Altcoins Surge: Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) Up 26-27%, Hedera (HBAR) 24-25%, Stellar (XLM) 23-25%

Crypto markets are experiencing a surge in altcoin prices, with Pudgy Penguins (PENGU), Hedera (HBAR), and Stellar (XLM) leading the charge. These altcoins have seen significant price increases, outpacing Bitcoin’s gains. Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) has surged by 26-27%, trading near $0.03, while Hedera (HBAR) has seen a 24-25% gain, reaching around $0.25. Stellar (XLM) has also experienced a sharp rise of 23-25%, trading at approximately $0.49.

Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) has been a standout performer, rallying nearly 85% in seven days and over 25% in a single day. The price hit around $0.0295, with daily trading volume topping $1.8 billion. This memecoin, backed by the NFT brand Pudgy Penguins, is benefiting from tailwinds generated by its upcoming Layer-2 chain and a flurry of ecosystem expansion, including merchandise, toys, and chatter about an ETF. Analysts are calling it “retail-fueled with long-term vision,” noting that viral community marketing and metaverse integrations could further propel it.

Hedera (HBAR) is also making a significant impact on the charts, with a 27% surge, now trading at $0.253. Its rise mirrors the same pattern seen in 2021, according to analyst Rekt Capital, who believes this could be a longer-term breakout phase. On-chain metrics are bullish: Hedera has experienced a surge in smart contract deployments and an increase in enterprise interest. Trading volume exceeded $184 million, with strong support from South Korean exchanges.

Stellar (XLM) is up over 22% in the last 24 hours, trading near $0.50 with a staggering $460 million volume just on Korean exchanges alone. The pump is being attributed to the buzz around Stellar Core’s v23.0.0rc2 upgrade. Following the current sentiment around crypto week, the upgrade is drawing institutional interest, signaling renewed faith in Stellar’s infrastructure for stablecoins and payments. On-chain data shows a notable spike in wallet activity and exchange inflows, hinting at a strong wave of accumulation.

South Korean exchanges are showing record trading volumes for XLM ($460M), PENGU ($355M), and HBAR ($184M) in the last 24 hours. HBAR’s on-chain metrics also indicate rising developer activity and demand, reinforcing its breakout case. Analysts believe that a small dip in Bitcoin dominance has already unlocked serious capital rotation into mid-cap alts. If BTC stalls further, altcoins could continue to run. Market watchers believe PENGU may lead memecoins, XLM might gain more adoption through fintech rails, and HBAR could attract enterprises looking for scalable, eco-friendly blockchain infrastructure.