Bitcoin has long been the king of crypto, but it seems like we might be witnessing a shift. Lately, some altcoins are starting to hold their own and even thrive while Bitcoin wobbles. APE, ATOM, and MEW Coin are three that have caught my eye. They’re not just surviving; they’re doing pretty damn well. Let’s dive into what’s going on with these coins.

APE Coin: The Layer 3 Maverick

APE Coin is the one that really stands out to me right now. It recently launched its own layer 3 network and boom – the price shot up over 100% in just a week! That’s some serious action for an altcoin. Of course, there’s always a pullback after such a surge, but APE has managed to hold around $1.58 with impressive trading volume.

Looking ahead, I think there might be more upside. If it can reclaim $1.61 as support, we could see attempts at breaking into the $1.91 to $2 range. What’s interesting is how quickly it recovered after such a long downtrend – almost like it was waiting for Bitcoin to make its move.

ATOM Coin: The Steady Climber

Then there’s ATOM Coin. This one has been slowly but surely making its way up after a lengthy decline period of about 186 days. It recently retested some key resistance levels at $5.25 and if it breaks through that? We might be looking at a target of around $14.5.

What I find fascinating is how these coins seem to form higher lows during Bitcoin's consolidating phases – almost like they're gearing up for something bigger when BTC finally moves again.

MEW Coin: The New Contender

And let’s not forget about MEW Coin – this one is relatively new on my radar but it's showing some impressive stats too! After listing, it surged over 281% from its lows and just hit an all-time high of $0.010527 recently.

Sure, there might be some selling pressure if it closes below $0.008424 but overall? Looks like investors are pretty happy with this one.

Are Altcoins Becoming Independent?

So why are these altcoins performing so well? One factor could be the crypto exchange markets themselves facilitating their trade more efficiently than before.

Platforms like dYdX offering perpetual contracts specifically tailored for various altcoins allow traders easier access without having to go through Bitcoin first every time they want exposure to something else.

But here’s where I get skeptical again: while these coins may seem independent now; history shows us cycles repeat…and eventually dominance shifts back towards BTC at least temporarily!

Summary: Navigating The Crypto Landscape

In conclusion; whether you’re bullish or bearish on any particular asset class—knowledge remains power especially in such volatile environments as cryptocurrencies tend to be!

Altcoins like APE,ATOM & MEW certainly have made case studies worth following closely though…who knows maybe next cycle will see them lead instead?