Altcoins Under U.S. Crypto Reserve Consideration—ADA, SOL, XRP—Trail BTC’s Recovery from Sunday Dip

Altcoins Struggle as Bitcoin Leads Ahead of U.S. Crypto Reserve Announcement

Investors appear to be placing minimal confidence in altcoins as they await President Donald Trump’s upcoming crypto policy announcement.

According to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Trump is expected to unveil details of a proposed crypto strategic reserve at Friday’s White House crypto summit. While bitcoin (BTC) is set to be the focal point, Lutnick hinted that other digital assets could also be acknowledged.

Despite this, the market’s reaction suggests that traders remain unconvinced about the significance of altcoins in the reserve. XRP, Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA)—which Trump previously cited as potential reserve assets—have failed to reclaim their Sunday highs, lagging behind BTC’s rebound.

Bitcoin has climbed back to $91,000, just 4.5% below its Sunday peak of $95,000 following Trump’s initial reserve announcement. In contrast, XRP remains 17% below its high, currently trading at $2.57. ADA and SOL have seen even steeper declines, still down 27% and 20%, respectively, according to TradingView data.

The underperformance of these altcoins suggests that investors may not expect them to play a meaningful role in the reserve. Some analysts speculate that Trump’s earlier mention of these assets may have been a strategic move to rally broader support, while Bitcoin remains the true focus.

However, even a Bitcoin-only reserve faces significant challenges.

“The U.S. wants a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve (BSR), but the IMF actively discourages sovereign BTC accumulation. These two things cannot coexist,” said Jeff Park, head of alpha strategies at Bitwise Asset Management, in a post on X.

Park noted that while the discussion surrounding a BSR is promising, the key indicator to watch is whether the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shifts its stance. “When that happens, you’ll know real progress is being made. Until then, this remains a long-term narrative rather than an immediate catalyst,” he added.

For now, Bitcoin continues to dominate, while altcoins struggle to gain traction amid uncertainty surrounding their place in the U.S. strategic reserve.