Bitcoin Attempts $90K Recovery as PayFi Tokens Surge: Banking-Focused Altcoins Emerge as 2026 Opportunity

Source: Coindoo Original Title: Bitcoin Tries to Reclaim $90K as Altcoins Fight to Rebound: Digitap ($TAP) Might Become the Best Crypto Presale for 2026 Gains Original Link: Bitcoin often decides to remind investors how fast it can move in either direction. From $126,000 in October, down to $80,000s in November, and now back up, trying to reclaim $90,000 on December 6th.

Late-cycle volatility is here, ETF flows are roaring back, and the majors are starting to bounce across the board.

But where will the next leg of overperformance come from? What are the top altcoins to buy for 2026 gains? Flows to PayFi tokens are ramping up aggressively, and payments-focused crypto presales have been crushing it.

Raising nearly $2.3 million in record time, flows are treating banking-focused projects as some of the few altcoins with genuine product-market fit. Crypto presales remain the best forward indicator of where capital wants to be in three to six months. And all the signs are flashing that the banking bull run has not even started yet.

Bitcoin (BTC/USD) – 1-Year Market Structure Analysis

Traders are watching to see if BTC forms a lower high or higher high at the end of this impulse. If BTC forms a lower high, it will be a confirmed dead cat bounce, and investors can come back to bid in October 2026—which, according to the 4-year cycle, will mark the next bottom.

The 1-year chart of Bitcoin reveals a broad cyclical pattern marked by a strong mid-year uptrend followed by a pronounced late-year correction. Early in the year, BTC traded within a choppy accumulation range before breaking decisively higher in April, initiating an impulsive rally that carried the price from the mid-$60,000s toward the $120,000–$125,000 resistance zone by late summer. This region formed a clear multi-top structure, indicating profit-taking and weakening bullish momentum.

As volatility increased into autumn, BTC began forming lower highs, a classic early signal of trend exhaustion, ultimately leading to a sharp breakdown below $110,000 and then $100,000—two key psychological and structural support levels. The November selloff accelerated into capitulation territory, driving price briefly toward the low-$80,000s before buyers stepped back in. The recent rebound toward $90,000 shows an attempt to establish a higher low, but the broader structure still reflects a market in recovery rather than a confirmed reversal. Overall, the chart illustrates a completed bull cycle peak followed by a corrective phase, with $88,000–$92,000 now acting as a critical battleground that will help determine whether Bitcoin regains upward momentum or continues its downtrend.

Large corrections are normal late in the cycle, and while many observers are calling that the top is already in, BTC is famous for surprising investors. With BTC flying, some of the best cryptos to buy now are staging a dramatic rebound, and many altcoins look great at their current levels.

Banking-Focused Altcoins: The Leading Projects in the PayFi Race

Banking tokens are gaining significant traction. The strongest narrative this cycle has been stablecoins. Projects that take these digital dollars and make them useful rank as the best cryptos to buy now because of the enormous tailwind. Policy signals indicate strong institutional support for on-chain stablecoins, and that’s the kind of signal investors shouldn’t ignore.

Leading banking and PayFi projects wrap stablecoins in a familiar UX and make them accessible to non-crypto natives. And with volatility increasing in the late stage of the cycle, the altcoins to buy are the ones that behave more like lean fintechs than casino chips.

These projects are not reinventing the wheel, just offering better products to users and meeting them where they already live. Digital-first apps are a clear signal that teams are going after the Gen Z and Millennials demographic, who already manage their finances almost exclusively via mobile.

Why Banking Tokens Could Explode Next Year

Successful banking-focused projects direct value to token holders through sustainable tokenomics. When 50% of platform profits are burned permanently and the other half is distributed to stakers, the result is a simple, powerful flywheel where token holders share in the platform’s growth and success.

As altcoins begin to rebound alongside Bitcoin’s move back above $93,000, asset selection matters more than ever. The best cryptos to buy now are projects with live products, large addressable markets, and an ability to onboard non-crypto natives.

These projects deliver global money apps that let users see all their value in one place, move it across borders in minutes instead of days, and spend it anywhere major payment networks are accepted. It is not surprising that banking-focused altcoins are becoming some of the most interesting opportunities for gains in 2026, offering exposure to the secular growth of stablecoins at compelling valuations.