Aptos Pops 20% to $1.02 As Altcoin Rally and Bitwise Staking Boosts Demand

Aptos (APT) rallied sharply on Feb. 25, 2026, trading around $1.02 after jumping roughly 20% that day as a broad altcoin rebound took hold. Intraday volume spiked about 54% to more than $105 million, fueled by a bounce off recent lows — APT had hit $0.79 on Feb. 23 — and now sits on the verge of a psychological breakout above $1. Market context: crypto lifts from Bitcoin, macro cues The move in APT came as the wider crypto market saw renewed momentum during U.S. trading hours. Bitcoin surged above $69,400 (nearly an 8% gain over 24 hours), its biggest intraday jump since Feb. 6, helped by equity strength ahead of Nvidia earnings and market reaction to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. Ether climbed about 11% to north of $2,064, while Polkadot, Avalanche, Uniswap, Chainlink, Near and Litecoin posted double-digit gains — Santiment flagged leaders such as DOT (+23%), UNI (+19%), AVAX (+17%), LINK (+15%), NEAR (+15%) and LTC (+14%). Caution from on-chain analysts Despite the rally, analysts urged caution. Glassnode noted BTC remains range-bound between “key valuation anchors,” with $60k–$69k absorbing sell pressure. The firm pointed to fading profitability and market breadth, negative spot and ETF flows, and a reset in leverage — factors that suggest conviction is still needed for a sustained uptrend. Why APT got a lift Beyond the broader market tailwind, Aptos-specific developments helped lift sentiment. Daily transactions ticked higher and the Aptos chain was among roughly 30 networks added to Bitwise’s new staking solution — a nod to growing institutional tooling for the ecosystem. Interest in real-world assets (RWA) and increasing stablecoin activity on Aptos were also cited as supportive fundamentals for the token’s price action. Technical picture - Price: ~ $1.02 (Feb. 25, 2026), +20% on the day - Volume: intraday +54% to > $105M - Momentum: RSI has moved off oversold territory (around 46), suggesting room for a relief rally; MACD points to upside momentum. - Moving averages: APT remains below the 50-day SMA ($1.33) and the 100-day SMA (~$1.62), so bearish pressure is not fully reversed. - Key levels: a sustained break and hold above $1 would weaken seller control and open upside targets in the $1.20–$1.45 area. Conversely, if BTC gives back gains and market selling resumes, APT could revisit recent lows near $0.80 — with the October 2025 low near $0.74 also in view. Outlook Aptos’ short-term trajectory now hinges on two forces: whether major caps (notably BTC) can extend the rally toward $70k and beyond, and whether on-chain adoption trends (staking, RWA, stablecoins) continue to translate into real demand. Traders should watch volume and moving averages for confirmation; a true breakout will likely require sustained buying above $1.33 and follow-through across the sector. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news