Altcoins Rally as Bitcoin and Ethereum Stall Ahead of January 9 and 13 U.S. Data

By January 9 2026, Bitcoin and Ethereum's year-to-date gains had cooled to about 4%, while several altcoins delivered much stronger weekly returns. XRP and Solana climbed nearly 10% and 7%, and coins like Sui, Bittensor, and Shiba Inu gained between 14% and 17%, reflecting a shift into higher-risk assets before key U.S. economic reports. Analysts also highlighted record 2025 stablecoin volumes and Morgan Stanley's new Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana ETF filings as important structural developments.