With October marked by a more than 15% drop in Bitcoin’s price, few cryptocurrencies have managed to perform well. However, a few resilient altcoins are bucking the trend: find out which ones and why they’re outperforming the broader market.
An Uptober That’s Gone Off Course
While Bitcoin’s price posted a negative return of -15% over the past 30 days, Ether, for its part, saw a steeper decline of approximately -23%.
Few altcoins managed to perform well under such conditions. And yet, one narrative in particular caught investors’ attention during October: privacy and related tokens.
Among the top 5 best-performing cryptos in October were M, WBT, TAO, ZEC, and DASH:
The 5 best-performing cryptos in October
5 – MemeCore (M): +17%
MemeCore is a Layer 1 blockchain dedicated to memecoins, launched in early September. Its native token, M, is used for transaction fees, governance, etc.
Over the past 30 days, the price of the M token has risen by nearly 17%.
However, caution is advised: its valuation of over $3.9 billion seems largely disconnected from fundamentals that remain uncertain.
4 – WhiteBIT Coin (WBT): +18%
WBT is the native cryptocurrency of the WhiteBIT exchange platform, launched in 2018. WBT holders enjoy several benefits on the platform: reduced trading fees, free daily withdrawals, staking bonuses, etc.
The rise in the price of WBT could be fueled by weekly buybacks used to burn the token. According to WhiteBIT’s official website, 469,509 tokens were purchased and then burned during the month of October, representing approximately $20 million at the time the purchases were made.
Buyback and burn mechanisms are generally highly valued by crypto investors because they are seen as a redistribution of value to token holders, particularly since these mechanisms can generate buying pressure on an asset by reducing the available supply in the markets.
Over the past 30 days, the price of WBT has risen by more than 18%, even reaching a new all-time high (ATH) of $55.3 per token.
3 – Bittensor (TAO): +33.6%
Bittensor is a project that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain to radically transform knowledge exchange through a decentralized structure. It relies on subnets—autonomous mini-networks specialized in AI tasks—where miners and validators are rewarded based on their performance in TAO, the project’s official cryptocurrency.
Over the past 30 days, the price of TAO has risen by 33.6%.
Among the catalysts contributing to the token’s appreciation is the launch of an ETP (regulated financial product) via Deutsche Digital Assets on the Swiss stock exchange in late October. This event helps lend the project a certain legitimacy, particularly from an institutional perspective.
As we also mentioned in our coverage, Bittensor is set to undergo its first halving around December 10. This milestone is expected to be decisive for the project’s future, as daily issuance is projected to drop from 7,200 to 3,600 TAO.
Indeed, beyond the potential impact on the price of TAO, there are many questions regarding the future rewards for network contributors, which will be cut in half.
Graph showing the TAO price (in purple), its market cap (in white), and the amount of TAO in circulation (in green)
It is important to note that while the price of TAO remains nearly 44% below its ATH, its total market cap is only down 26%, due to the token’s ongoing issuance. In other words, the circulating supply has increased, which keeps the overall market cap close to its peak despite a lower unit price.
2 – Zcash (ZEC): +223%
ZEC is the cryptocurrency of the Zcash blockchain, a fork of the Bitcoin blockchain but with a focus on privacy thanks to ZK-SNARK technology.
Over the past 30 days, the price of ZEC has surged by 223%, driven in particular by renewed interest in privacy protection, reignited by debates surrounding the Chat Control project.
Generally speaking, when controversies arise around privacy issues, privacy-focused cryptocurrencies tend to rise in value. As prices drive narratives, more and more analysts and social media influencers have been promoting ZEC, sometimes with expectations that defy belief.
I promise if you have a soul and a good faith belief, crypto is genuinely easier to trade.
You should own your money and no government, bank, or any other asshole should have a say otherwise.
That is why Bitcoin is going to win ($10 million/BTC+) and ZEC might win ($500,000/ZEC+)
— Tulip King (@tulipking) November 1, 2025
In this post, a Messari analyst draws a parallel between the potential valuations of BTC and ZEC: “This is why Bitcoin will be worth $10 million per coin and ZEC could be worth over $500,000 per coin.”
It should be noted, however, that this theory is highly unlikely, as such a valuation for ZEC would amount to $10.5 trillion—roughly equivalent to Japan’s GDP or the combined GDP of Germany and the United Kingdom.
1 – Dash: +325%
DASH follows in the same vein as ZEC, benefiting from increased media exposure since the surge in interest around privacy coins.
Over the past 30 days, the price of DASH has skyrocketed, posting a +325% gain during this period.
It is highly likely that DASH has appreciated recently due to ZEC’s performance. Indeed, some traders are likely betting on the fact that DASH is a sort of beta play. In other words, traders and investors are turning to an asset with similar characteristics.
It is worth noting, however, that this kind of hype is generally short-lived and that corrections are often sharp when the narrative loses steam.
Honorable Mentions
Among the cryptos not included in the previous ranking, due to their market capitalization being below the Top 100, we can mention:
The H token from the Humanity project, with a 240% performance over the last 30 days.
The COAI token from the ChainOpera AI project, with a 225% return over the last 30 days.
The ATONE token from the Cosmos ecosystem, with a 203% return over the last 30 days.
The ZEN token from the Horizen project, also a beta play for ZEC, with a 104% return over the past 30 days.
The VIRTUAL token, with a 26% return over the past 30 days. The performance of the Virtuals Protocol token was notably driven by the narrative surrounding tokens compliant with the x402 standard.
The ZORA token from the eponymous SocialFi app, which has appreciated by 22% over the last 30 days.
