Altcoin Market Shows Mixed Signals as Solana Struggles While NFT Buyers Surge 900%

Solana Enters Difficult Phase as Price Pressure Mounts

Solana is experiencing one of its most challenging periods as the cryptocurrency's price has fallen significantly in recent months, making it one of the weakest performing large-cap coins in the market ^[1]. Since reaching a high of around $250, the price has nearly halved, with investor enthusiasm giving way to disillusionment ^[1].

The network is currently in a phase where its price struggles while its fundamental structure undergoes reconstruction ^[1]. However, despite the bearish price action, major players continue to place their trust in the network, and the ecosystem appears to be learning from past mistakes ^[1].

NFT Market Rebounds with Surge in Buyer Activity

In a bright spot for the altcoin ecosystem, the global NFT market has begun showing signs of recovery in December, with some NFT collections returning to profitability ^[2]. Over the past seven days, the non-fungible token market recorded trading sales volume of $67 million, representing a 1.06% increase from the previous week ^[2].

Most notably, the number of investors purchasing NFTs increased by over 900% to more than 173,347 during this period ^[2].

Ethereum-based NFTs led the market with over $26 million in trading sales volume over the past seven days, an increase of 2% from the previous week ^[2]. BNB Chain followed as the second most traded NFT blockchain network, generating $11 million in trading sales volume with a 57% increase compared to the previous week ^[2].

Bitcoin-based NFT collections, including Runes, BRC-20, and Ordinals, amassed $6 million in trading sales volume, though this represented an 11% decrease from the prior week ^[2]. Solana NFT collections raised $5.7 million in trading sales volume, placing it as the fourth most traded blockchain in the NFT market ^[2].

Immutable and Polygon rounded out the top six blockchain networks, each generating $3.3 million in trading sales volumes respectively ^[2].

Bold XRP Price Prediction Sparks Debate

South Korean YoungHoon Kim, who claims the title of "world's smartest person" and reportedly has an IQ of 276 according to the Giga Society, predicted that XRP could reach $100 within the next five years ^[3]. This would represent a 50-fold increase from current levels.

In a December 14 post on X, Kim stated: "Based on my personal view, XRP could potentially reach $100 over the next 5 years. (NFA/DYOR)" ^[3]. He followed up by suggesting, "If you have a higher IQ, then you may be more likely to hold XRP. (NFA / DYOR)" ^[3].

However, Vice.com has questioned Kim's IQ claim ^[3].

The XRP price dropped a fraction of a percent in the past 24 hours to trade at $1.99 as of 7:45 a.m. EST, with losses exceeding 12% for the past month ^[3]. At current prices, XRP has a market capitalization of $120.197 billion with a circulating supply of over 99.9 billion tokens ^[3].

If Kim's prediction materializes, XRP's market cap would soar to more than $6 trillion, nearly double the entire cryptocurrency industry's current market cap of $3.06 trillion ^[3].

Comments under Kim's post reflected skepticism about the prediction's feasibility, though supporters noted that the $100 target doesn't account for market changes that could increase XRP demand, including Ripple's move to become a charter bank ^[3].

Market Outlook Remains Uncertain

Despite the NFT market's recent downturn, many industry analysts predict the non-fungible token market will rise again and possibly experience another bull run in the first quarter of 2026 ^[2]. The market is evolving beyond speculative hype toward real-world utility with applications in gaming, art collectibles, real estate, and intellectual property ^[2].