Defying the Downturn: 3 Altcoins Decoupling from the 2026 Bear Market

Jakarta, Pintu News – The crypto bear market seems to be taking shape. Bitcoin and Ethereum remain under pressure, with Bitcoin down nearly 24% since the start of theyear (year-to-date/YTD) and around 22% on ayear-on-year (YoY) basis, while Ethereum has fallen around 34% YTD and over 30% in the same period. The broader market continues to reflect weak sentiment.

Nevertheless, BeInCrypto page analysts have identified three altcoins that are still recording strong gains in both the YTD and YoY periods. This indicates that there is demand as well as a technical structure that appears to be disconnected from the current bear market conditions.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH)

Bear market conditions have not prevented Bitcoin Cash from showing remarkable strength. While many altcoins are struggling, BCH remains one of the strongest by maintaining large annual gains.

Read also: 3 Bullish Bitcoin Signals Most People Rarely Talk About

Bitcoin Cash is still posting nearly 80%year-on-year gains, suggesting that demand remains intact even as the broader crypto bear market continues.

This power is now evident in the behavior of the whales. The largest holders of Bitcoin Cash-wallets holding between 100,000 and 1 million BCH-increased their holdings from 4.31 million BCH on February 16 to 4.36 million BCH recently.

This means the whales added 50,000 BCH, worth about $28.5 million at current prices. Whale accumulation during bear markets is often a signal of confidence, as these investors typically make purchases when they expect higher prices in the future.

This optimism is directly related to the Bitcoin Cash price chart. BCH is currently forming an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern, a bullish pattern that often precedes abreakout. This pattern suggests that selling pressure is starting to fade and buyers are slowly taking control.

BCH briefly tried to break the area near $575 but faced selling pressure. However, continued buying by whales suggests that this resistance may weaken over time.

A confirmed breakout requires a daily close above $575. If that happens, BCH could rally towards $793 and potentially touch $800, completing the nearly 40% upside target of the pattern. These levels also align with Fibonacci resistance zones, further strengthening the bullish scenario.

However, risks remain. The bullish structure will weaken if BCH falls below $538, as it shows buyers are starting to lose control. A completeinvalidation only happens if the BCH price drops below $422, which would ruin the entire structure of the pattern.

For now, Bitcoin Cash stands out as one of the rare altcoins that is able to resist the bear market, supported by whale accumulation as well as a bullish technical structure.

Morpho (MORPHO)

Among the ranks of altcoins going against the bear market tide, Morpho stands out for its strong fundamentals and bullish price structure.

Morpho is the governance token of a decentralized lending platform that allows users to lend and borrow crypto more efficiently. Its infrastructure, called Morpho Blue, improves capital efficiency by matching lenders and borrowers directly, thus offering better yields and lower borrowing costs.

This strong foundation is now starting to attract institutional attention. On February 13, 2026, Apollo Global Management, which manages nearly $940 billion in assets, committed to acquire up to 90 million MORPHO tokens-or about 9% of the total supply-in stages. This creates steady buying pressure and validates Morpho’s role in the institutional decentralized finance ecosystem.

This fundamental optimism is also evident on the price chart. Since February 6, MORPHO has rallied more than 72%, forming thepole of a classic bullish continuation pattern called pole-and-flag. The current consolidation has the potential to form aflag section, which is a normal pause before the next possible upside move.

At the same time, a golden crossover signal is approaching. This occurs when the 50-period Exponential Moving Average (EMA), which tracks the medium-term price trend, moves above the 200-period EMA which tracks the long-term trend. This signal often confirms the start of a sustained upward trend.

Read also: 3 Altcoins That Took Off After Wall Street Giants Moved Into DeFi Infrastructure

For now, MORPHO remains in a strong position as long as the consolidation range holds above $1.48. However, the structure will weaken if it falls below $1.34, where the 200-period EMA is located.

Conversely, a confirmed breakout above $1.63 could trigger another 72% rally towards $2.85, while strengthening Morpho’s position as one of the altcoins capable of fending off weakness during the crypto bear market.

Decred (DCR)

After Bitcoin Cash and Morpho, Decred is emerging as another altcoin that is quietly showing remarkable strength. The token is up 93%year-on-year and 61% since the beginning of theyear, making it the strongest performing asset in this resilient altcoin group. Even as of February 22, Decred had rallied nearly 10%, highlighting its continued demand.

Part of this strength comes from its latesttreasury update, which improves the way the network funds its own growth and strengthens long-term investor confidence. However, the chart structure explains why this strength may not be over yet.

Decred is currently trading inside anascending channel. This is a bullish structure where the price moves between two parallel ascending trend lines. This pattern usually signals steady accumulation and controlled upward momentum. At the same time, a cup pattern is forming inside this channel, creating what looks like two bullish patterns converging in one structure.

This double formation significantly strengthens its prospects. Based on channel projections and cup patterns, Decred could see a potential upside of almost 37%. One primary target is near $39.76, while an extended target is aligned around $45.33 if momentum continues.

In the short term, the structure remains healthy as long as Decred holds above $23.66. This level acts as the lowersupport within the channel. A move above $28.79 would signal growing strength and increase the chances of abreakout towards $32.98, which is a key zone aligned with the channel’s upper trendline. Once this level is broken, larger upside projections become more likely.

However, a drop below $22.01 would weaken the pattern and shift the structure from bullish to neutral. For now, the rare combination of strong performance and a layered bullish chart setup shows why Decred continues to stand out amidst the struggles of most other altcoins.

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*Disclaimer

This content aims to enrich readers’ information. Pintu collects this information from various relevant sources and is not influenced by outside parties. Note that an asset’s past performance does not determine its projected future performance. Crypto trading activities are subject to high risk and volatility, always do your own research and use cold hard cash before investing. All activities of buying and selling Bitcoin and other crypto asset investments are the responsibility of the reader.

Reference:

• BeInCrypto. Altcoins Beating the Crypto Bear Market. Accessed on February 27, 2026