Top 3 Altcoins to Watch as Ethereum (ETH) Dropped Below $2,700

Dubai, UAE, February 2, 2026

Market pullbacks often reset investor priorities. As Ethereum slips below the $2,700 level, attention is shifting across the altcoin market. Price weakness in a major asset tends to slow momentum at the top, but it also pushes capital toward smaller projects with stronger upside potential.

In moments like this, investors look beyond short-term volatility and focus on utility, development progress, and relative valuation. Early 2026 is shaping up to be one of those periods. While Ethereum consolidates, several altcoins are beginning to stand out as potential beneficiaries of capital rotation and renewed risk appetite.

Solana (SOL)

Solana (SOL) remains a dominant force in the high-speed blockchain sector, but its recent price action reflects the broader market’s cautious mood. Currently, SOL is trading near $120, with a massive market capitalization of approximately $65 billion. 

After attempting a recovery toward the mid-$140s earlier this month, the asset hit a wall of resistance that it has struggled to clear. The inability to sustain a breakout above the $144 level has reinforced a short-term bearish structure, leaving many traders wary of further downside risks.

The technical outlook for Solana shows a series of descending resistance zones that are capping upside momentum. The $131 mark, which aligns with the 50-period moving average, has become a nearby barrier that prevents the asset from establishing a clear short-term trend. 

Ripple (XRP)

Ripple (XRP) has managed to hold its position as the third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, currently valued at roughly $104 billion. Despite a strong start to the year that saw prices reach as high as $2.40, XRP has recently pulled back to trade in the $1.80 to $1.82 range. 

Technically, XRP is facing significant resistance in the $2.00 to $2.15 zone. While it previously broke these levels earlier in January, it has since fallen back into a consolidation phase. Sellers have remained active near the $2.30 mark, which has capped recent upside attempts.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

As legacy coins lose momentum, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is gaining attention for its utility-first developing ecosystem. The project is building a non-custodial lending and borrowing system designed to help users earn yield or access liquidity without selling their crypto.

Mutuum Finance’s mainnet protocol is planned around a dual-market structure. Peer-to-Contract (P2C) pools are designed for instant liquidity through shared pools, while a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) market allows users to set custom loan terms for a broader range of assets. The protocol also plans to use clear loan-to-value (LTV) limits to manage risk. For example, a user depositing $10,000 worth of ETH could be allowed to borrow up to 70%, or $7,000, depending on asset volatility and system conditions.

The project is currently in Phase 7 of its structured distribution, with the MUTM token priced at $0.04. This represents a 300% increase from its initial starting price of $0.01 in early 2025. Mutuum has already raised over $20.1 million and attracted more than 19,000 holders, marking it as one of the most successful early-stage projects of 2026. 

With a confirmed launch price of $0.06, investors entering now are still positioned for a significant 50% jump. Out of a total supply of 4 billion tokens, exactly 1.82 billion (45.5%) are allocated to the presale, with nearly half of that amount already sold.

Why Analysts Favor MUTM Over SOL and XRP

The primary reason analysts believe MUTM could outperform giants like Solana and XRP comes down to liquidity elasticity. Solana and XRP both require billions of dollars in fresh buying pressure to achieve even a 20% gain. In contrast, a project like Mutuum Finance is still in its “supply formation” stage. This means that a relatively small amount of capital can have a much larger impact on its valuation. 

For example, a $600 investment in a deep-liquidity asset like XRP might move sideways for months as it battles billion-dollar sell walls. That same $600 in a high-elasticity project like MUTM at $0.04 secures a position in a protocol whose value is directly linked to its growing utility. Several analysts believe MUTM could achieve $0.15 shortly after mainnet launch which would transform the $600 allocation into over $2,300 as long as the protocol develops as planned.

Furthermore, Mutuum Finance’s official roadmap highlights yield through its mtToken developing mechanism. When you supply assets, you receive interest-bearing receipts that grow in value automatically as borrowers pay back interest. 

This is a direct contrast to the inflationary models used by some older blockchains. By combining a low entry price with a revenue-sharing model that uses protocol fees to buy back MUTM tokens, the project is designed for long-term price appreciation. 

V1 Protocol Activation

The most significant signal for Mutuum Finance’s future arrived with the official activation of its V1 protocol on the Sepolia testnet. This milestone allows users to test the actual lending pools and borrowing flows in a risk-free environment. 

It proves that the project has transitioned from a conceptual whitepaper into a functional reality. The testnet launch includes support for USDT, ETH, WBTC, and LINK, allowing for a realistic preview of the protocol’s capabilities.

To ensure user safety, Mutuum Finance has successfully completed a rigorous independent audit with Halborn Security. Additionally, the project holds a high 90/100 score from CertiK, verifying that its smart contracts are built to institutional standards. 

The team also maintains a $50,000 bug bounty to reward security researchers for finding vulnerabilities. With a working product, audited security, and a rapidly narrowing supply window, MUTM is positioning itself as the top altcoin to watch while the legacy market searches for its next crypto direction.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website:https://www.mutuum.com

Linktree:https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance