Peter Brandt says bitcoin cash could lead the next crypto rally in 2026

Trader Peter Brandt singled out Bitcoin Cash (BCH) as one of the leaders for a rally in 2026. The coin has remained near the $600 level for weeks, resisting the crypto market weakness. 

High-profile trader Peter Brandt proposed that Bitcoin Cash (BCH) may lead the crypto market rally in 2026. Brands, known for applying traditional analysis, singled out the coin after weeks of outperforming the market. 

Enough with the politics – the year of trading begins$BABA set for breakout from falling wedge$BCH is leading the charge pic.twitter.com/wSiy2Z1olQ

— Peter Brandt (@PeterLBrandt) January 5, 2026

The prediction arrives after a year of altcoin weakness, where BCH was mostly forgotten. The coin still managed to outperform in the short term, with several rallies. In early 2026, BCH traded at $650.55, finally breaking out after weeks of trading close to $600. BCH is also near its one-year high at 0.0070 BTC.

Can BCH sustain its rally? 

BCH has remained sidelined by recent trends, following years of attempts to displace BTC. Despite this, BCH continued to have quiet rallies, with a notable peak in September 2025. 

After the recent breakout, BCH retained relatively high open interest at over $434M, near the upper range for the past 12 months. Traders are cautious, but still take up 55% in long positions. 

For now, BCH mindshare is at 0.1, with a 131% increase for the past day. BCH mindshare is at a one-month peak, signaling improved visibility. 

BCH is getting close to the range of the 2021 bull market. The coin has never recovered its initial peak at close to $3,200 after the hard fork in 2018. For now, the BCH recovery is not outsized, but can push toward the 2021 local peak of $1,450. 

The recent price recovery shows BCH bouncing from its all-time lows in terms of dominance. BCH also showed it can bounce from local lows, after sinking to $275 in April 2025. Despite the rallies, BCH has not broken out above the $800 resistance level for the past three years. 

During its current climb, BCH is facing a sell wall up to $740. For derivative traders, the liquidation heatmap shows that short positions are spread up to $690. 

BCH remains a key asset for miners

One of the factors for BCH support is the slightly higher market profitability. Bitcoin Cash mining remains relatively active at 8 EH/s. BCH is still relying on much lower mining activity, but it is currently more profitable to mine. 

BTC produces 0.039 per day on average, while BCH profitability is slightly higher at $0.041 per day on average. A rising BCH valuation may further boost mining. The coin is being mined at near-peak difficulty, doubling since March 2025 and signaling growing competition between miners.

In January, the altcoin season index was down to 26 points again, signaling a Bitcoin season. However, BCH was among the top 10 coins and tokens with the largest gains over the past three months. The coin has not set up any specific narrative, but may be picked up by traders as the market has shown an appetite for risk. 

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