Share this article
Bitcoin Dominance Rate Hits 50% For First Time in 2018
Bitcoin (BTC) now makes up 50 percent of the entire cryptocurrency market capitalization.
By Sam Ouimet
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 8:16 a.m. Published Aug 11, 2018, 4:02 a.m.
Bitcoin now makes up 50 percent of the entire cryptocurrency market capitalization.
Shortly past 03:00 UTC on August 11, CoinMarketCap's bitcoin dominance rate – an indicator that tracks the percent of the total cryptocurrency market capitalization contributed by the leading cryptocurrency – reached 50 percent for the first time since December 19th, 2017.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
At press time, bitcoin's market capitalization now records $105,785,552,545, which is about $901 million more than the market capitalization of every other cryptocurrency combined.
The above chart shows bitcoin's dominance rate has been on a steady incline over the past few months, currently representing a 14 percent increase from May 1st. In the same time period the market dominance of all other cryptocurrencies have largely been on the decline.
Conditions were much different the last time bitcoin's market dominance was above 50 percent.
On Dec. 19th, the average price of BTC was $17,605.81 across exchanges - an 65 percent higher price than the cryptocurrency's value today, according to the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index.
Image via Shutterstock
More For You
L1 tokens broadly underperformed in 2025 despite a backdrop of regulatory and institutional wins. Explore the key trends defining ten major blockchains below.
What to know:
2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns.
This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026.
More For You
Bitcoin slips, crypto stocks suffer steep declines, as tax-loss selling drives action, analysts say
Digital asset treasury companies — the year's worst performers — were also hardest hit on Tuesday.
What to know:
- Bitcoin was lower by a bit more than 1% to just below $88,000 on Tuesday.
- Crypto-related stocks were suffering far larger declines.
- Analysts suggest tax-loss harvesting and low liquidity are contributing to the action in crypto markets as the year ends.
- Some analysts remain cautiously optimistic about a potential rally, though significant recovery is not expected until liquidity returns in January.
Top Stories
