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While Bitcoin still trades below $100,000, some well-respected analysts think it could hit $200,000 this year.
Ethereum may be 30% off its all-time high from August, but it remains the clear market leader in decentralized finance.
Solana, buoyed by a new blockchain upgrade and a thriving blockchain ecosystem, could turn things around in 2026.
2025 was a strange year for the crypto market. It started off with so much promise, but ended with nearly every major cryptocurrency in the red. Some major cryptocurrencies were down as much as 50% for the year.
So it's not hard to find beaten-down cryptocurrencies with a realistic chance of turning things around in 2026. With that in mind, here are three cryptocurrencies poised for a major comeback in 2026.
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First up is Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), which ended the year down 5%. That might not sound like an awful year, but just consider the following: At the start of 2025, investors were expecting Bitcoin to double in value. The consensus estimate was that Bitcoin, fueled by the pro-crypto euphoria created by the Trump administration, might make a serious run at the $200,000 price level. Instead, Bitcoin ended the year under the $100,000 price level.
Image source: Getty Images.
A number of top Wall Street analysts and investors share my optimism about Bitcoin. Some, in fact, are calling for Bitcoin to hit $150,000 this year. Others are calling for Bitcoin to blow past the $200,000 price mark. An improving macroeconomic outlook, combined with lower interest rates and new crypto market legislation, might just be enough to send Bitcoin soaring.
Just like Bitcoin, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) hit a new all-time high in 2025. In August, Ethereum was cruising to a price close to $5,000. New-fangled Ethereum treasury companies had appeared earlier in the summer, lending even more momentum to the Ethereum buying binge. But then everything collapsed almost as fast as it had started, and Ethereum now trades for a price of just $3,300.
There's still a lot to like about Ethereum, though. It is still the premier Layer 1 blockchain in the world, and has a commanding market share in the all-important decentralized finance (DeFi) market. Moreover, it's at the forefront of two important trends in the financial world: stablecoins and real-world asset tokenization. If either of these two trends take off in 2026, so could the price of Ethereum.
Finally, there's Solana (CRYPTO: SOL). Long touted as the leading Ethereum challenger, Solana turned in an absolutely dismal 2025, ending the year down 44%.
That just shouldn't have been the case. Solana posted a new all-time high of $294 in January, and many investors thought it could be a $400 cryptocurrency by year end. That, alas, never happened. By the end of the year, Solana was being blamed for its role in the epic rise and fall of many meme coins.
From my perspective, things should turn around in 2026. A major new blockchain upgrade in late 2025 unlocked blazing-fast new speeds for Solana. At the same time, the Solana blockchain ecosystem is growing by leaps and bounds.
According to a recent research report from 21Shares, this blockchain ecosystem posted revenue of nearly $3 billion over the 12-month period that ended in September 2025. https://www.21shares.com/en-us/research/solanas-diverse-revenue-engine-surpasses-ethereums-early growth So, unlike many "ghost" blockchains where nothing really seems to happen, there's a lot actually happening on the Solana blockchain.
Can all three of these cryptocurrencies bounce back in 2025? It's still early innings here, but all three are up anywhere from 7% to 17% for the year, and market sentiment appears to be shifting in their favor. I'm bullish on all three as potential contrarian picks for 2026.
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Dominic Basulto has positions in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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