The first half of the month was filled with volatility, and the rest of January is expected to end up in a similar fashion. Amidst the chaos, altcoins are expected to lean on external developments in order to make gains.
BeInCrypto has analysed three such altcoins that have major developments ahead of them in the third week of January.
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PancakeSwap (CAKE)
CAKE price trades near $2.01 at the time of writing, holding above the $1.99 support level. Recent sessions showed heightened volatility, creating bearish technical signals. Market uncertainty and fluctuating volumes continue to weigh on short-term price direction, keeping traders cautious about PancakeSwap’s near-term outlook.
Technical indicators reinforce downside risk for CAKE. The Money Flow Index has slipped below the neutral 50.0 level, signaling growing selling pressure from investors. This shift in momentum suggests the CAKE price could retest lower support near $1.94 if bearish conditions persist across the broader altcoin market.
Fundamental developments may offset technical weakness. PancakeSwap proposed reducing CAKE’s maximum supply from 450 million to 400 million tokens. The planned supply cut has strong community support and could boost scarcity. Positive sentiment around the proposal may help CAKE rebound toward $2.05 and extend gains to $2.13.
Stellar (XLM)
XLM trades near $0.215 after briefly falling to an intraday low of $0.202. The altcoin dropped 12% in the past 24 hours as broader market weakness intensified. Technical indicators show a corrective phase underway, with declining momentum increasing downside risk for Stellar’s price action.
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The correction followed a breakdown from a descending triangle pattern on the chart. This formation signals a potential 14% decline from the breakdown level. If selling pressure continues and XLM loses $0.210 support, the price could slide toward $0.201 and extend losses toward the $0.188 target.
Stellar may find support from upcoming network developments. The Protocol X-Ray upgrade is set to launch on mainnet this week. It introduces foundations for compliance-focused privacy using zero-knowledge cryptography. Positive developer sentiment around the upgrade could reverse bearish momentum and push XLM toward $0.230.
Tezos (XTZ)
XTZ price fell 9.7% over the past 48 hours and trades near $0.559 at the time of writing. The altcoin remains above the $0.555 support level, which has held for nearly two weeks. Persistent volatility suggests Tezos is in a vulnerable short-term correction phase.
Downside risk is increasing as the Chaikin Money Flow shows capital outflows dominating XTZ. Sustained outflows often precede sharper declines. If selling pressure continues and $0.555 fails, Tezos’ price could slide toward $0.517, marking a deeper retracement within the current market structure.
Potential relief may come from the upcoming Tezos Tallinn upgrade, aimed at increasing speed, efficiency, and security is scheduled this week. Network upgrades often influence investor sentiment and on-chain activity. If bullish interest emerges, XTZ could defend $0.555, rebound toward $0.626, and resume consolidation within its established trading range.
Source: https://beincrypto.com/altcoins-to-watch-in-the-third-week-of-january-2026/