Best Altcoins to Watch in October 2026: Solana, Chainlink and XRP Top the List

TLDR

Crypto prices fell in October 2026 on rising bond yields, inflation worries and geopolitical uncertainty. Bitcoin traded near $81,800 as ETFs saw about $679 million in net withdrawals. Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade and Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade are both planned. Solana ETFs ended 14 straight weeks of inflows with a $24.8 million loss. Standard Chartered announced custody support for Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin on October 12.

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Crypto markets faced renewed selling pressure in October 2026. Bitcoin, Ethereum and several major altcoins fell as investors reacted to rising bond yields, inflation worries and geopolitical uncertainty.

Bitcoin traded around $81,800 at the October 12 close, according to CoinGecko. Ethereum stood near $2,446. Five established coins are still drawing attention despite the drop.

Solana traded near $106, Chainlink near $12.61 and XRP near $1.34. Each of the five has its own upgrades, products or partnerships in the news.

Bitcoin Holds Its Place as the Largest Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency by market value. Its supply is capped at 21 million coins.

Bitcoin (BTC) Price

US spot Bitcoin ETFs have brought the asset into traditional investment portfolios. These products give investors a regulated way to hold it.

Bitcoin ETFs saw about $679 million in net withdrawals during the week ending October 9. Net withdrawals mean more money left the funds than entered them.

Ethereum Prepares for the Glamsterdam Upgrade

Ethereum is a leading blockchain for decentralized finance, stablecoins and tokenized assets. Its token traded near $2,446.

The network has a large developer base and offers staking. These features differ from Bitcoin’s fixed supply model.

The upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade is meant to improve scalability and transaction processing. Ongoing ETF withdrawals and competition from faster blockchains remain challenges.

Solana Focuses on Speed With Alpenglow

Solana has drawn developers and traders with low fees and fast transactions. Its token traded near $106.

The network supports decentralized exchanges, stablecoin transfers and consumer apps. Its planned Alpenglow upgrade aims to cut transaction finality to about 150 milliseconds.

Finality is the point at which a transaction can no longer be changed. Solana ETFs lost about $24.8 million in the latest reported week, which ended 14 straight weeks of inflows.

Chainlink Targets Tokenized Assets

Chainlink provides infrastructure that connects blockchains to outside data. It also lets digital assets move between networks.

Its token traded near $12.61. In September, Chainlink launched CCIP 2.0.

The project also announced work to help financial institutions connect with Swift’s blockchain ledger. Swift is a global messaging network used by banks.

Financial institutions are exploring tokenized bonds and investment funds. Competition remains, and it is unclear how greater network usage will benefit token holders.

XRP Gains Banking Support From Standard Chartered

XRP traded near $1.34 as Ripple kept expanding ties with financial institutions. The company is also building blockchain-based payment infrastructure.

Ripple’s business growth does not automatically lead to equal demand for XRP. Greater use of the XRP Ledger could help support future demand.

On October 12, Standard Chartered announced institutional custody support for Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin on the XRP Ledger. The bank also plans expanded collateral services with LMAX Group.

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