XRP Nears $3 on ETF Hype: The Best Altcoins Traders Are Buying Instead

Bloomberg has assigned a 95% chance of approval, with the SEC expected to make its decision in October. That narrative has been enough to fire up futures markets, but whether it translates into sustained growth is another story.

Source: @EricBalchunas on X

As the altcoin market heats up again, with tokens like $SOL, $ADA, and $ETH leading the charge, some investors are already looking beyond $XRP. In particular, some of the best altcoins like Snorter Token ($SNORT) and Best Wallet Token ($BEST) are emerging as strong contenders with steeper adoption curves.

XRP Nears $3 as ETF Hope Builds

$XRP’s run to $3 was powered by rising institutional activity. Futures open interest rose 5% month-over-month to 2.69B XRP ($7.91B), while CME-listed contracts jumped 74% in the same period to 386M XRP. The uptick shows fund managers and market makers are taking the ETF narrative seriously.

Source: CoinGlass

Still, fundamentals on the XRP Ledger remain underwhelming. Total value locked sits around $100M, with XRPL hosting just under 2% of the real-world asset tokenization market. Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD passed $700M in supply, but almost 90% was issued on Ethereum, limiting demand for XRPL itself.

This disconnect leaves XRP heavily reliant on ETF approval to justify its valuation, while other altcoins are building traction on actual usage. That’s why traders are steadily shifting capital into tokens with fresh utility or ecosystem growth potential.

Here are 3 altcoins traders are rotating into as XRP’s rally stalls:

1. Snorter Token ($SNORT) – Meme Utility Meets Fastest Trading Bot

Telegram trading bots exploded into a $41.6B market in 2024, with forecasts suggesting copy-trading bots alone could hit $985B by 2034.

For traders living in meme coin chaos, speed and automation are everything, and that’s precisely where Snorter Bot ($SNORT) positions itself.

Snorter is a multi-chain, Telegram-native trading suite that lets you swap, snipe new launches, set stop losses, copy wallets, and track your portfolio without ever leaving the chat.

On Solana, it executes sub-second swaps through custom RPC infrastructure, with Ethereum support rolling out next.

Holding $SNORT cuts trading fees from 1.5% to just 0.85%, cheaper than most competitors like BONKbot and Unibot.

Security tools add another layer, with 85% rug and honeypot detection success in closed beta.

The presale has already raised $3.83M, with tokens priced at $0.1039 and staking rewards offering a hefty 122% APY.

Unlike Trojan Bot or Maestro, Snorter leans on meme branding while delivering a working product. This combination gives it both cultural stickiness and functional demand.

In markets where milliseconds and trust matter, $SNORT is built for traders who need both.

Read our how to buy Snorter Token ($SNORT) guide for step-by-step instructions.

2. Best Wallet Token ($BEST) – Gamified Wallet Ecosystem

Crypto wallets are the front door to Web3, and for years, MetaMask has dominated by default. But as traders demand lower fees, better security, and direct presale access, its grip is weakening.

Best Wallet is aiming to take that market share with a streamlined interface, Fireblocks-powered MPC security, and an integrated presale launchpad.

The $BEST token sits at the center of this ecosystem. Holding it unlocks reduced transaction fees, early access to new presales, higher staking rewards (84% APY), and governance rights to steer the project’s direction.

Beyond trading, Best Wallet is preparing to launch Best Card, a crypto debit card that brings your holdings into real-world use – accepted anywhere Mastercard is. It promises cashback on purchases and reduced fees for cardholders who stake $BEST.

Momentum is building: the presale has already raised $15.7M, with tokens priced at $0.025615, 65.8K+ followers on X, and 50% month-over-month user growth. Its first $100K stage sold out in just six hours, and has since experienced massive single buys, including one worth $70.2K.

For a safer, more connected entry point into Web3, $BEST could be the upgrade you’ve been looking for.

To get involved in the presale, check out our how to buy Best Wallet Token ($BEST) guide.

3. Hyperliquid ($HYPE) – Perps Exchange on Custom L1

While $XRP’s ETF odds dominate headlines, institutional endorsements are quietly flowing elsewhere. VanEck CEO Jan van Eck publicly backed Hyperliquid this week, a signal that heavyweight finance is paying attention to this new Layer 1.

Source: @JanvanEck3 on X

Hyperliquid is purpose-built for perpetual futures trading, the market that drives more than 70% of centralized exchange volume.

Its custom HyperBFT consensus delivers rapid finality and low fees, while its fully on-chain order book sets it apart from most DEXs that still rely on off-chain execution. The result is transparent, gas-free perpetuals trading at scale.

The team blends ex-Harvard, Caltech, and MIT engineers with traditional finance veterans, and the project is self-funded – meaning no venture capital control over governance.

With a market cap of $18B and $363M in 24h trading volume, $HYPE has held up better than most altcoins since May.

For traders, the pitch is clear: if perps are crypto’s main volume engine, then an L1 designed to host them could become foundational to the next wave of DeFi.

Final Thoughts – Beyond the XRP ETF Trade

XRP’s flirtation with $3 shows how powerful ETF speculation can be, but the weak adoption of the XRP Ledger raises doubts about whether the rally can last. Real-world asset tokenization remains minimal, and most of Ripple’s stablecoin growth is happening off-chain.

That’s why traders are rotating into altcoins with stronger fundamentals.

Snorter Token ($SNORT) is capitalizing on the Telegram bot boom with utility baked into meme culture.

Best Wallet Token ($BEST) is positioning itself as a safer gateway for presales and DeFi activity. Hyperliquid ($HYPE), meanwhile, is drawing institutional attention as the first Layer 1 optimized for perpetuals.

Diversifying into the best altcoins might prove more rewarding than chasing XRP’s next resistance line.