🔸Price target: $1,100–1,300 (ROI +30–50%)
Bearish scenario (20% probability)
🔸ETF rejected, with increasing regulatory pressure 🔸Breakdown below $800 support, retesting the $600–700 zone 🔸Downside risk: -20% to -30% from current price
🔶Conclusion
BNB currently presents an attractive risk–reward opportunity at these price levels. With a nearly 40% discount from its peak and a developing ETF catalyst, BNB has the potential to deliver a 60–75% ROI in a bullish scenario.
That said, investors should remain patient with a long-term time horizon, while carefully managing risk in light of short-term bearish technical signals.
🔸Ideal accumulation zone: $800–860 🔸Key resistance: $950–1,000 🔸Short-term stop-loss: Below $800 (if support is broken) @CZ @Richard Teng @Binance Vietnam #Binance #BinanceSquare
This is not investment advice. Please conduct your own research and assess your personal risk profile before making any decisions.
Binance in the Era of Regulation: How This Exchange is Changing the Global Crypto Market?
From my personal perspective, 2026 marks a very clear turning point for crypto: the world no longer has 'guidance' but is moving into the phase of enforcing the rules. The GENIUS Act in the US tightens stablecoins, MiCA in Europe requires exchanges to have licenses, and OECD's CARF makes the tax narrative no longer a gray area. Crypto officially enters the institutional playing field. In this context, Binance is a prime example of a survivor by radically changing. After the shock of 2023 – a $4.3 billion fine, withdrawing from the US due to AML violations – Binance understands that growth through 'speed and gray areas' is no longer an option. By 2026, when CZ is no longer directly in charge, the exchange shifts to a compliance-focused strategy: enhancing KYC/AML, monitoring transactions, and working directly with regulators.
BNB is currently trading in an attractive valuation zone, with a potential ROI of 60–75% from the current price of $851 (as of 31/01/2026), after declining 37.7% from its ATH of $1,370. Key catalysts include potential spot ETF candidacies from Grayscale and VanEck, along with its position as the #4 ecosystem in the market. However, short-term technical signals remain bearish, with a negative MACD and liquidations dominated by long positions. Recommendation: gradually accumulate in the $850–$860 support zone for a 12–18 month long-term scenario.
🔶Market conditions & valuation BNB is currently trading at $851.53, down 37.74% from its October 2025 all-time high of $1,369.99, and ranks #4 in the overall market with a market capitalization of $116 billion.
🔶Detailed quantitative analysis:
🔶Comparing top industries BNB is currently trading at 0.35x Ethereum in terms of market capitalization, indicating significant growth potential if it closes the gap with leading ecosystems.
🔶Technical Analysis & Derivatives Technical signals (January 31, 2026) The 4H and 1D timeframes show short-term downward pressure:
🔶Derivatives Market
🔸Open Interest: $2.63B (stable after the leverage flush) 🔸Funding Rate: -0.0439% (neutral, no significant leveraged selling pressure) 🔸24h Liquidations: $1.04M (69% long, 31% short — longs are under more pressure)
Overall, derivatives data indicates that the market has gone through a notable liquidation event and is now stabilizing, reducing the risk of further forced sell-offs.
🔶Fundamentals & Key News
Major catalyst: ETF candidacy Grayscale filed an application with the SEC for the GBNB ETF on January 23, 2026, following VanEck (which filed back in May 2025). This is an extremely positive signal:
“Grayscale's filing highlights the broader strategy to expand its lineup of crypto investment products following the approval of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.”
Historically, ETFs have acted as strong catalysts for institutional capital inflows, although the market’s reaction remains cautious given the broader macro conditions.
🔸BSC ecosystem activity 🔸BSC TVL: ~$7B (down 2.9% over 24h) 🔸DEX volume: $1.68B / 24h (accounting for 17% of total DEX market share) 🔸BNB Chain Rewards: $650K in ongoing incentive programs
🔶Investment Scenarios
Bullish scenario (30% probability)
🔸ETF approval within the next 6–12 months 🔸Crypto market recovery, with the Fear & Greed Index returning to the Greed zone 🔸BNB narrows the gap with ETH, reaching 50% of Ethereum’s market cap (~$162B) 🔸Price target: $1,500+ (ROI +75.85%)
Base / neutral scenario (50% probability)
🔸ETF approval delayed but not rejected 🔸BNB maintains a top-5 market position, moving in line with the broader market 🔸Price target: $1,100–1,300 (ROI +30–50%)
Bearish scenario (20% probability)
🔸ETF rejected, with increasing regulatory pressure 🔸Breakdown below $800 support, retesting the $600–700 zone 🔸Downside risk: -20% to -30% from current price
🔶Conclusion
BNB currently presents an attractive risk–reward opportunity at these price levels. With a nearly 40% discount from its peak and a developing ETF catalyst, BNB has the potential to deliver a 60–75% ROI in a bullish scenario.
That said, investors should remain patient with a long-term time horizon, while carefully managing risk in light of short-term bearish technical signals.
BITCOIN CAN REPLACE GOLD — IT’S ONLY A A MATTER OF TIME
For thousands of years, gold has been regarded as a symbol of stability and a safe store of value during periods of inflation and economic crisis. However, as the world becomes increasingly digital, Bitcoin—often referred to as “digital gold”—is emerging not just as a competitor, but as a natural successor to gold in its role as a store of value.
Scarcity and Store of Value: Bitcoin Holds the Edge
Both gold and Bitcoin derive much of their value from scarcity. Gold is finite, but its supply can still expand over time as mining technology improves and higher prices incentivize further extraction. Bitcoin, by contrast, has an absolute and fixed supply of 21 million coins, enforced by code and reinforced through periodic halving events. Following the 2024 halving, Bitcoin’s stock-to-flow ratio surpassed that of gold, strengthening its position as the scarcer asset in the digital age.
While gold’s total market value remains significantly larger today, the trend is shifting. Bitcoin is steadily capturing market share as a digital store of value, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z—generations that are deeply familiar with technology and increasingly inclined to favor digital assets over traditional physical ones.
Superior Portability, Divisibility, and Efficiency
One of gold’s fundamental weaknesses is its lack of portability. Storing gold at scale typically requires trusted third parties, introducing additional costs and risks. Moving gold across borders is slow, expensive, and heavily regulated. Bitcoin eliminates these frictions entirely, allowing billions of dollars in value to be stored digitally and transferred globally, instantly, without intermediaries, 24/7.
Bitcoin also excels in divisibility and verification. While gold requires costly physical inspection to verify authenticity, Bitcoin can be verified instantly and transparently on the blockchain. In an increasingly digital world, these advantages position Bitcoin as an upgraded version of gold—much like email replaced physical mail or streaming replaced CDs.
Performance and Market Trends
In terms of performance, Bitcoin has demonstrated significantly stronger growth than gold over the past several years. Although Bitcoin remains more volatile, this volatility reflects the early stage of a rapidly maturing asset. As adoption expands and infrastructure such as the Lightning Network continues to improve, Bitcoin is expected to become more stable over time.
Major financial institutions are increasingly aligning with this view, forecasting that cryptocurrency-related ETFs could surpass precious metals ETFs in the near future. Even capturing a fraction of gold’s store-of-value market would imply substantial upside for Bitcoin’s long-term valuation.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
Bitcoin is not without challenges. Regulatory uncertainty, price volatility, and technological risks remain key concerns. However, these obstacles closely resemble the challenges gold itself faced throughout history. More importantly, the digitalization of assets is an irreversible trend—even gold is being tokenized, underscoring the broader shift toward digital value systems.
Bitcoin does not erase gold’s history; it replaces gold’s mechanical limitations with technological solutions.
Conclusion
Bitcoin is not merely a speculative trend—it represents the natural evolution of store-of-value assets in the digital era. With absolute scarcity, unparalleled portability, and growing adoption among both individuals and institutions, Bitcoin replacing gold is no longer a question of if, but when.
Viewed through this lens, Bitcoin should not be seen solely as a high-risk asset, but as a long-term bet on how value will be stored and transferred in the decades to come. @Binance Vietnam @Richard Teng #Binance #BinanceSquare
🆘 Fear & Greed chart analysis : This index plummeted from 30 to 15 on January 30th, accurately reflecting the sharp sell-off. Historically, when the index reaches the Extreme Fear zone (below 20), the market often experiences a short-term technical rebound.
1️⃣ Wave of Layoffs in the United States Major U.S. companies announced large-scale layoffs in January 2026:
Amazon: 16,000 jobs (following 14,000 positions cut in October)
Pinterest: Workforce reduced by 15%
UPS: 30,000 operational roles eliminated
Nike: 775 employees laid off
According to data, the U.S. has lost an average of 22,000 jobs per month over the past three months—the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis. The average job search duration has risen to 11 weeks, the longest since 2021.
2️⃣ Monetary Policy & Geopolitics
The Fed holds interest rates at 3.5%–3.75%, with no signal of rate cuts in the near term.
Escalating U.S.–Iran tensions, weighing on global risk-off sentiment.
Risk of a U.S. government shutdown, adding further uncertainty to financial markets.
3️⃣ Impact on Crypto These macroeconomic factors have created a strong risk-off environment, prompting investors to favor gold and traditional safe-haven assets over crypto. Capital outflows from Bitcoin ETFs have further intensified selling pressure.
Technical analysis : RSI 1h = 27.89 (Oversold), MACD histogram is negative but improving, price has touched the lower Bollinger Band. Recommendation : SHORT (bounce from oversold)
The crypto market experienced an extremely volatile day, with a total of $1.7 billion liquidated over the past 24 hours, affecting 270,438 traders. According to CoinGecko: Bitcoin and Ethereum fell to their lowest levels in two months:
BTC dropped 6.6% to $82,346, briefly touching a low of $80,815. ETH declined 8.05% to $2,712.62, with an intraday low of $2,687. SOL recorded the largest drop among the top 10 cryptocurrencies, falling 7.97%.
The Fear & Greed Index has plummeted to 15 points – the "Extreme Fear" level – marking its lowest point since the beginning of 2026 and a sharp drop from 26 points the day before.