Are Altcoins Dead in 2026? Van de Poppe Says 99% Will Fail

TLDR

• Michaël van de Poppe said that 99% of altcoins are likely to go to zero in this cycle.
• He compared the current market phase to the Dot-com bubble where weaker projects failed.
• He stated that he has never been more bullish on the long-term future of crypto.
• van de Poppe expects Bitcoin to target $77K while maintaining strength above key levels.
• He said Ethereum remains in a bull trend unless it loses critical support zones.

Crypto markets reopened the debate over altcoins after sharp volatility returned this quarter. Michaël van de Poppe said most projects will fail, yet he forecast a strong future for select tokens. Meanwhile, other analysts urged patience as Bitcoin dominance rose and key technical signals remained weak.

Altcoins Face Shakeout as Analysts Split

Michaël van de Poppe compared the current cycle to the Dot-com bubble and predicted mass failures. He stated, “I think that it’s fully deserved that 99% of the altcoins are going to zero.” However, he argued that weaker projects clearing out could support stronger innovation later.

He added, “There’s not been a moment where I’ve been so bullish about the future of crypto.” He said macro conditions remain supportive with low VIX and steady equities. He also said Bitcoin continues to hold key levels despite volatility.

Van de Poppe pointed to Arbitrum as a potential buy-the-dip setup near $0.16. He compared the current setup to early 2020 market conditions. He cited rising volume and bullish divergence as early signals of recovery.

He said markets entered a base-building phase after the Q4 2025 capitulation. He estimated this phase usually lasts between two and four months. He added that Bitcoin has built a base for about 2.5 months.

He projected that once breakouts begin, select altcoins could rally between 150% and 400%. However, he stressed that he favors strong assets only. He listed Bitcoin, Ethereum, and major DeFi tokens as preferred plays.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and DeFi Outlook

Van de Poppe expects Bitcoin to move higher and test $77K. He said Ethereum remains in a bull trend unless it loses key levels. He maintained that traders can consider buying dips under defined support zones.

He addressed recent pressure on Aave following the KelpDAO hack. He said short-term weakness may continue across DeFi tokens. Yet, he argued that core DeFi projects retain long-term strength.

In contrast, the Crypto Talk channel rejected early entry into altcoins. The channel said, “The simple answer is NO,” when asked about buying now. It defined altseason as price moving above the 20 SMA and a 20 SMA crossing above the 50 SMA.

The channel reported that neither condition currently exists. It also said Bitcoin trades below key averages. It placed Bitcoin dominance near 57% and described the market as a “red zone.”

Analyst Ted Pillows also warned about rising Bitcoin dominance. He said higher dominance “is not a good sign for alts.” Bitcoin dominance remained around 57% at the time of his statement.

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