If a new crypto bull market takes hold in the coming quarters, as I expect it will, I predict Bitcoin (BTC -0.90%), Zcash (ZEC +8.02%), and Hyperliquid (HYPE +0.81%) will be the assets that lead the market cycle that follows. Right now, Zcash and Hyperliquid are two of just a small handful of the top 25 cryptocurrencies that are priced at levels above where they were before Bitcoin’s most recent bull market peak in late 2025.

Bitcoin hasn’t yet beaten its prior record high, but it will still likely reprise its role as the sector’s leader. Here’s why.

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Bitcoin ETF inflows are foreshadowing a major leg up

Historically, crypto market cycles have tended to follow a particular script, and that script will…