
The Bybit hack caused a market drop to $3.14T, with Bitcoin at $95K and altcoins struggling—Solana fell over 6%.
Analyst picks XRP, Ondo Finance, Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin (Cardano connection), and Chainlink/BitTensor/VeChain/Supra to watch.
Bybit bought $100M ETH, Trump’s Liberty Financial holds $500M ETH, and Bitwise predicts Solana could hit $6,600 by 2030.
The crypto market took a hit after the Bybit hack, dragging its total value down to $3.14 trillion. Bitcoin is holding at $95K, but altcoins aren’t faring as well – Ethereum slipped to $2,715, XRP tumbled further, and Solana took the biggest hit, dropping over 6%. Despite the downturn, trading volume has spiked 13% in a day, crossing $78 billion, showing that investors are still in the game.
But with the Fear & Greed Index sitting at a neutral 40, caution remains.
While the market struggles, some altcoins are flashing strong buy signals – and according to analysts, these could be the best plays before the next rally. Here are six altcoins standing out in the chaos.
Tokens to Buy Now
XRP’s RLUSD Backing
XRP is benefiting from the increasing use of RLUSD, a stablecoin built on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). RLUSD’s total supply has reached $120 million in just two months and continues to grow. According to Ripple CTO David Schwartz
David Schwartz
David Schwartz is a blockchain architect, and cryptographer, and is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Cryptographer at Ripple and a a board member and consultant at PolySign, which provides infrastructure for digital assets.
Quick Facts
Name David Schwartz Birth 1970, United States Nationality American Education Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston, Texas. Marital status married to Tracey Schwartz Net worth Estimated at $1 billion (to be verified)
He is one of the key architects behind XRP Ledger (XRPL). XRPL is known for its high-speed transactions and low energy consumption compared to Proof-of-Work (PoW) blockchains. Before joining Ripple, Schwartz worked as a software engineer and cryptography expert, contributing to protected messaging and distributed methods.
David Schwartz - Career Highlights
1991 – Developed secure messaging and cryptographic systems for government and private sectors.
2011 – Co-founded OpenCoin, which later became Ripple, focusing on global payments.
2012 – Helped create the XRP Ledger (XRPL), pioneering a fast, scalable, and energy-efficient blockchain.
2018 – Became CTO of Ripple, overseeing technical innovations and blockchain research.
2021-Present – Continues leading Ripple’s expansion in cross-border payments and CBDCs, advocating for blockchain adoption in finance.
He consults startups with strategic planning, smart contracts, and consensus mechanisms. He often speaks at major blockchain seminars and engages with the XRP community.
Useful Links to Connect With David Schwartz
Platform Link X (formerly Twitter) https://twitter.com/JoelKatz LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-schwartz-ripple Ripple Website https://ripple.com Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/Ripple
Developer/ProgrammerCrypto and Blockchain Expert , XRPL’s decentralized exchanges (DEXs) use XRP as a bridge asset for auto-bridging transactions, which boosts XRP’s trading volume and adoption.
Ondo Finance: Tokenizing Real-World Assets
Ondo Finance is leading the charge in tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs) like stocks, bonds, and equities on the blockchain. Backed by Founders Fund, Coinbase, and Pantera Capital, the project recently launched Ono Chain, a Layer 1 blockchain built for institutional-grade RWA transactions.
Ethereum: Big Players Are Buying
Ethereum remains the backbone of DeFi and smart contracts, but what stands out now is the strong buying from major players. Bybit recently purchased nearly $100 million worth of ETH to cover losses from its hack, showing confidence in Ethereum’s long-term value. Even more notably, Donald Trump’s Liberty Financial holds over half a billion dollars in ETH, highlighting growing institutional interest.
Solana: A Hidden Gem for the Next Cycle?
Solana is another top pick, with Bitwise Europe predicting a price range of $2,318 (bear case) to $6,600 (bull case) by 2030. The report notes that many investors are overlooking Solana, but its fast-growing developer activity, rising adoption, and strong institutional backing make it a solid bet for the next cycle.
Bitcoin & Cardano: A New DeFi Connection
Bitcoin remains a key asset, but the analyst highlights a Bitcoin-Cardano connection that could reshape Bitcoin DeFi. Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson
Charles Hoskinson Charles Hoskinson is a prominent American entrepreneur and a visionary in the blockchain spaceHe also co-founded the Ethereum blockchain platform and founder of IOHK. He developed a Module proof-of-stake(Pos) blockchain that helps Charles scale and secure enterprise blockchain adoption.
Quick Facts Full Name Charles Hoskinson Birth 05-11-1987 in Hawaii, United States Nationality American Education University of Colorado Boulder, Metropolitan State University of Denver Marital Status Unmarried as of 2025 Net Worth Estimated to be around $700 million
Experience Co-founder of Ethereum, contributing to smart contracts and Dapps in the year 2013.
Established IOHK ( Input Output Hong Kong) on the year 2014.
Developed and launched Cardano with the (PoS) model in the year 2015 to 2017.
Growth of Cardano's Web3, improving blockchain system I the year 2022.
Promoted insights about blockchain in Africa and other developing countries in the year 2023.
Promoted a digital identity control system, improving the Cardano network in the year 2024.
At present, driving innovation in blockchain DeFi and decentralized systems at IOHK. Chief Executive Officer recently explained on the Mr. M podcast how Babel Fees will allow users to pay transaction fees in wrapped Bitcoin (BTC) instead of ADA.
This would make Bitcoin more usable in DeFi, removing the need for a secondary token and potentially opening up new opportunities for BTC in the DeFi space.
Low-Cap Picks: Chainlink, BitTensor, VeChain & Supra
For those looking for smaller-cap opportunities, the analyst points to Chainlink, BitTensor, VeChain, and Supra:
- Chainlink remains the leading oracle provider, essential for smart contracts needing real-world data.
- BitTensor is an emerging AI-powered blockchain network with high potential.
- VeChain continues to be a major player in supply chain solutions.
- Supra, a newer blockchain infrastructure project, has dropped nearly 15% in the past month. Despite the dip, the analyst sees strong potential for Supra, making it a solid buy-the-dip opportunity.
While the crypto market remains volatile, these six altcoins stand out for their strong fundamentals, increasing adoption, and growing institutional interest. As the market stabilizes, they could be well-positioned for the next bull run.
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