The altcoin season has officially arrived—and it’s making waves across the crypto market. After months of Bitcoin dominance, the landscape is shifting. As Bitcoin’s market share dips below 52%, investors are turning their attention to high-potential altcoins with strong fundamentals and compelling narratives.
Bankless, a leading voice in the decentralized finance space, has identified 10 tokens that their analyst team expects to outperform over the next three months. These picks span DeFi, Layer 1 blockchains, SocialFi, and infrastructure projects—all positioned to benefit from current market momentum and long-term trends.
This article breaks down each token, the reasoning behind its bullish outlook, and real-time price performance since the predictions were made. We’ll also analyze the accuracy of previous forecasts and explore what’s driving investor sentiment in late 2024 and beyond.
Recent Prediction Accuracy: A Reality Check
Before diving into future opportunities, let’s assess how well Bankless’ analysts have performed recently.
Between late November and early December, 10 tokens had price predictions expire. The overall success rate? Just 40%.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Predicted up but fell: Euler (EUL) dropped 27%.
- Predicted down but surged: Several defied expectations—Ethervista (VISTA) up 66%, UMA Protocol (UMA) up 78%, Filecoin (FIL) up 55%, 1inch (1INCH) up 80.75%, and Blur (BLUR) skyrocketed 99.4%.
- Correct bearish calls: GMX fell 18%, Canto (CANTO) plunged 55%.
- Notable outliers: Sanctum (CLOUD) jumped 99.69% despite a bearish forecast, while Kamino (KMNO) exploded by 206.37%, one of the highest gains among predicted losers.
This mixed performance highlights a key truth: in fast-moving markets, even expert analysis can miss turning points. However, recurring themes—like innovation, user growth, and macro catalysts—are emerging as reliable indicators of long-term strength.
👉 Discover how market sentiment shifts can reveal hidden opportunities before they trend.
The 10 Altcoins With Bullish Momentum
Aave (AAVE): Strong Fundamentals Meet Undervaluation
Sector: DeFi
Prediction Period: Dec 2, 2024 – Mar 2, 2025
Price at Prediction: $238.91
Current Performance: +2.88%
Aave continues to show robust growth in core metrics. Over the past 30 days:
- Total active loans: $12.51 billion (+46%)
- Net deposits: $31.37 billion (+49% year-over-year)
High borrowing demand has pushed rates up—USDT borrowing on Aave recently hit 37%, fueling a 63% surge in protocol revenue. Despite this financial strength, AAVE’s price has only risen about 16%, lagging behind revenue growth.
Bankless analysts believe this disconnect suggests underpricing. With ongoing governance upgrades and increased leverage activity, AAVE remains a strong candidate for revaluation.
Instadapp (INST): Innovation Driving Volume
Sector: DeFi
Prediction Period: Nov 26, 2024 – Feb 26, 2025
Price at Prediction: $5.47
Current Performance: +36.01%
Instadapp’s new DEX, Fluid, has rapidly gained traction since launching on November 1. It now ranks fifth on Ethereum by 24-hour trading volume, behind only Uniswap, Curve, Pendle, and Balancer.
What sets Fluid apart?
- Combines money markets and DEX functionality
- Users earn from both lending and trading fees
- Debt positions generate fee income, reducing borrowing costs
This capital-efficient design is attracting traders and liquidity providers alike. As adoption grows, INST could see further upside driven by protocol revenue and ecosystem expansion.
👉 See how emerging DeFi innovations are reshaping yield strategies in real time.
anoncast (ANON): Viral Potential Backed by Vitalik
Sector: SocialFi
Prediction Period: Nov 21, 2024 – Feb 21, 2025
Price at Prediction: $0.04
Current Performance: -37.29%
Despite a current dip, ANON stands out due to an endorsement from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who purchased 30,303 ANON tokens via ParaSwap.
ANON powers anoncast.org, a zero-knowledge-based social platform where:
- Holding 15,000+ ANON allows posting anonymously via Farcaster
- Holding 1 million+ enables promoting or removing posts on X/Twitter
While SocialFi has faced skepticism post-FRIEND collapse, ANON’s unique interaction model—requiring token ownership to engage—creates built-in demand mechanics. If more users embrace the experiment, it could go viral.
Bankless sees upside in narrative-driven momentum rather than fundamentals—perfect for speculative altseason rallies.
Near Protocol (NEAR): Bridging AI and Decentralization
Sector: Layer 1
Prediction Period: Nov 14, 2024 – Feb 14, 2025
Price at Prediction: $5.20
Current Performance: +42.88%
NEAR is betting big on AI with a bold plan: build the world’s largest open-source model—1.4 trillion parameters, over three times larger than Meta’s Llama.
Key details:
- Funded through NEAR token sales (~$160M estimated cost)
- Runs on a decentralized compute network
- Co-founded by Illia Polosukhin, ex-Google AI researcher
This fusion of decentralized infrastructure and cutting-edge AI positions NEAR to capture developer interest and institutional capital. While execution risk exists, the vision aligns perfectly with current tech trends.
Solana (SOL): Macro Tailwinds and Meme Momentum
Sector: Layer 1
Prediction Period: Nov 13, 2024 – Feb 13, 2025
Price at Prediction: $217.20
Current Performance: +9.12%
After a lukewarm start compared to rivals like APT and SUI, SOL rallied hard following favorable U.S. election results. Analysts now cite two major catalysts:
- Potential approval of a Solana ETF
- Continued FOMO during bull market cycles
With strong retail adoption and thriving meme coin activity increasing MEV revenue, Solana’s ecosystem remains resilient.
Helium Network (HNT): Real-World Adoption Grows
Sector: Infrastructure
Prediction Period: Nov 12, 2024 – Feb 12, 2025
Price at Prediction: $5.95
Current Performance: +43.87%
Helium Mobile user count rose from ~105K to nearly 120K, driving a doubling of data credit consumption since July. Strategic partnerships with telecom giants like Telefonica suggest growing enterprise validation.
As IoT connectivity demand rises, HNT’s decentralized wireless network could become increasingly valuable.
Pendle Finance (PENDLE): Yield Innovation in Focus
Sector: DeFi
Prediction Period: Nov 8, 2025 – Feb 8, 2025
Price at Prediction: $5.19
Current Performance: +29.09%
After surviving a $360M yield vesting event in September without major price impact, Pendle has rebounded. TVL is rising again, and its yield-swapping mechanism remains unmatched in efficiency.
In a bull market where yield optimization matters most, PENDLE is well-positioned for growth.
Lido (LDO) & Uniswap (UNI): Regulatory Hope Fuels Rally
Both tokens benefited from post-election optimism:
- LDO: Up 56.72%, fueled by hopes that Trump will ease SEC pressure on stETH.
- UNI: Up 65.12%, amid speculation that favorable regulation could allow fee-sharing models.
While regulatory clarity is still uncertain, market sentiment has clearly shifted.
Jito (JTO): Leading Solana’s Liquid Staking Surge
Sector: Liquid Staking Token (LST)
Prediction Period: Nov 1, 2024 – Feb 1, 2025
Price at Prediction: $2.29
Current Performance: +60.26%
Jito dominates Solana’s liquid staking scene with record TVL. Meme coin mania on Solana has also boosted MEV opportunities—and Jito captures a significant portion of these fees.
With rising SOL staking demand and growing ecosystem activity, JTO remains a top-tier play on Solana’s success.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is altcoin season significant?
Altcoin season typically follows Bitcoin dominance peaks. When BTC slows down, capital rotates into altcoins seeking higher returns. This rotation often leads to double- or triple-digit gains across promising projects.
How reliable are analyst predictions?
As shown by the recent 40% accuracy rate, predictions aren’t guarantees. Markets react to news, sentiment, and unexpected events. Use analyst insights as part of a broader research strategy—not standalone signals.
What drives long-term value in crypto projects?
Sustainable value comes from real usage: growing user bases, increasing protocol revenue, developer activity, and strong tokenomics. Narrative-driven pumps can be profitable short-term but carry higher risk.
Is SocialFi a viable sector?
Projects like ANON show potential if they create genuine engagement loops. However, many SocialFi tokens lack utility. Look for platforms with mandatory token use and verifiable interaction metrics.
Should I invest based on political events?
Political shifts—like changes in regulatory leadership—can influence market sentiment. But policy takes time to materialize. Focus on projects with resilient fundamentals that can thrive under various regulatory environments.
How do I evaluate DeFi protocol health?
Monitor key metrics: Total Value Locked (TVL), transaction volume, revenue generation, user growth, and governance activity. Protocols like Aave and Pendle stand out due to transparent on-chain data showing real usage.
👉 Access real-time analytics tools to track these metrics across top protocols.
Final Thoughts
The altcoin season is here—and it rewards those who understand both fundamentals and market psychology. While not every prediction hits the mark, the underlying drivers—innovation, adoption, and macro tailwinds—are real.
Tokens like AAVE, NEAR, JTO, and UNI combine strong use cases with favorable timing. Others like ANON offer high-risk, high-reward potential through viral narratives.
As always, conduct your own research—and stay ahead of momentum shifts before they become consensus trends.
Core Keywords: altcoin season, DeFi tokens, Layer 1 cryptocurrencies, liquid staking tokens, SocialFi projects, cryptocurrency market analysis, bull market investments