History is about to repeat itself: The 2026 shanzhai season enters its strongest stage, and these fi

Historical market cycles show that the current consolidation stage is similar to previous altcoin accumulation periods.

Cardano, Sui, Poka, Ethena and Aptos continue to receive attention due to the development of their respective ecosystems. Analysts remain focused on confirming the signals before announcing the start of a new shanzhai season.

The cryptocurrency market has once again sparked discussions about another broad altcoin cycle. Historical charts shared by multiple analysts show that before the market surged, it went through a long accumulation period, and then liquidity gradually shifted to alternative cryptocurrencies. Similar market structures were observed before the strong gains in the 2017 and 2021 cycles. Although no model guarantees future performance, current conditions have prompted investors to compare today's market conditions with previous cycles.

Many investors are no longer focusing on short-term price movements, but are more focused on blockchain activity, project development, network utilization and ecosystem expansion. These factors have become even more important as institutional participation and macroeconomic trends have an increasingly important impact on digital asset markets. If the funding rotation continues, some well-known altcoins may remain key projects for review in the coming months.

The market went through a long consolidation period, with weaker currencies gradually withdrawing, while long-term players began to lay out all assets. This is usually followed by bull sentiment and an increase in large-market altcoin trading volume and liquidity. Similar to the past, there are some similarities to the current market structure. The Bitcoin dominance index, capital inflows and overall market participation level remain important indicators that need to be tracked.

Cardano (ADA) benefits from long-term development

Cardano remains one of the largest blockchain networks by market capitalisation. The project continues to support the gradual expansion of the ecosystem through network upgrades, decentralized financial applications, and governance improvements. Pledge participation rates have been fairly stable, and developers are constantly developing applications within the ecosystem. Analysts said continued Internet activity could help boost investor confidence if the market outlook improves in the coming months.

Sui (SUI) continues to expand its ecosystem

Sui is one of the fastest growing Layer-1 blockchain networks in the past few years. Its architecture is attractive to decentralized finance, game projects and digital asset applications. The blockchain has always remained active, with an increasing number of developers and total lockups. It is one of the most watched projects in this bull market. One of the key indicators that investors continue to observe is the increase in adoption rates.

DOT keeps interoperability focused

Boca continues to develop its multi-chain infrastructure through parallel chain and cross-chain communication technologies. The network aims to improve blockchain interoperability while allowing independent chains to share security and communicate efficiently. Despite intensified competition among Layer-1 networks, Boca remains important thanks to its long-term technology roadmap and continued ecosystem development. Market participants are still assessing whether there will be a new round of activity in decentralized applications, thereby increasing demand for the network.

Ethena (ENA) attracts attention from DeFi

Ethena is attracting increasing attention in the decentralized finance arena due to its synthetic dollar infrastructure. The protocol has expanded its role across multiple DeFi platforms, and users are paying close attention to adoption levels and protocol growth. Analysts pointed out that stablecoin-related infrastructure remains an important part of the digital asset industry, especially in the context of the continued evolution of decentralized financial products. Future Internet use is likely to become a key factor affecting market sentiment.

Aptos (APT) focuses on performance and developer growth

Aptos continues to be positioned as a high-performance Layer-1 blockchain capable of supporting large-scale decentralized applications. The network has maintained a steady stream of developer interest, while the ecosystem continues to expand in games, decentralized finance and digital identity projects. Investors remain concerned about whether developer activity can translate into higher user adoption, as blockchain usage is increasingly becoming a major factor in long-term market assessments.

Outlook

Historical comparisons have renewed interest in a new altcoin cycle, but analysts continue to urge caution until stronger confirmation signals emerge across the market. The current technical structure is similar to previous accumulation periods, but macroeconomic conditions, liquidity and institutional participation remain key variables. As these indicators continue to develop, Cardano, Sui, Poca, Ethena and Aptos are expected to remain the main focus of investors when looking for market expansion signals.