AAVE, ZEC, EGLD, and ZRO as Crypto Market Shifts Toward Altcoins

The crypto market is gaining bullish momentum as Bitcoin price recently climbed above the $73,000–$74,000 range, but the spotlight is gradually shifting toward altcoins. While Bitcoin continues to lead the market, capital rotation into alternative cryptocurrencies is becoming increasingly visible.

The total altcoin market capitalization has moved closer to the $1.2 trillion mark, with trading activity rising sharply across major tokens. At the same time, 24-hour altcoin trading volume has surged past $90 billion, indicating renewed speculative interest across the broader market.

Bitcoin dominance currently remains near 52–53%, suggesting that altcoins still have significant room to expand if capital rotation continues. Historically, periods of stabilizing BTC dominance often precede stronger altcoin rallies as traders move funds into higher-beta assets.

With several major ecosystem events, token unlocks, and product launches scheduled this week, traders are now closely watching whether altcoins could outperform Bitcoin in the short term.

Top Altcoins to Watch This Week

Several major developments across the crypto ecosystem could influence price movements in the coming days. From network upgrades and token unlocks to ecosystem announcements and macroeconomic events, these catalysts may drive increased volatility across select altcoins.

Key altcoins and events to watch this week:

• Aave—A proposal to launch Aave V4 on Ethereum has gone live, marking a major upgrade for the DeFi protocol.

• Aster – The Aster Chain mainnet launch is expected later this month, a milestone that could increase developer activity and trading interest.

• Zcash / THORChain—THORChain plans to introduce native Zcash swaps, potentially expanding cross-chain liquidity.

• Katana—The project is preparing for its Token Generation Event (TGE) on March 18, which could trigger speculative trading activity.

• MultiversX—The network will release SuperNova, its largest upgrade since the mainnet launch, on testnet.

• LayerZero—Around $52 million worth of tokens (5.6% of circulating supply) will unlock on March 20, potentially introducing supply pressure.

• AI-related cryptocurrencies—Interest in AI tokens could increase as **NVIDIA hosts its annual **GTC AI conference starting March 16.

• Mantle—The project will host the “Mantle State of Mind” livestream on March 17, discussing milestones and its future roadmap.

• Aevo—Aevo is expected to announce new product launches on March 16, which may influence trading activity.

Macro catalyst is the Federal Reserve interest rate decision during the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on March 18, which could impact liquidity across financial markets, including cryptocurrencies.

Conclusion

With BTC price maintaining its bullish momentum and market sentiment gradually shifting toward altcoins, several tokens may experience heightened volatility this week. Major ecosystem upgrades, token unlocks, and macroeconomic announcements could act as key catalysts for price movements.

If Bitcoin continues to hold above critical levels, traders may increasingly rotate capital into altcoins in search of higher returns. As a result, the coming days could determine whether altcoins begin to outperform Bitcoin in the short term or remain closely tied to its price trend.