Bitcoin Fell 2% This Week. These 5 Altcoins Fell Up to 13.5%.

Quick Read

• Thin liquidity and leveraged liquidations drove five altcoins down 5.5 to 6.9 times harder than Bitcoin's 2% weekly drop.

• NEAR fell the least among the five and uniquely attracted fresh fund inflows, making it the strongest candidate to lead altcoin recovery.

• All five altcoins remain positive over 30 days, but NEAR's 101% monthly gain creates the biggest profit-taking risk if holders cash out.

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) fell 2% in the week leading up to October 15, 2026, trading at $80,896. In contrast, five altcoins suffered much more significant losses, raising the question of which one may lead the recovery of altcoins.

Hedera (CRYPTO: HBAR) took the biggest hit, falling by 13.5%, while Aave (CRYPTO: AAVE) dropped 12.5%. Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA) and Sui (CRYPTO: SUI) both fell 11.5%, and NEAR (CRYPTO: NEAR) fell 10.8%.

So, which of these coins is most likely to bounce back first?

Why Altcoins Fell Up to 6.9 Times Harder Than Bitcoin

The disparity in losses likely reflects liquidity and leverage, which primarily reflect market conditions rather than the quality of the projects themselves. Liquidity refers to how easily a trader can buy or sell a coin without significantly affecting its price. Smaller altcoins generally have thinner order books, meaning that a small amount of selling can push their prices down much more than it would for Bitcoin.