Bitcoin News Today: Altcoin Market's Bullish Triangle: History Repeats as 2026 Looms?

The altcoin market is showing early signs of a potential breakout, with technical indicators and institutional activity suggesting a shift in investor sentiment. The TOTAL3 index, which tracks the crypto market cap excluding Bitcoin and Ethereum, has formed a bullish ascending triangle pattern mirroring historical cycles from 2017 and 2021. Analysts note that a breakout above $1.5 trillion could confirm a new altcoin rally, with the index currently hovering near $988 billion as liquidity rotates into smaller assets, according to a Cryptofront News report.

Market analyst Ali has identified three altcoins-Raydium (RAY), Sei (SEI), and Algorand (ALGO)-as potential candidates for a rebound. Raydium's Q3 financials showed a 220% quarter-over-quarter revenue surge from its LaunchLab platform, while technical indicators like the TD Sequential and RSI suggest oversold conditions. Sei's integration with Crypto.com Custody and its Giga upgrade have bolstered institutional adoption, with TD Sequential buy signals flashing on its chart. Algorand, meanwhile, benefits from real-world partnerships like its renewed collaboration with World Chess Plc, which generates $700,000 annually in staking rewards, according to a Coindoo article.

The broader ETF landscape reveals a divergence between Bitcoin and Ethereum. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $283 million in inflows on October 27, with BlackRock's IBIT and Fidelity's FBTC leading the charge. This contrasts with Ethereum ETFs, which saw $243.9 million in outflows for the second consecutive week, signaling a rotation toward Bitcoin as a perceived safe haven amid macroeconomic uncertainties, according to a Coinotag report. BlackRock's dominance in Bitcoin ETFs-accounting for $28.1 billion of total 2025 inflows-has been critical in stabilizing the sector, raising concerns that altcoin ETFs may struggle without similar institutional backing, as noted in a Cointelegraph article.

Meanwhile, Solana (SOL) has emerged as a bright spot, with its staking ETF (SSK) attracting $24 million in inflows this week and assets under management surpassing $400 million. The token's price rebounded to $195, supported by a rising trendline and increased network activity, including a 14% surge in stablecoin supply and $48 billion in 30-day transaction volume, according to a Crypto.news report.

Regulatory developments are also shaping the market. DeLeion Capital highlighted BNB's potential following Binance CEO CZ's presidential pardon, which has eased regulatory concerns and spurred renewed institutional interest in the Binance ecosystem, according to a GlobeNewswire release. Additionally, crypto venture capital activity remains robust, with Coinbase's $375 million acquisition of on-chain investment platform Echo and Pave Bank's $39 million Series A round underscoring confidence in blockchain innovation, according to a Crypto.news story.

As the altcoin market approaches a potential inflection point, investors are closely watching whether the TOTAL3's historical pattern will repeat. With Bitcoin ETF inflows stabilizing and mid-cap tokens showing early technical buy signals, the stage appears set for a phase-based expansion into 2026—provided macroeconomic and regulatory headwinds remain manageable, as previously reported by Cryptofront News.