Bitcoin
Bitcoin was outshined by altcoins in the last seven days, with $SOL surging over 24% in the week that Trump tariffs battered the broader crypto market. André François McKenzie/Unsplash

KEY POINTS

  • $SOL led the past week's gains, surging by 24.4%
  • Other altcoins, $XRP, $TRX, and $ADA surged over 11% in the week
  • A few meme coins also made significant gains, led by $POPCAT and $FARTCOIN

Altcoins were the big story of the past week, even as the broader cryptocurrency market was battered significantly by U.S. President Donald Trump's global tariffs that pulled stocks down and fueled fears of a recession.

Bitcoin and all other major altcoins are in the green, at least within the last seven days, but prices rolled back once more Sunday after Trump said no country will be exempted from his tariffs.

Altcoins Beat $BTC Gains in the Past Week

Bitcoin is usually the leader of the entire crypto market – when it rises, it takes mostly every other digital currency with it, and when it falls, it drags the majority of the coins down. However, things were different in the past week.

The latest data from CoinGecko showed that BTC and Ethereum (ETH) are still in the green in the seven-day period, with Bitcoin gaining 7.5% and ETH rising by 3%.

Crypto prices late April 13 2025
Crypto prices late April 13, 2025

Down in the ranks, XRP saw an 11.5% spike in the past week, while TRON (TRX) and top meme coin Dogecoin (DOGE) both increased by 11.7%.

Cardano (ADA) climbed nearly 12%, and Solana (SOL) rallied by a stellar 24.4% in the last seven days, making it the biggest gainer in the period among the top 10 largest crypto coins by market cap.

Over in the meme coin segment, POPCAT was leading the seven-day rally, surging by over 92% in the week, while FARTCOIN saw gains of over 84%.

Trump Tariffs Hit New Crypto Holders' Weakness

Following Trump's announcement of global tariffs, especially the massive duties levied on Chinese goods, it's become clearer that newbies in the crypto space have been feeling the brunt of the crypto market's reaction to the news.

Bitcoin holders, at least veterans in the space, are usually unmoved by market narratives. However, BTC and other major altcoins such as XRP and SOL saw significant sell-offs as fear gripped the sector as the world's most valuable cryptocurrency plunged to $75,000 – a stark price difference from when it hit $108,000 on Trump's inauguration.

Still, altcoins are showing growing resilience despite the recent ups and downs in global financial markets.

Will Crypto Continue to Fall?

The crypto space has been difficult to predict over the years. Extreme volatility hasn't made it easier for experts to determine which way prices will go. On the other hand, history has shown that BTC and some major altcoins usually spike after a huge dump.

Also, adoption is growing in the corporate world. Japanese firm Metaplanet has just added more Bitcoin to its strategic BTC reserve, bringing its total stash to 4,525 Bitcoin.

It remains to be seen whether crypto prices will find relief in the coming days as countries negotiate trade terms with the Trump White House. For now, it appears altcoins are buoying Bitcoin, not the other way around.

Originally published on IBTimes