Bitcoin Takes a Breather at $70,000 Threshold as Cardano Leads Altcoin Rally

▲ Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Cardano (ADA) / AI-generated image

Bitcoin (BTC) briefly paused at the $70,000 resistance level. Meanwhile, the altcoin market, led by Cardano (ADA), posted a strong rebound, injecting renewed momentum into the broader cryptocurrency market.

According to crypto-focused outlet CryptoPotato on February 26 (local time), Bitcoin recently surged more than $8,000 in a single day after hitting a low of $62,500, testing the $70,000 level before facing immediate selling pressure. After being rejected near $70,000 last week and declining amid a U.S. Supreme Court ruling related to tariffs and moves by the Trump administration, Bitcoin has recovered its market capitalization to approximately $1.36 trillion through this rebound. Bitcoin’s market dominance currently exceeds 56%.

The altcoin market has drawn investor attention with gains even more impressive than Bitcoin’s. Cardano jumped 10% in a day, approaching the $0.30 mark, while Polkadot (DOT) soared 24% to $1.60, emerging as the day’s top performer. Ethereum (ETH) also climbed 8%, reclaiming the $2,000 level, and XRP rose 5.5% to regain the $1.40 range.

Major market cap assets such as Solana (SOL), Dogecoin (DOGE), and BNB also moved higher, signaling a revival in risk appetite. The total cryptocurrency market capitalization has recovered $120 billion from its recent low, reaching approximately $2.425 trillion. Notably, DeFi and Layer 1-related assets, including Uniswap (UNI) and NEAR Protocol (NEAR), have shown prominent strength, indicating that market liquidity is being distributed more evenly.

Experts suggest that if Bitcoin decisively breaks through the $70,000 resistance level, additional rotational buying into altcoins could follow. Recent price surges are believed to be supported by aggressive whale accumulation observed in on-chain data, a positive signal indicating that the market may be nearing the end of its bottoming phase. However, if Bitcoin fails to hold above the $70,000 threshold, increased short-term volatility appears unavoidable.

The cryptocurrency market is currently catching its breath while closely watching Bitcoin’s price direction. If institutional capital inflows continue and policy uncertainties gradually ease, the rally in major altcoins such as Cardano could accelerate further. Investors are closely monitoring key support levels as they prepare for a potential full-fledged bull market ahead.

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