Avalanche gains strength as Particle Chain upgrade targets expansion
Month ends and quarter ends are usually laced with major network developments. This week marks the culmination of these two events and also signals the end of the year. Naturally, many tokens will experience growth.
Thus, BeInCrypto has analysed three such altcoins that the investors must watch as the New Year 2026 rolls in.
Solana price has begun escaping a near-month-long downtrend, trading around $127 at the time of writing. The shift suggests improving momentum as technical pressure eases. Expectations surrounding the upcoming Alpenglow upgrade are supporting sentiment and could help sustain SOL’s short-term recovery.
The Alpenglow testnet is expected before year-end, with mainnet deployment planned for early next year. This roadmap may act as a bullish catalyst. The MACD indicates strengthening momentum, which could support a move above $130 and potentially drive SOL toward the $136 resistance zone.
Downside risk remains if investor confidence weakens toward year-end. Reduced participation could keep Solana capped below $130. In a bearish scenario, price may slip back toward $118, erasing recent gains and reinforcing a period of consolidation.
GRT is emerging as a token to watch as The Graph prepares to launch the Horizon mainnet before year-end. The upgrade aims to position the protocol as a global data layer. Anticipation around this release has increased attention despite recent market weakness.
The mainnet launch could provide a needed catalyst for GRT, which is down 25.8% since the start of the month. Price trades near $0.0377. Bollinger Bands are tightening, signaling a volatility expansion. A bullish move could lift GRT toward $0.0421.
Failure to generate upside momentum may keep GRT capped below the $0.0381 resistance. Continued sideways trading would weaken recovery prospects. In that scenario, price could slide toward the $0.0353 support, erasing short-term optimism and invalidating the bullish thesis.
Avalanche is positioning for renewed momentum as it anticipates the launch of the Particle Chain. Powered by Universal Accounts, the upgrade introduces a Universal Transaction Layer. This design aims to unify chains, assets, and applications, strengthening Avalanche’s role as a scalable DeFi ecosystem.
Avalanche has already crossed 10 billion transactions across its Layer 1 networks, highlighting strong network activity. The Particle Chain launch could act as a fresh catalyst. AVAX is up 13.5% over the past 10 days, trading near $13.00, with the Parabolic SAR signaling an active uptrend toward $13.40.
The next objective is reclaiming the $14.89 resistance to recover December losses. A successful breakout would confirm bullish continuation. However, failure to clear $13.40 could stall momentum. In that case, AVAX may retrace toward $12.00, erasing recent gains and invalidating the bullish thesis.
