While leading Layer-1 (L1) blockchains like Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain continue to receive much media attention, Bitcoin Cash (BCH) has emerged as a 'quiet star.'
BCH is likely one of the few Layer-1 altcoins that will finish 2025 with a strong positive performance. Several key factors support this scenario.
How Bitcoin Cash (BCH) surpassed other Layer-1s in 2025
Data shows that BCH has risen nearly 32% year-to-date, making it the best-performing Layer-1 altcoin. It has outperformed competitors like Tron, Ethereum, and Solana.
Notably, BCH has largely remained outside the ETF and strategic reserve (DATs) narrative. While altcoins like ETH, SOL, and XRP benefit from expectations of institutional purchases, BCH has gained ground without needing these catalysts.
This performance underscores the intrinsic strength of BCH as a Bitcoin fork that has survived multiple market cycles.
With the current price above $570, BCH can finish 2025 above the opening price of $430 at the beginning of the year.
Yet many analysts expect more. They believe BCH will break the current resistance around $600 and reach a new annual high.
"If the price clearly rises above the resistance of $610–$650, it is likely that BCH will rise significantly further, similar to the rise of ZEC in September," predicted investor Karamata.
If BCH breaks above $650, a 2-year high may be on the horizon. A rise above $720 could yield the highest level since 2022. Several on-chain factors support this expectation.
Positive signals for a possible BCH breakout
A notable bullish signal is the increase in the average transaction size of Bitcoin Cash in December 2025.
Historical data from BitInfoCharts shows that the average transaction size reached multiple peaks above $1.34 million while BCH was trading around $600.
This is the highest average transaction size in the history of BCH. It shows an increase in large transactions, likely from major investors or whales. This indicates real capital inflows into the network.
Additional spot trading data reinforces this trend. The Bitcoin Cash Spot Average Order Size chart from CryptoQuant shows that whale activity has dominated the order book in recent years.
Large whale orders have resurfaced in the past two months while BCH was trading around the $600 resistance zone.
Beyond trading metrics, BCH remains one of the most accepted altcoins for payments. According to Cryptwerk, BCH ranks fourth, with 2,468 stores accepting it. Only BTC, ETH, and LTC are accepted more.
These factors may contribute to a successful breakout and push BCH to new records in 2026.
However, there are also challenges. Liquidity issues and extremely fearful market sentiment still pose barriers and make a rapid BCH breakout more difficult.
