Markets Recover as Ether Alternatives SOL and DOT Outperform Top Tokens

Cryptocurrency markets staged a slight recovery over the past week led by solana and polkadot, which both jumped about 20%

article-image

Blockworks exclusive art by axel rangel

share
  • Cryptocurrency’s total market capitalization has risen 5% in the last seven days to reach $1.27 trillion
  • Bitcoin dominance is now more than 45% — its highest point since October

Cryptocurrency markets have recovered 5% over the past week, led by ether (ETH) alternatives solana (SOL) and polkadot (DOT).

Both blockchains’ native tokens outperformed the top 10 by market capitalization (excluding stablecoins). SOL gained roughly 22% in the past seven days while DOT rose 19%.

In fact, half of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies jumped more than 10% — binance coin (BNB) by 15%; cardano by 13%; and XRP by 11%. 

Bitcoin (BTC) and ETH were also in the green, up around 7% and 6% respectively. The total crypto market is now valued at over $1.27 trillion, up from $1.20 trillion last Thursday.

Despite the gains made by top altcoins, bitcoin dominance (which measures how much of the cryptocurrency market is BTC) has once more surpassed 45% — its highest point since October when BTC was worth $61,000. At press time, BTC was changing hands for around $30,200. Ether has hovered around $2,000.

Other native tokens of crypto exchanges continue to stage impressive rallies alongside BNB. Platforms issue these tokens to reward holders. Seychelles-headquartered KuCoin’s (KCS) has done particularly well, up 42% over the past week, thanks to a hearty bounce on Wednesday.

KCS’s price had nearly halved over the past month, dropping from almost $21 to $11.28. It now trades for $15. Meanwhile, Singapore-based Crypto.com’s CRO token returned 15% in the past seven days.

Gains made by FTX’s FTT and OKCoin’s OKB were more modest at 6%. Huobi’s HT traded flat while Bitfinex’s Unus Sed Leo (LEO) bucked the trend and dropped 3%.

LEO is still up 30% year-to-date thanks to an advantageous seizure earlier this year of $3.6 billion BTC stolen from the platform in 2016. Cryptocurrency markets collectively lost 42% in that time.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template (1).jpg

Research

As AI supercharges surveillance, privacy becomes a prerequisite and the winning stack will combine confidentiality with selective disclosure. Zcash’s Tachyon, composable standards on Ethereum/Solana, and compliance-aware pools aim to make private rails the new norm.

article-image

Pipe’s testnet has delivered 60+ PB of data across ~290,000 Point of Presence (PoP) nodes

article-image

375ai will hold TGE at the end of the month, CEO Harry Dewhirst told Blockworks

article-image

Block’s subsidiary adds direct Bitcoin integration and AI-powered ordering tools for small businesses seeking streamlined transactions

by Blockworks /
article-image

The deal integrates Dinero’s staking suite into Plume’s real-world asset platform as it gains SEC transfer agent status

by Blockworks /
article-image

The state’s decision opens staking access to New Yorkers, signaling a regulatory shift toward broader crypto participation

by Blockworks /
article-image

The startup says it aims to rival Stripe and Worldpay by using stablecoins to speed merchant settlements from days to seconds

by Blockworks /