The altcoin season is officially heating up.
After months of Bitcoin dominating market momentum while altcoins lagged behind, a dramatic shift occurred in late November. According to TradingView data, the total market capitalization of altcoins nearly doubled in November alone. Bitcoin’s dominance dropped sharply to 51.4%, signaling a significant rotation of capital into alternative cryptocurrencies. Analysts now believe BTC’s market share may be breaking through long-term support levels — a technical shift that has boosted investor confidence and confirmed the arrival of a broad-based altcoin rally.
With this momentum in motion, investors face a critical question: Which tokens offer the strongest potential for growth over the next three months?
Bankless, a leading crypto research and media platform, has identified 10 high-conviction altcoins expected to outperform. Their analyst team has maintained consistent coverage on emerging trends across DeFi, L1 blockchains, social finance (SocialFi), and infrastructure projects. While their short-term prediction win rate from late November to early December stood at 40%, several calls — including massive gains in Kamino (KMNO) and Blur (BLUR) — demonstrated strong upside potential.
Below is a detailed breakdown of Bankless’ current bullish outlook on these 10 tokens, including core fundamentals, market catalysts, and growth drivers.
Key Altcoin Trends Driving the 2025 Bull Market
Before diving into individual tokens, it's essential to understand the macro forces shaping this cycle:
- Institutional interest in Ethereum and L2 ecosystems remains strong.
- AI-integrated blockchain projects are attracting venture capital.
- Real-world adoption in telecom, IoT, and mobile networks is gaining traction.
- Decentralized finance (DeFi) innovation continues with novel yield mechanisms.
- Political tailwinds, such as pro-crypto sentiment from U.S. leadership, are boosting market morale.
These themes converge across the following 10 assets — each selected not just for price momentum but for sustainable utility and ecosystem strength.
The 10 Altcoins Poised for Growth
Aave (AAVE) – Leading DeFi Lending Protocol
Sector: Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
Price at Time of Prediction: $238.91
Performance Since Prediction: +2.88%
Aave continues to strengthen its position as one of the most trusted lending protocols in DeFi. Over the past 30 days, total active loans have surged to $12.51 billion — a 46% increase — while net deposits reached $31.37 billion, up 49% year-over-year.
High demand for leveraged positions has driven borrowing rates upward; for example, USDT borrowing on Aave currently yields around 37%. This spike directly translates into higher protocol revenue, which grew by 63%.
Despite this strong fundamental performance, AAVE’s token price has only risen about 16%, lagging behind revenue growth. This disconnect suggests the market may not have fully priced in Aave’s recent success — creating potential upside as awareness grows.
👉 Discover how top DeFi protocols generate yield and protect your investments in volatile markets.
Instadapp (INST) – Innovation in Smart DeFi Aggregation
Sector: DeFi
Price at Time of Prediction: $5.47
Performance Since Prediction: +36.01%
Instadapp’s new product, Fluid, is redefining capital efficiency in DeFi. As a hybrid between a money market and decentralized exchange (DEX), Fluid allows users to earn yield from both lending and trading fees.
Since launching its DEX on November 1, Fluid has processed over $1 billion in trading volume and now ranks fifth on Ethereum by 24-hour volume — ahead of major players like Balancer.
What sets Fluid apart is its smart collateral and smart debt mechanisms. Debt positions can generate trading fees that offset borrowing costs — a breakthrough in optimizing user capital.
Bankless analysts remain bullish, citing Fluid’s rapid adoption as a key driver for future INST value accrual.
anoncast (ANON) – Viral SocialFi Experiment Backed by Vitalik
Sector: SocialFi
Price at Time of Prediction: $0.04
Performance Since Prediction: -37.29%
ANON powers anoncast, a zero-knowledge proof-based social experiment enabling anonymous posting via Farcaster. Users need at least 15,000 ANON to post anonymously; those holding 1 million or more can promote or remove posts on X/Twitter.
The project gained immediate attention when Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin purchased 30,303k ANON using his personal wallet. While the token lacks traditional fundamentals, its novelty and endorsement from a crypto icon create viral potential.
Though ANON has declined since the prediction, Bankless believes increased user engagement could spark exponential growth — especially if more developers build tools around anonymous on-chain identity.
Near Protocol (NEAR) – Bridging Blockchain and AI
Sector: Layer 1 (L1)
Price at Time of Prediction: $5.20
Performance Since Prediction: +42.88%
NEAR is positioning itself at the intersection of decentralized computing and artificial intelligence. Co-founder Illia Polosukhin announced plans to develop an open-source AI model with 1.4 trillion parameters — more than three times larger than Meta’s Llama.
Funding will come from NEAR token sales, with training hosted on a decentralized compute network. If successful, this initiative could attract AI researchers and developers seeking censorship-resistant infrastructure.
While there are risks — including potential token dilution — the vision aligns with growing investor interest in AI + Web3 convergence, making NEAR a speculative but high-upside bet.
Solana (SOL) – Institutional Favorite Amid Regulatory Optimism
Sector: Layer 1 (L1)
Price at Time of Prediction: $217.20
Performance Since Prediction: +9.12%
Once lagging behind newer L1s like Sui and Aptos, Solana regained momentum after favorable U.S. election results boosted market sentiment. Analysts now anticipate regulatory clarity under a pro-crypto administration, potentially accelerating approval for a Solana spot ETF.
Additionally, Solana’s thriving meme coin ecosystem drives high MEV (Miner Extractable Value) revenue — benefiting validators and staking protocols like Jito.
Bankless turned bullish on SOL due to sustained FOMO and improving macro conditions.
Helium Network (HNT) – Real-World IoT Adoption Accelerating
Sector: Infrastructure
Price at Time of Prediction: $5.95
Performance Since Prediction: +43.87%
Helium Mobile user growth and strategic telecom partnerships are driving network usage. Data credit consumption has more than doubled since July, fueled by increasing adoption of Helium-powered IoT devices.
Partners like Telefonica have reported steady growth in connected devices — reinforcing long-term utility. As real-world use cases expand, HNT’s role in incentivizing node operators becomes increasingly valuable.
👉 Explore how blockchain is transforming telecom and IoT infrastructure globally.
Pendle Finance (PENDLE) – Yield Optimization Leader
Sector: DeFi
Price at Time of Prediction: $5.19
Performance Since Prediction: +29.09%
After a bearish stance in September due to large token unlocks, Bankless reversed course as Pendle demonstrated resilience. Total Value Locked (TVL) has rebounded since October, and its yield-swapping mechanism remains unmatched in efficiency.
In a bull market, demand for structured yield products rises — placing Pendle in a prime position for growth.
Lido (LDO) – Beneficiary of Regulatory Hopes
Sector: Liquid Staking Token (LST)
Price at Time of Prediction: $1.34
Performance Since Prediction: +56.72%
Market optimism followed the U.S. election outcome, particularly regarding potential SEC leadership changes. Since the SEC previously labeled stETH as an unregistered security, a shift in regulatory posture could lift pressure on Lido.
Though concerns about market share and profitability persist, investor sentiment toward Ethereum-ecosystem tokens has improved significantly.
Uniswap (UNI) – Regulatory Relief Fuels Rally
Sector: DeFi
Price at Time of Prediction: $9.29
Performance Since Prediction: +65.12%
UNI surged after election results eased fears of aggressive regulation. Previously bearish due to Unichain’s launch, Bankless now sees potential for fee-sharing models that could return value directly to token holders — a feature that may gain favor under friendlier oversight.
Jito (JTO) – Dominant Solana Liquid Staking Protocol
Sector: Liquid Staking Token (LST)
Price at Time of Prediction: $2.29
Performance Since Prediction: +60.26%
Jito controls over 70% of Solana’s liquid staking market. Its dominance is reinforced by rising MEV revenue from meme coin trading activity — which generates substantial tips paid in SOL to validators and Jito stakers.
As Solana’s ecosystem expands, JTO stands to benefit disproportionately from network-level growth.
👉 Stay ahead of the next big move in Solana and Ethereum ecosystems with real-time analytics.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is the altcoin season confirmed?
A: Yes. With Bitcoin dominance below 52% and broad-based rallies across sectors, historical patterns suggest we’re in an active altseason.
Q: Why are analysts turning bullish on DeFi tokens now?
A: Rising protocol revenues, innovation in yield products, and improved investor sentiment post-election have renewed confidence in DeFi fundamentals.
Q: What role does regulation play in current price movements?
A: Expectations of lighter regulatory enforcement — especially toward staking and DeFi — have significantly boosted market morale, particularly for ETH-ecosystem tokens.
Q: Can SocialFi tokens like ANON deliver real returns?
A: While speculative, SocialFi projects backed by influential figures like Vitalik can achieve rapid viral growth, creating short-to-medium term price spikes.
Q: How reliable are Bankless’ predictions?
A: Their short-term win rate was 40%, indicating caution is needed. However, their long-term thematic calls — such as AI-blockchain integration and LST dominance — show strong insight.
Q: Should I invest based on these predictions?
A: These insights are for informational purposes only. Always conduct independent research and consider risk tolerance before investing.
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This comprehensive overview combines technical analysis, ecosystem developments, and macro catalysts shaping the 2025 crypto landscape — offering investors a strategic view beyond mere price speculation.