Altcoins could be approaching a major breakout against Bitcoin, with the monthly TOTAL3/BTC ratio nearing a decisive threshold that analysts say may open the door to a broad period of altcoin outperformance.

CryptoBullet Flags a Potential Altcoin Breakout

Analyst CryptoBullet said the monthly TOTAL3/BTC ratio is on the verge of an important breakout, and expects altcoins to significantly outperform Bitcoin if the move develops. In a post on X, the analyst framed the observation around the monthly timeframe rather than short-term price movements.

The TOTAL3/BTC ratio tracks the performance of the total cryptocurrency market excluding Bitcoin and Ethereum against Bitcoin, making it a gauge of how altcoins are performing relative to the leading asset. A rising reading signals altcoins collectively gaining ground on Bitcoin, which is why the ratio is watched as a market-breadth measure, and why tests of long-standing thresholds on monthly candles tend to draw attention: monthly closes filter out the noise that dominates shorter timeframes.

Van de Poppe Identifies ALGO's Breakout Levels

Meanwhile, analyst Michael van de Poppe highlighted bullish conditions for Algorand (ALGO), noting that the token has repeatedly tested a crucial resistance zone. He observed that similar tests preceded expansion moves in 2023 and 2024, and said a comparable pattern could emerge in 2026.

Van de Poppe also pointed to a bullish divergence — a setup in which momentum indicators trend higher while price stalls, a pattern technicians read as selling pressure fading — which he said indicates a possible market reversal. According to the analyst, a confirmed breakout could carry ALGO toward $0.45 or potentially $0.60, though those targets depend on the price first clearing the resistance zone.

TOTAL3 Consolidates Below the $850B Resistance

The broader altcoin market has recovered from its early-September lows but continues to consolidate below recent highs. TOTAL3, the aggregate market capitalization of cryptocurrencies excluding Bitcoin and Ethereum, currently stands near $834.23 billion. The latest four-hour candle declined $1.06 billion, or 0.13%, while reported volume reached $113.19 billion.

TOTAL3 climbed from roughly $740 billion in early September to $780 billion before retreating toward the $750 billion to $760 billion range. The market then accelerated from September 16, breaking above $800 billion and then $820 billion, and reached approximately $845 billion to $850 billion on September 27–28 alongside elevated volume.

Since then, TOTAL3 has traded between roughly $820 billion and $845 billion. Resistance remains around $840 billion to $850 billion, while $820 billion serves as initial support. Read together, the ratio and the capitalization chart describe the same market from two angles — altcoin performance relative to Bitcoin and altcoin market size in absolute terms — so any confirmed shift would need to register on both.
Technical readings point to improving but compressed momentum. The relative strength index (RSI) sits at 53.18, above its 50.34 average and the neutral 50 threshold, while MACD readings of approximately 654.6 million and 322.36 million indicate momentum that is building yet tightly ranged. Market data referenced from a TradingView chart.

As the market consolidates, both analysts' scenarios hinge on confirmed breaks above their respective resistance levels rather than on short-term fluctuations — in practice, whether the monthly ratio threshold gives way, whether TOTAL3 holds $820 billion and pushes through the $840 billion to $850 billion band on sustained volume, and whether ALGO clears its resistance zone.