Three major currencies worth watching next week: These altcoins may explode

The crypto market ends a turbulent week, and the three major currencies deserve attention.

The crypto market has just ended a difficult week. Bitcoin is now trading at $82,768 after a 2.2% weekly decline; Ethereum fell 7.1% to $2,493; while Solana, XRP and BNB suffered losses ranging from 2% to 8%, respectively. Twelve of the top 17 currencies by market capitalisation closed in red (down).

This makes currencies that bucked the trend particularly eye-catching. NEAR Protocol and Cardano are the only two large-cap currencies to achieve weekly gains. Despite Zcash's correction, it remains the second-best performing asset among the top 20 currencies in 2026. When the entire market sells and a few currencies refuse to follow, this relative strength is often the starting point for the next round of gains.

Here are three currencies worth watching for next week, including their current data and catalysts that may drive them up. For real-time prices of all currencies in this article, please check out the CryptoTicker Cryptocurrency Price page.

Statistics as of Saturday, October 10, 2026.

Why is NEAR Protocol the number one currency to watch next week?

$NEAR is currently the strongest currency among the top 20, without controversy. It has risen 7.98% in the past 24 hours and has gained 11.63% this week, while its year-to-date gain has reached 245% amid declines in almost every other currency. Prices have climbed from less than $2 in early September to $5.22 now, one of the strongest monthly moves in its history.

The difference between NEAR and most other momentum trading instruments is that this rebound is backed by real spot buyers. Bitwise launched its first NEAR spot ETF (code NRR) in the U.S. in early October, and the fund attracted approximately $58 million in inflows in its first week. The creation of an ETF requires the actual purchase of NEAR tokens, so circulation will be tightened every time funds flow in. Coupled with the growth of NEAR intentions, a chain abstraction layer that routes cross-chain swaps, and the artificial intelligence narrative that continues to attract capital to NEAR, this constitutes a story that institutional investors can truly buy.

The risks are obvious: NEAR Intentions suffered a $3.8 million hack on October 8. The team promised full compensation, and the price returned to calm within a day, which in itself was a bullish signal. But such a rapid rise means short-term holders have triple-digit gains, and 2022 hogs in the $6 to $10 range may look for exit opportunities.

Key points to pay attention to:

$5.60 to $6.20 is the resistance band that suppresses every rebound since 2022. If it closes steadily above $6.20, Fibonacci expansion targets will point to $7.30 and $8.30. Support is set at $4.50; if it breaks below this level, the current market may be temporarily terminated.

Explosion potential: Continued NRR inflows, a second ETF application submitted by another issuer, or an overall rebound in the market will benefit a currency that has performed well in the current sluggish market.

Can Cardano finally break the $0.26 mark?

Cardano is this week's comeback story. The ADA broke through to $0.28 near a multi-month high on Monday. It was later pushed down to $0.23 on Thursday due to a decline in Bitcoin and a rise in government bond yields. However, it rebounded strongly by 6.73% in the past 24 hours to $0.2560. As one of the giant market cap currencies with only two weekly dividends, it rose 5.21% on the 7th, although it is still down 23% year-to-date. This combination of deep year-to-date discounts and fresh weekly strength is a typical bottom consolidation pattern.

此次下跌与夏季低点不同之处在于，随着价格下跌，网络活跃度却在提升。Santiment数据显示，即便ADA下跌13%，Cardano每日活跃地址数在10月7日仍攀升至约27,500个，这种背离通常向上修正。鲸鱼钱包正在积累，10月1日推出的RealFi项目已上线，与Mastercard的合作已生效，一项降低链上使用费用的提案已进入投票阶段。

图表形态也比头条新闻所暗示的要好。ADA交易在其50日、100日和200日指数移动平均线之上，且20日均价位于价格下方，表明短期趋势仍然向上。周四的清洗清除了杠杆多头并重置了资金费率，这往往是下一轮行情的燃料。

需关注的关键点位：

$0.258至$0.263是反复拒绝ADA的阻力区。日线收于$0.263上方，首要目标为$0.27，其次是周一的高点附近0.28美元。下行方面，$0.24是必须坚守的防线，而$0.23则是最后的防御阵地。

爆发潜力：在年度基础上，ADA是三者中超卖最严重的，拥有最大的空头挤压空间。如果比特币收红，很可能将ADA推至排行榜首位，正如周五6.7%的反弹所展示的那样。

Zcash的回调是在NU7升级前的买入机会吗？

Zcash is adverse selection. ZEC fell 6.86% this week and fell more than 10% on Friday alone, but it is still up 133% year-to-date, with a current price of US$1,225 and a market value of US$20.7 billion, even surpassing Dogecoin. While privacy coin transactions that define 2026 are cool, the catalyst pipeline in the coming weeks is the richest on the list.

Look at the calendar first. The NU7 network upgrade was activated through the test network on October 6, and the main network activation was highly confirmed as October 20. NU7 will provide a 300% speed increase in blocking transactions, lay the foundation for Zcash to block assets, and introduce a sustainability mechanism to redirect 60% of fees to long-term miners 'reserves. Traders tend to rush ahead of major upgrades, and next week is the last full week before they are officially launched.

Next is the institutional perspective. Gemini's Winklevoss twins filed an application with the SEC on October 6 for a spot Zcash ETF traded on Nasdaq under the symbol WINK. THORChain launched a native ZEC swap on October 8, providing the currency with direct cross-chain liquidity without the need for packaging tokens. In addition, Zcash developers have just set a January goal for quantum resistance payments, and the narrative is getting louder.

The risk is that privacy coins remain a regulatory minefield, and existing ZEC funds recorded a series of outflows in October. Such a sharp rally also left a lot of vacuum below: Just a year ago, ZEC was trading below $100.

Key points to pay attention to:

$1,180 to $1,200（周五低点）是必须坚守的支撑位。收复$1,350将使近期区间高点$1,420重回视野，其上方则是9月高点附近的$1,560。如果市场继续下滑，位于约$1,095的50日EMA将是更深层的支撑。

爆发潜力：在确认硬分叉日期前的超卖反弹、活跃的ETF申请以及新的去中心化交易所流动性，构成了强大的 setups（交易设置）。如果比特币企稳，历史上ZEC一直是恢复损失最快的币种之一。

交易者下周应关注什么？

所有三种情况都取决于同一件事：比特币守住80,000美元关口。BTC现价为82,768美元，在经历了一周的ETF资金流出和国债收益率上升后，勉强维持在整数关口上方。如果它能守住，NEAR和ADA的相对优势以及Zcash的超卖反弹就有施展空间。如果它跌破，即使是最强的山寨币也会在被拉低之前无法反弹。总市值、比特币主导权和恐惧贪婪指数等市场整体数据请查看CryptoTicker图表页面。

下周快速检查清单：

• NEAR：每日NRR ETF流量数据及周线收于$6.20上方
• Cardano：日线收于$0.263上方、费用削减提案投票结果以及Santiment活跃地址趋势
• Zcash：Holding on to $1,180, preparing for the October 20 activation of NU7, and the SEC's move on WINK ETF applications

Among the three, NEAR has the clearest momentum, Cardano has the largest squeeze room, and Zcash has the largest catalyst on the calendar.