Bitcoin Tops $118K—What Could Be Next for Ether, Solana, XRP, and Other Key Altcoins?

Bitcoin Breaches $118K—Are Altcoins Ready to Follow?

11/7/2025

Bitcoin’s breakout past $118,000 has reignited bullish sentiment across the crypto market, setting the stage for a potential wave of altcoin gains. Traders are closely watching whether capital will rotate into large-cap tokens or stay concentrated in BTC.

“The BTC breakout marks a regime shift,” said one trader, “and we expect altcoin dispersion to rise from here.”

Historically, new highs in BTC act as a market-wide liquidity trigger, drawing sidelined capital back into crypto and rotating into altcoins as momentum builds. Early signs of that transition are beginning to show.

ETH, SOL, and Mid-Caps Start to Climb

Ethereum (ETH) is testing its yearly highs, Solana’s SOL has reclaimed the $160 level, and mid-cap tokens like Shiba Inu (SHIB), Hyperliquid’s HYPE, and Avalanche’s AVAX have posted double-digit gains in the past 24 hours.

Rick Maeda, Research Analyst at Presto Research, explained:

“Bitcoin’s breakout is a strong liquidity signal. Historically, BTC setting new highs propagates capital into the broader market. We’re already seeing renewed inflows into ETH, SOL, and XRP, supported by both retail enthusiasm and institutional rebalancing.”

Solana and XRP Draw Retail, ETH Gains Institutional Favor

Solana continues to attract speculative capital thanks to its high-beta profile, growing protocol activity, and recent memecoin launches. XRP, long driven by sentiment and speculative catalysts, is also seeing increased inflows amid renewed discussion around legal clarity and macro correlations.

Ethereum remains the most institutionally favored, benefiting from rising ETF inflows, spot product traction, and a rebound in Layer 2 activity.

Jeff Mei, COO at BTSE, told CoinDesk:

“ETH could push to $3,200, and SOL is on track for $200. What’s different this time is that strength isn’t isolated—ETH, SOL, XRP are all retracing earlier-year highs, suggesting a broader market lift.”

Policy Shifts and Flows Fuel Altcoin Optimism

Nick Ruck, Director at LVRG Research, said:

“Bitcoin hitting $116K+ is setting the tone for altcoins. Ethereum ETF volumes are surging, and U.S. regulators removing the crypto broker tax rule is paving the way for DeFi to expand.”

He noted that as BTC volatility cools and price discovery stabilizes, blue-chip altcoins like SOL and XRP are likely to benefit from the next leg of capital rotation.

The Setup

With bitcoin at record levels and volatility compressing, the market appears to be transitioning from a BTC-led breakout to a broader altcoin phase. Traders are positioning for what could be the start of the next major altseason—assuming bitcoin consolidates above support and risk appetite continues to rise.