With Bitcoin (BTC) struggling to regain its footing at the close of 2025, more and more investors are turning their attention to some alternative options with a lower price point but a potential to skyrocket in the following weeks. In this context, Finbold has identified 4 altcoins to buy under $0.10 for start of 2026.

Midnight (NIGHT)

Midnight (NIGHT), a privacy-focused token built on the Cardano (ADA) blockchain, has been one of the most successful launches in December, reaching a market cap of $1 billion in just a week. Now, debates over cross-chain privacy and a potential stablecoin partnership fuel renewed investor interest.

Specifically, midnight developer Sebastien Guillemot has stated that the cryptographic groundwork for interoperability between Ethereum (ETH) and Cardano has been completed. This integration, he wrote on X, allows users to maintain high privacy standards no matter what wallet they are using.

Further, a native stablecoin such as Tether (USDT) on Midnight could enhance liquidity for developers and lower slippage on NIGHT trading pairs. Should everything go according to plan, NIGHT could potentially hit some new records next year.

At the time of writing, NIGHT was trading at $0.076, up nearly 18% on the weekly chart.

VeChain (VET)

VeChain (VET) has been rallying over the past week due to a mix of technical recovery, some new developments with the Hayabusa upgrade that introduced new staking mechanics, and broader altcoin rotation. 

As a result, the price has bounced from the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement level at $0.0105, a level tested three times since December 20. These signals could indicate a buying opportunity, although the 24-hour trading volume is down 22% at the time of writing, indicating cautious optimism. In other words, VET could see solid performance in January, but it will depend on whether the broader altcoin market can sustain it.

At press time, VET was changing hands at $0.015, having gained 4.5% on the week.

ShibaInu (SHIB)

While Shiba Inu’s (SHIB) week has been somewhat slow, the token is seeing a modest uptick on the 24-hour chart at the time of writing, as traders have been buying the dip near key technical support levels. More importantly, open interest in SHIB derivatives is also climbing (3.42% in the past 24 hours), with more than $80 million in active futures contracts.

The increase suggests traders are positioning for short-term upside despite SHIB’s prevailing bearish macro trend. The narrative is thus primarily driven by derivatives-market optimism, which could lead to some potential gains in the coming weeks if it continues.

At publication time, SHIB was priced at $0.000007, 2.32% in the red over the past seven days.

Pepe (PEPE)

As another well-known meme coin, Pepe (PEPE) has a reputation for high volatility. Currently, Pepe is up 3.05% over the past 24 hours, outperforming the broader cryptocurrency market’s 0.75% gain as speculative tokens rebounded across the board. 

Change in leadership in the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is a key catalyst. Namely, Michael Selig, known for his pro-crypto takes, took office as CFTC chair on December 24, 2025, which traders now see as beneficial for meme coins such as PEPE.

Following the announcement, PEPE’s 24-hour trading volume rose about 18%, suggesting increased optimism in a more permissive regulatory climate. What’s more, PEPE is also showing early technical recovery signals, as its daily Relative Strength Index (RSI) has moved out of oversold territory, allowing the token to reclaim its 7-day Simple Moving Average (SMA).

If regulatory optimism continues, propped by more positive technical charts, Pepe could see some new gains next month. Right now, though, it is trading at $0.000003, 3.59% in the green this week.

Altcoins to buy under $0.10 for start of 2026

All in all, as the crypto market enters 2026, investors looking for low-priced altcoins with upside potential may find opportunities in NIGHT, VET, SHIB, and PEPE. While crypto assets of this rank inevitably come with risks ranging from market volatility to broader macro and regulatory factors, each of them has the potential to capitalize on some of the ongoing market trends, provided investors are willing to take more extensive risk.

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