Crypto market gains led by altcoins and privacy coins surge
Crypto Market Pulse — November 2025
Crypto markets saw modest gains over the past 24 hours. Bitcoin held around ~$101K (≈+0.3%) and Ethereum near ~$3,400 (≈+0.7%), helping lift the total market cap to roughly $3.5T. Altcoins outperformed, with most top-100 tokens advancing, suggesting a mild risk-on tilt in investor sentiment.
24h at a Glance
- Total Market Cap: $3.5–3.6T (24h Δ +1.1% to -0.8%)
- BTC Dominance: 57.8% (Δ -0.2pp)
- ETH Dominance: 11.7% (Δ -0.1pp)
- Spot Volume (24h): $122B
- Market Breadth (Top 100): ~60 advancers vs ~40 decliners
Values vary slightly across data trackers due to methodology and timing differences.
Why the Market Moved
- Stable macro backdrop: U.S. stocks and bond yields were roughly unchanged, supporting risk assets. This calm environment (and continued modest ETF inflows) helped crypto prices creep higher as traders remained confident in taking risk.
- Altcoin strength: Significant rallies in select altcoins drove broad momentum. Notably, privacy coins and high-throughput tokens surged, pulling up market averages and signaling rotation into riskier segments.
- No major shocks: Lack of new negative news (hacks, bans, or policy surprises) allowed bullish trends to persist. With no fresh headwinds, accumulated buying pressure lifted prices across key sectors.
Sectors & Movers
- Privacy Coins: Monero and Zcash jumped markedly (roughly +15–20% and +9%, respectively) on renewed interest in privacy-focused assets, helping lead the market higher.
- Smart-Contract L1s: Networks like Solana saw moderate gains (~+1%), and Internet Computer surged (~+18%) on positive sentiment, reflecting demand for high-throughput blockchain platforms.
- Ethereum & DeFi: ETH itself edged up modestly (~+0.6%), while major Layer-2 and DeFi tokens were mostly flat. This suggests consolidation in the Ethereum ecosystem after recent gains.
- Large-Cap Movers (≥ $5B): Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana — all posted small gains (~+0.3–1%) as firm sentiment lifted even the largest assets across the board.
- Mid-Cap Movers (≥ $500M): Zcash, Decred, Internet Computer — each saw double-digit jumps (~+9% to +45%), likely driven by project-specific news or renewed hype in these tokens.
What It Means
- Opportunity: A broadly bullish day suggests selective entries could pay off if the uptrend continues. In particular, high-momentum sectors (like privacy coins and fast L1 platforms) may extend gains. Pullbacks in these leading areas could offer short-term buying opportunities for traders looking to ride the rally.
- Risk: Despite the rally, volatility remains high and a reversal is possible on weak news. Overheated altcoins could see sharp pullbacks if sentiment turns. Regulatory or Fed policy surprises remain wildcards that could quickly flip the market back to risk-off.
- Timing/Regime: Risk-On – The majority of large and small caps rose with steady volume, indicating a bullish short-term regime. Continued strength in core assets would reinforce this optimistic stance.
Invest or Wait?
Cautious: Prefer core positions or stablecoins and dollar-cost average into any new trades; wait for clear breakout confirmations (such as sustained moves above key resistance levels) before committing large amounts. Define stop-loss or invalidation points (e.g. a drop below recent swing lows) to manage risk.
Crypto is volatile. This overview is informational only. Always do your own research and consider your risk tolerance.
Bottom Line
The market is cautiously bullish today, with the rally driven by altcoin strength even as Bitcoin and Ethereum quietly gained. Investors should note the lifted market mood but remain aware that crypto’s inherent volatility means trends can shift quickly. The near-term outlook hinges on continued calm in macro markets and sustained momentum in risk-on sectors.
