"Alt Season is Coming in the Second Half"...3 Key Coins Experts Are Watching

▲ XRP (Ripple), Solana (SOL), Chainlink (LINK)/ChatGPT generated image ©

Solana, XRP, and Chainlink are once again drawing attention as assets that could yield significant returns with small investments if the altcoin season fully kicks off in the second half of 2026.

According to crypto media outlet Finbold on May 6 (local time), strong capital inflows into US Bitcoin (BTC) spot ETFs are increasing the likelihood that market liquidity will gradually spread to risk assets. The media also reported that progress on the US crypto market structure bill, the CLARITY Act, is further alleviating regulatory uncertainty across the altcoin market.

Solana (SOL), which the outlet named as the first promising asset, is rapidly expanding its real-world use cases based on increased stablecoin transfers and decentralized exchange (DEX) activity. Its monthly trading volume is approaching past annual levels, and with Western Union announcing plans to launch a Solana-based stablecoin, adoption by traditional financial institutions is also expanding. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) recently introduced SOL futures and options products. Currently, Solana is trading at approximately $89, remaining more than 70% below its all-time high in January 2025.

XRP (Ripple) has seen its investment thesis significantly reshaped with the conclusion of its long-running legal dispute with US regulators in 2025. The outlet reported that Ripple is now able to pursue business expansion without regulatory uncertainty, having since completed a $2.5 billion blockchain acquisition and raised $500 million based on a $40 billion valuation. XRP continues to serve as a core asset in Ripple's international remittance network and was trading at approximately $1.45 at the time of writing, having risen more than 3% in the last 24 hours.

Chainlink (LINK) is emerging as key infrastructure for real-world asset tokenization and decentralized artificial intelligence (AI). Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) handles over $1.3 billion in weekly transaction volume, and Grayscale expanded institutional access by launching a LINK trust product in late 2025. On-chain data also showed signs of large-scale accumulation, with approximately 1 million LINK withdrawn from exchanges in a single day in April 2026. Currently, the LINK price is around $10, approximately 82% lower than its all-time high of $52.

The outlet assessed that these three assets each have the potential to benefit from the next altcoin cycle in different ways. While volatility remains high, the analysis suggests that lower prices, strengthened fundamentals, and clear growth drivers could combine to show high upside potential in the market in the second half of 2026.

*Disclaimer: This article is for investment reference only, and we are not responsible for any investment losses based on it. The content should be interpreted for informational purposes only.*