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The crypto market is vibrating with “Uptober” feelings and optimism. Bitcoin touches an all-time high (ATH), supported by ETF inflows and institutional adoption fury. Bitcoin (BTC) dominance, a metric used to gauge Bitcoin’s market share in the cryptocurrency market, is at 58%, suggesting massive gains for various coins. At the time of writing, the Altcoin Season Index is at 65, suggesting upside potential. Altcoins join the party, as Ethereum holds the $4,500 mark.
In this article, we discussed the top 5 altcoins that investors should check. The coins are selected after considering various parameters like scalability, DeFi-related innovation, and real-world utilities.
Solana (SOL)
Solana, a top Layer-1 blockchain network, processes transactions exceeding 451.47 billion. The protocol is well-known for hosting DApps in decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFT), and web3.
The developer momentum gained momentum in 2025 with total value locked surpassing $11.538 billion. In addition, the stablecoin’s market capitalization reached $14.153 billion this year.
The block finality improved between 100 and 150 milliseconds earlier, it was 12 seconds, boosting its advantage over other congested networks with its recent Alpenglow upgrade.
Long-term holders have benefited from Institutional adoption and staking yields of ~7-8% in the recent times.
Recent news has mentioned a possibility of Spot Solana ETF approvals in October, which could trigger an upside rally. Meanwhile, outages on the network remain a risk during high-volume periods.
Key statistics:
- Price: $209.83
- Market cap: $113.676B
- All-time high: $295.8
Arbitrum (ARB)
Arbitrum, is a leading Ethereum Layer-2 solution with its optimistic rollup technology. Arbitrum reduced fees, higher transaction throughput, and enhanced security offered through the Ethereum network. Many major decentralized applications (dApps) are running on Arbitrum, with a total of over 900 dApps.
The project currently has the largest total value locked (TVL) among rollups, with over $3.462 billion in total value locked, bolstered by decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) grants and community programs increasing liquidity.
In addition, the latest ArbOS 40 “Callisto” update adds new utility to Arbitrum in the form of account abstraction, oracle support improvements, and dApps that operate faster with less friction for users.
Each of these enhancements further aligns Arbitrum with Ethereum’s ongoing upgrades as Ethereum progresses towards layer-2 functionality. Ultimately, this supports ARB’s long-term value proposition, while simultaneously boosting ARB’s price in the short term due to heightened confidence and utility among users.
Robinhood’s European tokenized stock platform has started using Arbitrum, achieving a trading volume of $290 million since July 2025, and is set to offer over 200 tokenized equities for trading, which are on the rise.
An increase in on-chain activity may elevate the demand for ARB, leading to potential future price appreciation as transaction fees rise and governance participation increases.
Key statistics:
- Price: $0.42
- Market cap: $2.269B
- All-time high: $2.40
Polkadot (DOT)
Polkadot’s Layer-0 infrastructure enables parachains to connect under a shared security model and enables a variety of dApps to be used, ranging from DeFi to gaming. The parachain market is turning into a booming, community-driven with a total value locked (TVL) of approximately 362.2 million dollars.
Its emphasis on interoperability sets it apart in a multi-chain environment, supported by anticipated governance enhancements in 2025 and the possible introduction of parachains that contribute value to the ecosystem.
Introduction of a native DOT-backed stablecoin (pUSD) may add liquidity and utility to Polkadot’s DeFi world.
On the downside, Polkadot may experience slower growth compared to Ethereum Layer 2 solutions or Solana, which are more accessible and cost-effective.
Nevertheless, the expectations surrounding the October market may lead to an increase in market share for interconnected protocols like DOT in the future.
Key statistics:
- Price: $3.98
- Market cap: $6.62B
- All-time high: $55.00
Aster(ASTER)
Aster is innovating the decentralized finance (DeFi) space on the BNB Chain. As a decentralized exchange, it combines yield-earning with active trading strategies. Currently, the total value locked (TVL) is approximately $2.266 billion.
This protocol enables users to earn returns on their collateral instead of letting their assets remain idle, addressing issues related to capital efficiency.Aster’s dual capabilities are particularly appealing to DeFi natives.
However, its niche design does not attract the same level of interest as comprehensive platforms Uniswap, Curve, etc.
Key statistics:
- Price: $1.71
- Market cap: $2.796B
- All-time high: $2.42
Hyperliquid (HYPE)
Hyperliquid leads the race with its revenue-generating blockchain, generating a cumulative volume of $5.352 trillion and approximately $1 billion in annualized revenue as of September 2025.
The protocol has grown over time, with a cumulative number of users exceeding 719K and a total value locked (TVL) of $5.776 billion to date.
The coin is gaining momentum amid a rise in institutional adoption, with over $583 million HYPE coin purchases (note: companies such as Hyperliquid Strategies Inc. continue to accumulate HYPE).
Another interesting feature lies in its tokenomics as nearly 99% of the fee is for Hype buybacks or staking rewards. The mechanism boosts demand and reduces supply.
However, decentralization concerns, security, and vulnerability risks remain challenges for the blockchain.
Key statistics:
- Price: $47.45
- Market cap: $15.97B
- All-time high: $59.39
