Top Altcoins To Avoid This Cycle: HYPE, ZEC And Others

Published by

Debashree Patra

May 29, 2026

Large yellow Zcash ZEC and blue Hyperliquid HYPE tokens on a dark world map background with text reading "ALTCOINS TO AVOID THIS CYCLE".

The altcoin market continues seeing heavy volatility as traders search for the next major breakout projects.

However, an analyst says many traders are approaching altcoins the wrong way this altcoin cycle by treating every crypto project like a long-term investment.

According to the analyst, the market currently has two completely different categories of coins, and understanding the difference could decide whether traders make profits or ride gains all the way back down.

Coins to Avoid in this Cycle

Zcash (ZEC)

Zcash was a project the analyst specifically warned about. While he believes Zcash could still push much higher from current levels, he said traders need a clear take-profit plan instead of treating it like a long-term “set and forget” investment.

According to him, the chart structure looks more like a boom-and-bust setup similar to what happened with MicroStrategy last cycle, where explosive upside was eventually followed by a major collapse.

HyperLiquid (HYPE)

The analyst also pushed back against the growing narrative that HyperLiquid can simply be bought and held forever.

While he remains bullish on HYPE long term and believes the token could eventually move above $100 or even $200, he stressed that traders should still lock in profits along the way.

He revealed that he personally bought HYPE around $15, watched it run above $60, and already has a structured take-profit plan in place instead of blindly holding through every market cycle.

Railgun (RAIL)

Railgun was another coin the analyst classified as a shorter-term volatility play rather than a long-term hold.

He explained that after the token rallied roughly 3.5x, he and members of his Discord group already removed their initial investment to reduce risk.

According to him, projects like Railgun can still move much higher, but they should be actively managed instead of treated like Bitcoin or Ethereum.

Pepe and Bonk

The analyst also grouped Pepe and Bonk into the high-risk category. While he admitted these meme coins could still explode higher during a strong altcoin season, he warned traders against rotating from safer assets like Bitcoin, Solana, or LINK into meme coins after they have already pumped.

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