Best Altcoins to Buy Now Before Next Crypto Market Breakout: $LINK, $BIO, $ALU

The global cryptocurrency market is down 2.44% over the last 24 hours, extending its 2.15% decline over the past week. While Bitcoin’s (BTC) dominance rose to 58.92%, altcoins massively underperformed, and derivatives liquidations spiked during the weekend as traders favored BTC’s perceived safety over alts. The Altcoin Season Index (ASI) fell 6.38% to 44/100, highlighting a defensive market positioning ahead of key macro events this week.

Despite the bearish conditions, select alts managed to perform against the odds. According to our analysis, the best altcoins to buy now before the next breakout are: Chainlink (LINK), Bio Protocol (BIO), and Altura (ALU). While Layer-1 tokens fell 3.77% weekly, DeFi and low-cap cryptocurrencies extended their gains, driving isolated pumps across the market.

DeFi and Micro-Cap Tokens Surge as Altcoins Underperform Against Bitcoin

The biggest bearish impact was the $223 million exploit that occurred on the Sui-based decentralized exchange (DEX), Cetus. The hack caused by an Oracle flaw triggered panic selling across the DeFi market. While Sui validators managed to freeze $160 million of the stolen funds, concerns surrounding the blockchain’s centralization led to SUI’s price falling 4.73%. The incident has shed light on the vulnerabilities of newer layer-1 networks, accelerating capital rotation into Bitcoin.

$91.28 million in BTC were liquidated since yesterday, with long positions accounting for more than 90% of forced closures. Rising crypto open interest (OI), up 19.86% to $945 billion, signals over-leveraged market positions, much vulnerable to downside. Margin calls have amplified selling pressure, heavily impacting altcoins.

Best Altcoins to Buy Today (08/18)

1. Chainlink (LINK)

Source: TradingView

The price of LINK rose 7.61% over the last 24 hours, driven by major institutional partnerships for the decentralized oracle, strategic upgrades, and bullish whale activity. Chainlink also managed to outpace the broader crypto market’s slight decline.

The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), parent company of NYSE, has announced a partnership with Chainlink to deliver real-time forex and metals pricing through the blockchain, building a critical bridge between TradeFi and DeFi and positioning LINK as a key player for tokenized assets. Data provided by ICE is used by banks and asset managers. This partnership expands Chainlink’s institutional use cases and validates LINK’s role in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, a sector that is projected to hit $30 trillion by 2030.

Meanwhile, Chainlink added $2.8 million in LINK to its newly created on-chain token reserve. A portion of the protocol’s revenue through transaction fees and 50% of staking fees is now funneled to this reserve, reducing sell pressure while driving demand for LINK. On Sunday, a whale swapped $21 million in ETH for 938,489 LINK, pushing the token closer to its 2025 high of $26.32. This particular whale has a history of making well-timed trades, which is a bullish signal for LINK’s price.

Technical indicators show that the LINK market is overheating, with its 7-day RSI sitting at 75.16, making the $26.32 resistance critical in extending the bull cycle. A daily close above this level could target a price between $28.50 and $30. Traders need to watch out for profit-taking post-ICE partnership hype and whether Chainlink can hold above its $24 support zone.

At the time of writing, Chainlink (LINK) is trading at $24.75, up 1.8% in the last 24 hours. According to our technical analysis based on its current market price, in 2025, LINK is expected to change hands in a trading channel between $24.28 (Low) and $38.04 (High), with an average annualized price of $31.09. This could result in a potential ROI of +53.80% over its current rate.

2. Bio Protocol (BIO)

Source: TradingView

BIO price surged 24.39% in the past 24 hours, extending its 30-day rally to 86.44%. Its rally is driven by staking demand, exchange momentum, and bullish technicals.

On August 7, Bio Protocol activated mainnet staking on Ethereum, allowing users to lock BIO and BioDAO tokens in exchange for the BioXP governance token. Since then, over 100 million BIO, worth $12.8 million, have been delegated to support and secure the decentralized science (DeSci) ecosystem. Staking helps reduce circulating supply, thereby creating scarcity, which ultimately leads to heightened demand.

The 24-hour trading volume for BIO soared 781% to $345 million, a direct result of the amplified upward pressure created by the token’s demand-supply dynamics. The Graph (GRT) and Axie Infinity (AXS) saw similar rallies post-staking launches. Traders need to keep an eye on upcoming BioXP token launches, also known as the ‘Ignition Sales’.

BIO was listed on the Coinbase exchange on July 31, which triggered the 30-day surge. The spike in trading volume suggests algorithmic traders and retail speculators are active in the market. Tier-1 exchange listings typically improve liquidity and visibility for a token. However, this has its caveats, as it often creates increased volatility. Prior to its latest rally, BIO retraced 18% following its Coinbase debut.

BIO reclaimed its $0.103 resistance level, which now acts as its support, completing a double-bottom reversal pattern on the price chart. Its 7-day RSI at 73.74 suggests overbought conditions but is in alignment with the strong market momentum. The double-bottom pattern’s measured target is $0.164, but flattening MACD histogram signals potential consolidation near $0.128.

A daily close above the 23.6% Fibonacci level at $0.125 could trigger another leg up for BIO. Holding on to the $0.103 support zone is key for the BIO price, as a breakdown here could lead to profit-taking, which could take the price down to the 61.8% Fib at $0.091.

At the time of writing, Bio Protocol (BIO) is trading at $0.1253, up 22.98% in the last 24 hours. According to our technical analysis based on its current market price, in 2025, BIO is expected to change hands in a trading channel between $0.0908 (Low) and $0.1340 (High), with an average annualized price of $0.1012. This could result in a potential ROI of +6.35% over its current rate.

Also Read: Best Crypto to Buy Now as Ethereum Surges Past $4,600 to Target ATH

3. Altura (ALU)

Source: TradingView

ALU was among the biggest gainers today, with its price surging 50.55% in the past 24 hours, defying the 2.25% dip in the broader market. Key drivers behind the rally are strategic developments from the new Altura leadership, progress surrounding a recent exploit on the protocol, and a positive technical breakout.

On August 18, Altura’s new leadership announced a $1 million grand fund for Web3 gaming, encouraging developers to launch their P2E games on the platform. This comes following the recent merger with Kyvi Labs, which emphasized AI-driven utility for gaming NFTs. The grant focuses on sustainable growth, countering bearish narratives from last month’s $150 million exploit on Altura. The move also aligns with the resurgence seen in the Web3 gaming sector this year.

In July, a senior engineer at Altura exploited the platform by minting $150 million worth of ALU tokens, crashing its price and creating substantial losses for holders. On August 17, the new leadership hosted an AMA where they detailed recovery efforts, legal action against the perpetrator, and other cost-cutting measures. This transparent communication has reduced sell-side pressure for ALU, but the token’s fully diluted valuation of $29.4 million remains below pre-exploit levels. Investors are now pricing in the potential recovery of the stolen $1.45 million ALU and operational streamlining.

ALU’s 7-day RSI hit severe overbought conditions at 97.46, while the MACD histogram turning positive shows bullish market momentum. Its price has broken past the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement at $0.0108, and is now testing $0.03. Retail FOMO is amplifying gains, but a correction could follow if trading volume, which is up 185% to $26.1 million in the last 24 hours, stalls. The 200-day EMA at $0.026 now acts as critical support for ALU. Watch out for sustained closes above $0.03 or profit-taking below $0.02.

Final Thoughts on the Best Altcoins to Buy Today

Following a record-breaking surge to a market capitalization above $4.15 trillion last week, the cryptocurrency market declined on Monday, August 18. While Bitcoin is down 2.53% over the past 24 hours, its dominance rose to 58.92% as altcoins underperformed, shown by the 6.38% dip in the Altcoin Season Index, and derivatives liquidations rose a whopping 3,281%.

Investor confidence in alts was rattled by the $223 million hack on Sui-based DEX, Cetus, resulting in investors rotating capital back into legacy coins like BTC and ETH. The downtrend mirrored the pullback experienced by tech stocks over the past week, as the crypto-Nasdaq correlation rose to 0.71.

Today’s best-performing cryptocurrencies – LINK, BIO, and ALU – are native assets of DeFi and GameFi platforms, which are two categories in the crypto market that are currently showing resilience against the headwind. Traders are betting on decentralized finance and especially micro-cap tokens in the hope of making healthy returns.

Readers should note that while cryptocurrencies offer massive profit-taking opportunities, they are speculative and highly volatile assets that are sensitive to macroeconomic factors. It is recommended that you conduct proper research and consult an expert before making an investment decision. The contents of this article are purely for educational purposes and should not be construed as investment advice. Only put in money that you can afford to lose in crypto.