Bitcoin and ether rallied alongside older altcoins as Fed rate cut expectations lifted markets, while options data showed easing volatility and selective altcoin declines.
Bitcoin rose to $115,200 and ether reached $4,160 on Monday as anticipation of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut boosted crypto markets. Older tokens like ZEC, BCH, and DASH posted double-digit or strong single-digit gains, while newly launched plasma (XPL) and aster (ASTER) suffered steep declines amid falling volumes and waning demand. Bitcoin’s 30-day implied volatility dropped to 44%, signaling lower market stress, though long-term options on BTC and ETH retained a neutral-to-bearish tilt. Derivatives data showed increased open interest in most futures except certain altcoins, suggesting fresh capital inflows but limited leveraged participation. Bitcoin dominance rose to 59.1%, reflecting continued investor preference for BTC over speculative altcoins.