Bitcoin was trading at $115,954 on Tuesday, down 0.5% from the previous day.

Over the past week, prices have ranged between $110,870 and $116,705, leaving the asset about 7% below its August 14 peak of $124,128.

While Bitcoin remains 2% lower over the last 30 days, it has gained 3.4% in the past week, showing signs of resilience.

On September 16, crypto analyst Ali Martinez pointed out that Bitcoin’s Sell-Side Risk Ratio had fallen below 0.1% — a threshold often linked with local bottoms, lighter sell pressure, and accumulation phases.

For traders, this backdrop of renewed Bitcoin strength sets the stage for a broader rotation into altcoins, a pattern that often sparks the beginning of altseason.

That’s where projects like Pudgy Pandas (PANDA) stand to benefit.

With scarcity baked into its tokenomics and a presale already drawing significant traction, PANDA is positioned to capture the flow of capital moving beyond Bitcoin as investors hunt for the next big cultural and community-driven play.

Two new altcoin exchange-traded funds are set to debut in the United States this week, reflecting a growing regulatory openness to crypto investment products and adding fresh fuel to market sentiment.

The REX-Osprey XRP ETF is expected to begin trading on Friday, according to the fund issuer.

Trading under the ticker XRPR, it will be the first US ETF to give investors direct spot exposure to XRP, the world’s third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.

REX and Osprey have already cleared the Securities and Exchange Commission’s 75-day review window.

Unless there are unexpected hurdles — which industry observers do not anticipate — the fund will begin trading as scheduled.

Unlike spot Bitcoin ETFs, which were launched under the Securities Act of 1933, the XRP ETF is being launched under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

This pathway provides a simpler approval process, allowing funds to go live automatically 75 days after filing if the SEC raises no objections.

XRP is not the only altcoin stepping into the ETF spotlight this week.

Bloomberg’s ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said on Monday that the Dogecoin ETF (ticker: DOJE) is slated for a Thursday launch, adding a major meme coin to the lineup of regulated US products.

The timing couldn’t be more significant. With altcoin ETFs gaining traction, traders are increasingly eyeing the potential onset of altseason, a period when capital rotates out of Bitcoin into alternative tokens.

For newer projects like Pudgy Pandas, which combine meme energy with deflationary mechanics and cultural appeal, this backdrop is especially bullish.

If XRP and Dogecoin can attract institutional flows through ETFs, community-driven tokens like PANDA are poised to ride the same wave of enthusiasm — with early presale buyers standing to benefit the most.

Animal-themed cryptocurrencies have been among the biggest winners in recent years, with dog-based tokens like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu leading the pack.

According to CoinGecko, dog-themed coins now command a combined market capitalisation of over $56 billion.

Penguins have also had their moment, with Pudgy Penguins soaring to a valuation of more than $2.2 billion, driven by strong NFT sales and brand recognition in Western markets.

Now, a new contender has arrived from Asia: Pudgy Pandas.

The project, which launched its token sale on September 15, is positioning itself as the next major disruptor in the animal-coin space.

Pandas carry deep cultural significance across China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, and unlike penguins — which number over 40 million — there are just 1,864 pandas in existence.

That natural scarcity adds weight to the narrative, giving PANDA a unique edge as scarcity often fuels stronger demand.

With nearly $500,000 raised in its presale within hours, Pudgy Pandas is already tapping into investor FOMO, especially among those who missed out on the Pudgy Penguins rally.

The post Best meme coins to buy: PANDA presale nears $500K as DOGE ETF launch approaches appeared first on Invezz

1112 +