Bitcoin rose 21% over the past 90 days, but 38% of all altcoins beat that pace. Zcash surged 193%, Solana climbed 42%, and Ethereum gained 41%, each driven by distinct developer and network catalysts rather than pure price momentum.
Bitcoin's price rose 21% over the past 90 days, partly as investors leaned on it as a hedge against a national debt that reached a record $40 trillion in late August. But 38% of all altcoins outperformed Bitcoin during that stretch, with Zcash, Solana, and Ethereum among the standouts.
Ethereum's Developer Moat Widens
Ethereum uses the energy-efficient proof-of-stake mechanism rather than mining, letting holders stake Ether and developers build smart contracts on top of it. Its Layer-2 chains, which process transactions off-chain at lower cost, widen its lead over newer competitors.
Ether's price rose 41% over the past 90 days. Over a dozen companies, including Bitmine, have been building their own Ether treasuries.
Solana Keeps Pulling In Real-World Assets
Solana's price rose 42% over the past 90 days, driven by protocol upgrades that cut fees and a rising number of new developers. Fintech firms including Circle, Visa, PayPal, and Stripe already use Solana to settle stablecoin transactions and tokenize real-world assets.
That momentum continues: Solana attracted nearly $400 million in real-world-asset net inflows over the past 30 days. U.S. Bank Column made Solana its default network for stablecoin banking. The recent pullback in SOL's price can be attributed to the CLARITY Act not passing. An analyst's bull-flag setup on the four-hour chart points to $105 as the key level to watch, with a sustained break potentially opening the door toward $130.
Zcash's Privacy Premium
Zcash shares Bitcoin's proof-of-work design and 21 million token cap, but its users can fully hide their addresses and transactions, unlike Bitcoin's public ledger. Its price surged 193% over the past 90 days as a large share of its supply was locked into long-term holding structures and shielded pools, leaving even small purchases to move the price.
Some analysts also speculated Zcash could reach a broader range of investors via a spot ETF, as with Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana. Those potential catalysts made it a popular altcoin among investors seeking a "Bitcoin-like" cryptocurrency.
Sources: The Motley Fool, Coinpedia Fintech News
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