With October marked by a more than 15% drop in Bitcoin’s price, few cryptocurrencies are performing 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 Spinning Out of Control
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 cryptocurrencies 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, and more.
Over the past 30 days, the price of the M token has risen by nearly 17%.
However, caution is advised: its market capitalization 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, and more.
The rise in the price of WBT could be driven by weekly buybacks, which are 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 on 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 the exchange of knowledge 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 was 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 degree of legitimacy, particularly from an institutional perspective.
As we also mentioned in our previous 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’s important to note that while the price of TAO remains nearly 44% below its all-time high (ATH), its total market cap is only 26% below its peak, 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 that focuses on privacy through ZK-SNARK technology.
Over the past 30 days, the price of ZEC has surged by 223%, driven in particular by renewed interest in privacy, sparked by debates surrounding the Chat Control bill.
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 that if you have a soul and a genuine 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 more than $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 a similar trajectory to ZEC, benefiting from increased media exposure since the surge in interest in privacy coins.
Over the past 30 days, the price of DASH has soared spectacularly, posting a gain of +325% 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 kind of beta play. In other words, traders and investors are turning to an asset with similar characteristics.
It’s worth noting, however, that this kind of hype is generally short-lived, and corrections are often sharp once the narrative loses steam.
Honorable Mentions
Among the cryptocurrencies not included in the previous ranking—due to their market capitalization falling outside the Top 100—we can highlight:
The H token from the Humanity project, with a 240% return over the last 30 days.
The COAI token from the ChainOpera AI project, with a 225% return over the past 30 days.
The ATONE token from the Cosmos ecosystem, with a 203% return over the past 30 days.
The ZEN token from the Horizen project—also a ZEC beta play—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 has appreciated by 22% over the past 30 days.
