Best Crypto to Buy in October 2026: Zcash and NEAR Surge While Pepeto Draws 100x Forecasts

Anyone searching for the best crypto to buy in October 2026 sees a scary chart first. Bitcoin slipped under $80,000 on Oct 16, per CoinDesk, and buyers grabbed the dip within hours.

Under the price, CryptoQuant’s bull and bear gauge now reads 0.186, up from 0.042 in August. Its analyst GugaOnChain says the reset is done. Zcash and NEAR both jumped double digits on the rebound. Pepeto, a meme coin presale with its own zero fee exchange, sits one step earlier, with more than $11.2 million raised before any listing.

Best Coins This Month Start With One Bitcoin Number: $87,165

CryptoQuant drew a clear line on Oct 16: Bitcoin must win back its 20 month average at $87,165 before new records, per Cointelegraph. Coin-Turk reported the same line.

Bitcoin opened 2026 at $87,490, so the target is just this year’s starting price. From under $80,000, that is a climb of about 9%. Until it breaks, big coins may drift with Bitcoin. Smaller coins can move on their own news, which is why the next three picks matter.

Three Picks for This Month’s Shortlist, Starting With an Unlisted One

Pepeto: Five Chains, a $0 Bridge Fee, and a Presale Still Open

Bitcoin has to climb about 9% before analysts see new records. Pepeto is not waiting on that line. It is a meme coin presale that already runs three live tools: PepetoSwap, a bridge and a security scanner.

The goal is plain: give a small buyer the same tools a big trading desk uses. Take the bridge, because moving coins between chains is where small buyers bleed. Other bridges charge $15 to $50 a transfer and take minutes or hours. A failed one can lock funds for good.

Pepeto’s bridge charges $0, with only gas to pay, and a transfer across Ethereum, BNB Chain, Solana, Base and Arbitrum lands in under 60 seconds. Coins lock in an audited contract on one chain, then mint on the next once the proof checks out on chain. If a transfer fails, the lock reverts on its own. No company holds the coins at any point.

In a month when one Bitcoin line sets the mood, a buyer who keeps fees at zero keeps more of every move. The presale price is $0.0000001901 on pepetocoin.com, and it rises at every new stage.

Stakers earn 160% APY for now, a rate that changes daily, with rewards claimable at listing. With a Binance listing approaching, analysts project 100x. That is a big if, and today’s stage price is the lowest left in the presale.

Zcash: Up 460% Since March, So the Easy Part Is Behind It

Zcash trades at $1,165 on CoinMarketCap, up 12.6% in a day, with a $20.69 billion value. The swings run both ways. ZEC fell about 11% on Oct 15 as borrowed bets piled up, per Decrypt, yet it still sits about 460% above its March low.

Analyst Austin Barack eyes a $1,500 target, per crypto.news. That is about 23% away. Solid, but the big payday went to March buyers.

NEAR: 74% Below Its Peak After a 15% Day

NEAR trades at $5.09 on CoinMarketCap, up 15.3% in a day but still about 74% under its $20.42 peak from January 2022. On Oct 15, Helius chief Mert Mumtaz joined the NEAR Foundation council, per The Block. FXStreet sets targets at $6.00 and $6.91, still only 30% up. A trip back to the peak needs nearly 4x, and four years have not done it.

Conclusion

Live tools, more than $11.2 million raised and a Binance listing approaching all point Pepeto toward its first open market. The cofounder has done this before, with the original Pepe. It went from an unknown coin in April 2023 to a peak value near $11.9 billion on Dec 9, 2024. Anyone who held it from the first weeks saw a life changing return, and the proof came only after the gains.

Pepeto sits at that early point now. Bitcoin needs $87,165 to move, while Pepeto needs a listing. At today’s price, $1,000 buys about 5.26 billion tokens. If analysts are right about 100x, that becomes $100,000, though nothing is promised. The next stage on the Pepeto official website will cost more than this one. Early Pepe buyers moved before the crowd had proof, and the same choice is open today.

Click To Visit Pepeto official Website To Enter The Presale

FAQs

What is the best crypto to buy in October 2026?

Pepeto stands out for early buyers, because its exchange, bridge and scanner already run before listing. Its presale has raised more than $11.2 million so far.

Is Pepeto a good investment?

Pepeto is a strong early bet, since its price rises every stage on the Pepeto official website. Analysts project 100x after listing, though nothing in crypto is promised.