Bitcoin, Fartcoin Outperform In 2025, But How Did XRP, ETH, Solana Fare In The First 6 Months?

The first half of 2025 has wrapped up with only a select few crypto assets posting meaningful gains, highlighting how fragmented and uneven the market has been this year.

What Happened: Despite maintaining a total market capitalization above $3 trillion for much of the period, the rally wasn't led by usual suspects like Ethereum ETH/USD, Solana SOL/USD, or XRP XRP/USD.

Instead, Bitcoin BTC/USD and meme sensation Fartcoin FARTCOIN/USD managed to outperform many legacy names, securing spots in the top 20 gainers list, with 14% and 15% returns, respectively.

XRP also held ground with modest 5% gains.

By contrast, Ethereum traded mostly sideways, and Solana posted one of the steepest losses among major assets, down 22% YTD, despite commanding the largest share of trading volume across crypto markets.

Market Context

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index swung widely in first half.

It hit a low of 15 (extreme fear) on March 11, and a high of 76 (extreme greed) on May 23.

As of late June, sentiment sits at neutral (50), mirroring Bitcoin's own price action, which has been stuck in a tight range between $100,000 and $110,000.

Despite the stagnation, Bitcoin dominance peaked at 65.1% on June 27, while Ethereum's dominance held at 8.9%.

Bitcoin's dominance staying above 55% throughout the first six months signals ongoing capital preference toward BTC over altcoins.

Token creation also surged to record levels, with 184,087 new tokens launched in a single day on April 17, contributing to an oversupplied, speculative environment.

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Top Performers

None of the top 5 performing tokens were major coins, altcoins, or even top-tier meme coins. Instead:

• Four, a BinaryX ecosystem token, led the board.
• Maple Finance, a DeFi lending token, placed second.
• Monero and Hyperliquid rounded out the major gainers with strong privacy and infrastructure-based narratives.

Also Read: Bitcoin’s ‘Perfect Storm’ Could Extend Bull Run Into 2026: Report

What's Next: According to Daan Crypto Trades, Q3 historically brings weaker performance, especially for Bitcoin and Ethereum, as summer months tend to be marked by lower trading activity and thin liquidity.

However, such quieter periods often incubate new narratives, making them worth watching closely.

Degengambleeh noted that this phase of stagnation might be setting the foundation for crypto's next major move.

Optimism around a potential XRP ETF approval is keeping traders engaged. InvestingHaven highlighted that XRP is forming a cup-and-handle pattern above $1.81, pointing toward a breakout potential tied to Bitcoin's next move.

Lastly, meme-favourite Fartcoin has drawn bullish attention from Bluntz Capital, who sees a clean macro structure forming: an impulsive move up from the lows, followed by a textbook ABC correction, now possibly entering Wave 3, typically the strongest leg in an Elliott Wave cycle.

Read Next:

• Bitcoin Enters Historically Weak Q3 With Mixed Feelings: Report

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