Best Altcoins to Watch Today, July 14 – Avalanche, Near Protocol, Polkadot

Highlights:

• Avalanche is attracting interest as stablecoin supply rises 48%, while AVAX holds near key support.
• NEAR Intents volume tops $22 billion as higher fees support token buybacks.
• Polkadot trades inside a descending channel, with $1.10 marking the key breakout level.

The crypto market extends its losses on Tuesday, driven by a geopolitical shock from renewed US-Iran hostilities. The escalating US military strikes near Iran’s Bushehr airport have sparked a risk-off sell-off across all markets. As a result, the global market capitalization has declined by 0.50% to $2.16 trillion, while the trading volume surged to $60 billion.

Bitcoin has dropped toward the $60K region while most of the leading altcoins trade in the red. Meanwhile, data from CoinGlass shows that in the past 24 hours, 77,939 traders were liquidated, with total liquidations totaling $270 million. Amidst this broad market weakness, let’s discuss the best altcoins to watch today, such as Avalanche, Near Protocol, and Polkadot.

Best Altcoins to Watch Today

1. Avalanche (AVAX)

Avalanche is down by 1.70% over the last 24 hours, pushing the price to $6.50. This latest pullback has extended the weekly and monthly losses to 4% and 2%, respectively. Meanwhile, its trading volume has surged by 12% to $240 million.

The stablecoin supply on the network has surged by 48% over the last 7 days, giving Avalanche more visibility. Analyst Michaël van de Poppe has noted that BlackRock’s BUIDL fund has also more than doubled on Avalanche. He attributed the rise to improved liquidity and higher on-chain activity.

I don't think we'll see $AVAX at these prices for very long.

➡️ – Stablecoin supply surged with 48% in a week.

➡️ – BlackRock's BUIDL fund has grown by more than 100% in a week.

The activity continues to expand on $AVAX, a strong signal of adoption and ecosystem growth.… pic.twitter.com/ylxPlmgy5P

— Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) July 13, 2026

Van de Poppe further noted that the daily chart presents a bullish divergence and a higher low in a crucial support area. AVAX is holding around $6.60 with a resistance level near $7.08. Sustained strength could open up a possible path to $10, but the support needs to hold first.

2. Near Protocol (NEAR)

NEAR Protocol has surged more than 3% to $1.98 as traders rotate back into assets associated with artificial intelligence. NEAR is down by 6% over the past 30 days, though its weekly performance remains nearly flat. Its trading volume has surged by over 60% to $260 million, indicating stronger market participation.

NEAR Protocol is moving toward deflation as network revenue supports token buybacks. NEAR Intents has processed over $22 billion in cumulative volume, while lifetime revenue reached $4.05 million. Fee capture rose from an 11.8% lifetime average to 15.5% over 30 days and 29.5% over seven days.

NEAR is accelerating toward deflationary status.

Not as a slogan. As a measurable function of protocol revenue versus issuance. pic.twitter.com/gLsdtpJ9CP

— NEAR Protocol (@NEARProtocol) July 14, 2026

Moreover, adoption has accelerated, with cumulative volume climbing from $434 million to $23.01 billion within one year. That represents a 53-fold growth. Each intent settles on NEAR, while competing solvers manage cross-chain execution. Higher activity increases protocol revenue, which could support buybacks and reduce token supply, potentially leading to price hikes.

3. Polkadot (DOT)

Polkadot is trading around $0.8434, with a market cap of $1.42 billion. The price has been under pressure recently, declining by 18% over the last 30 days. The trading volume has exploded by 16% to $80 million.

Polkadot is inside a broad descending channel on the daily chart. Prominent analyst Lucky highlights nearby demand between roughly $0.63 and $1.10, where the price now sits in July. The latest candles still follow lower highs, keeping pressure firmly on DOT.

$DOT is trading near its lowest levels. Is this the bottom, or more pain to come? pic.twitter.com/KZa68Sx8mt

— Lucky (@LLuciano_BTC) July 13, 2026

A clean break above the upper trendline near $1.10 could confirm the chart’s bullish setup. The projected path points first toward $2.50 to $2.70, then the marked $4.88 ceiling. Failure to hold the demand zone could expose the $0.63 low again before any recovery attempt.