Ethereum Surge Fuels 8 Altcoins to Watch Right Now

Key Points

• Ethereum crosses $3,000, sparking investor shift to altcoins
• Analysts favor SUI, TAO, Solana, and other rising tokens
• Altcoin Index enters “altseason” territory, BTC dominance drops
• Focus shifts to AI, RWA, and DeFi-powered crypto projects

The crypto market is heating up again—and this time, Ethereum is leading the charge. After weeks of consolidation, Ethereum has officially crossed the $3,000 mark, posting an 8% gain in just 24 hours. This Ethereum surge has sent a strong signal to traders: altseason might be here.

Bitcoin has been setting new all-time highs, but now ETH’s move is shifting investor focus to the broader altcoin market. Analysts are quick to note that Ethereum holding above the $3,000 psychological support opens the door for capital rotation into high-upside altcoins.

Ethereum (ETH) Price Performance. Source: Techtoken

Crypto veteran Ran Neuner revealed his top altcoin picks, naming Sui (SUI), Bittensor (TAO), Jito (JTO), Hyperliquid (HYPE), Sonic (S), Raydium (RAY), and Aerodrome (AERO), alongside large caps like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana (SOL). His picks highlight new infrastructure plays in AI, DeFi, and next-gen blockchains like Solana and Base.

Similarly, Altcoin Daily echoed this sentiment, listing SUI, TAO, and Solana again, while adding Real-World Asset (RWA) focused projects such as Chainlink (LINK), Ondo Finance (ONDO), and Cardano (ADA). These tokens cater to growing narratives around tokenized assets and real-world integrations.

#Altcoins are pushing for a breakout from the massive cup & handle!

Pattern almost completed – break above $1T again and I doubt this train stops moving anytime soon.

Higher! pic.twitter.com/6ERefLcWaW

— Jelle (@CryptoJelleNL) July 11, 2025

The overlap between these two prominent analysts—especially around SUI, TAO, and SOL—suggests rising consensus around their upside potential. With ETH strengthening and investor confidence climbing, altcoins are grabbing the spotlight again.

My Perfect Top 10.

1. BTC
2. ETH
3. SOL
4. HYPE
5. SUI
6. JTO
7. RAY
8. AERO
9. TAO
10. S https://t.co/HwZBSiimXr

— Ran Neuner (@cryptomanran) July 10, 2025

Altseason Confirmed as Bitcoin Dominance Slides

Ethereum Surge Drives Market Rotation

Market signals are clear: altcoins are outperforming Bitcoin, and analysts believe the momentum shift has already begun.

CW, a well-known market commentator, confirmed that Bitcoin dominance is dropping—an early indicator that the altcoin market is beginning to outperform. “The real big gains will come from somewhere other than BTC,” he noted.

$BTC.D is going down.

That means the altcoin’s performance is outpacing $BTC.

People are focused on $BTC. But altcoins are quietly accumulated and going up.

The real big gains will come from somewhere other than $BTC. pic.twitter.com/J0WPvjvM0Z

— CW (@CW8900) July 11, 2025

Wimar. X, another crypto strategist, observed that the Altcoin Index has officially entered the “altseason” zone—a technical metric that tracks altcoin performance relative to Bitcoin. Historically, this kind of breakout has preceded explosive growth in alternative tokens.

The CoinMarketCap Altcoin Season Index also shows its highest reading in the past three months, supporting the claim that we are entering a new phase of the cycle. As Bitcoin stalls near its highs, smart money is rotating into more agile, high-growth altcoin bets.

ALTCOINS INDEX JUST HIT THE #ALTSEASON ZONE 🚨

Alts are moving just like in 2017 and 2021 — 100x pumps have started.

2025 won’t be an exception — Alts’ MC will hit $15 TRILLION this cycle.

Here’s why altseason begins and alts with 1000x potential 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/PeORMakFTQ

— Wimar.X (@DefiWimar) July 10, 2025

Emerging picks like Synthetix (SNX), Virtual, Sonic (S), and even meme tokens like AmericaParty (AP)—inspired by Elon Musk’s political movement—are gaining traction. These represent a wide range of sectors: from synthetic asset trading to modular blockchain tech and culture-driven narratives.

Across the board, analysts are looking at the convergence of new themes:

• AI-powered infrastructure (TAO, HYPE)

• Real-world assets (LINK, ONDO)

• DeFi innovation (JTO, RAY, SNX)

• Modular Layer-1 chains (SUI, SOL)

• Cultural and meme projects (AP, S)

Ethereum’s strength above $3,000 is not just a price action story—it’s becoming the ignition point for the next wave of altcoin activity. With BTC dominance dipping and the altcoin index rising, market sentiment is pivoting fast.

Altcoin Season Index Escapes Bitcoin Season Zone. Source: blockchaincenter.net – Techtoken

Still, while analysts highlight clear frontrunners, this remains a high-volatility environment. Investors should always do their research and remain cautious, as hype can shift quickly.

Why These 8 Altcoins Are Catching Analyst Attention

Ethereum Surge Brings New Narratives Into Focus

So why are tokens like SUI, TAO, and Solana making it to the top of every analyst’s list right now? It’s about more than just momentum. These projects are riding strong macro and technical narratives that fit the current crypto cycle.

Altcoin Season Index. Source: CoinMarketCap – Techtoken

• Sui (SUI) – A modular Layer-1 blockchain optimized for performance and scale. With high throughput and low latency, it’s grabbing serious attention from DeFi and gaming devs.

• Bittensor (TAO) – One of the strongest AI plays in crypto, enabling decentralized machine learning. Its narrative aligns perfectly with the booming AI sector.

• Solana (SOL) – A proven Layer-1 with growing institutional and retail interest, especially after its recent integrations with Visa and Shopify.

• Jito (JTO) – A Solana-based project optimizing staking and MEV rewards. Positioned well in the DeFi ecosystem.

• Hyperliquid (HYPE) – A fresh decentralized perpetuals exchange aiming to rival dYdX, capitalizing on traders’ growing interest in on-chain derivatives.

• Raydium (RAY) – A longtime Solana DEX that is regaining volume thanks to renewed SOL ecosystem activity.

• Aerodrome (AERO) – A key DeFi protocol on Base Chain, focused on liquidity incentives and composability.

• Sonic (S) – A new entry, possibly meme or community-focused, but gaining ground in both analyst picks and trading volume.

What connects these picks is a strong narrative fit—AI, modular blockchains, DeFi infrastructure, and tokenized real-world assets. They’re the themes that are resonating as the market rotates.

Investors aren’t just looking at charts—they’re betting on stories. The Ethereum surge has reignited confidence in Layer-1s and ecosystems that bring real-world use cases or ride current tech trends like AI and synthetic trading.