Altcoins Shine in October as AAVE, SAND, and PUMP Lead the Way

The crypto market has started October with a strong rotation into select altcoins, and three tokens are standing out: AAVE, SAND, and PUMP. AAVE's rally is driven by renewed DeFi activity, while SAND's explosive price move is paired with a surge in whale transactions. PUMP, on the other hand, is seeing a fresh increase in social attention.

AAVE's on-chain signals are adding to its rally, with weighted sentiment turning higher alongside price, and whale activity strengthening. Wallets holding between 100,000 and 1 million AAVE added around 190,000 AAVE since September 28, worth roughly $30 million at recent prices.

SAND has delivered the most aggressive price move among the three, surging 53.77% on October 3 and breaking above the $0.055-$0.058 region. The next hurdle sits around $0.065-$0.067, while holding the $0.055-$0.058 area would keep the breakout structure intact.

PUMP is entering October with a different catalyst: social activity, which has increased significantly. However, a breakdown below the recent recovery range would weaken the setup.