What Is Altcoin Season Index and When Is It Coming?
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The cryptocurrency market has shifted recently into bearish territory, with Bitcoin pulling back from its previous record highs of $126,173.18. Weak macro sentiment mixed with reduced liquidity and fading ETF inflows are affecting prices across the market.
Bitcoin continues to dominate, but its dominance now is reflecting caution more than confidence, with most altcoins trailing its performance. Investors should monitor technical indicators and the “altcoin season index” closely, which measures altcoins’ performance relative to Bitcoin, to spot early signs of recovery.
In this guide, we break down the alt season, when it is expected to occur, and explore how to take advantage of it.
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Typically, the beginning of the altcoin season is summarized by a surge in market activity, trading volume, and overall bullish sentiment toward altcoins. However, it is important to note that altcoin season is not a fixed event and can vary in duration and intensity. While altcoin season can offer investors lucrative profit opportunities, it does come with increased risks and market volatility. To know the best altcoins to buy, you will need to fully understand the various dynamics of the altcoin season, its triggers, and general indicators. Explore the best altcoins to buy now
Summary: What is Altcoin Season?
Altcoin season, also known as altseason, typically occurs when the prices of alternative cryptocurrencies soar significantly higher and outperform Bitcoin.
Is it Altcoin Season Now in December 2025?
As of December 2025, Bitcoin is leading the cryptocurrency market, with the Altcoin Season Index at 39. This means only 39% of the top 100 altcoins have done better than Bitcoin over the last 90 days. This signals a Bitcoin season, where altcoins struggle to keep up with Bitcoin’s performance.
What is the Altcoin Season Index, and What Is the Score Now?
Altcoin Season Index is a metric used to measure the dominance of altcoins compared to Bitcoin, usually over a 90-day period. This index, ranging from 0 to 100, helps investors identify if the market is in altcoin season or not.
The Altcoin Season Index (ASI) is currently 39 out of 100. This score signals a shift away from Bitcoin dominance, but it isn’t a full Altseason yet (which requires over 75). When the ASI is below 25, Bitcoin outperforms altcoins. Above 75 means most top altcoins beat Bitcoin over 90 days.
The index jumped from June lows of 11–12 to 39 now, showing altcoins are gaining strength. While coins like ETH and XRP are improving, we’re not in an official Altseason.
How to Use the Altcoin Season Index
The Altcoin Season Index helps you understand the market when it’s shifting between the strengths of Bitcoin and altcoins. To use the Altcoin Season Index, you need to do the following:
- Check market conditions: Check if the index is above 75 or under 25 to determine how well altcoins are performing.
- Use it for time rotations: Pair the index with Bitcoin dominance charts. When dominance drops, and the index gets higher, that means money is flowing into altcoins. This is usually considered a good moment to increase your altcoin exposure. But if the index is low, it’s safer to focus on BTC or stablecoins.
- It’s a confirmation only, not a future predictor: Don’t use it to guess what’s coming next; only use it to confirm the trends you are seeing.
- Manage your risk: Altcoin seasons move fast and can be hard to predict. Take partial profits on big moves and plan your exits early on.
- Combine it with other tools: Use other technical indicators like the Relative Strength Index (RSI), moving averages, sentiment trends, or on-chain data. This will help you sharpen your timing and avoid bad entries.
- Stay patient: Altcoin seasons can be explosive in the short-term, but you have to think wisely and stick to your plan.
Altcoin Season vs. Bitcoin Season
It is important to note that altcoin season and Bitcoin season represent two distinct phases in the cryptocurrency market cycle.
Firstly, Bitcoin season refers to periods when Bitcoin’s price experiences significant growth and dominance over altcoins. Bitcoin first surged to its old highs in March 2024 following the launch of several Bitcoin ETFs and then all the way up to $126,173.18 post-U.S. elections.
The first move saw Bitcoin almost double in value in just under two months, outperforming alternative cryptos in the process, while the last push to its all-time highs added to its dominance, which now sits at just above 77%.
In contrast, altcoin season occurs when altcoins surpass Bitcoin regarding price appreciation and market capitalization. While Bitcoin season is often associated with a more stable market environment, altcoin season is characterized by heightened volatility and trading activity.
In recent months, altcoins have dropped significantly as the cryptocurrency market has slowed down. This decline is due to worries about U.S. tariffs and less interest in risky investments worldwide, which have caused altcoin values to fall.
At the same time, more trading has focused on Bitcoin, especially after U.S. regulators approved new Bitcoin-related investment products, pulling attention away from altcoins.
Does Bitcoin Drop During Altcoin Season?
Yes, Bitcoin usually drops or stalls during altcoin seasons as investors move into speculative altcoins. When capital rotates, BTC’s market dominance falls, causing the price to either drop or cool off.
You can witness this clearly on dominance charts when Bitcoin pumps first, then pauses. That pause is what usually drives altcoins to surge, causing BTC to lose momentum in the process.
History of Previous Altseasons
Previous altcoin seasons have witnessed remarkable surges in various altcoin prices, with some experiencing exponential growth within relatively short periods. Examples of notable altseasons include the bull runs of 2017-2018 and 2020-2021.
These historical precedents serve as valuable reference points for understanding the dynamics of altcoin seasons and their potential impact on the cryptocurrency market. Let’s take a look at them in more detail.
2017-2018
This altcoin season was spurred by a huge drop in Bitcoin dominance, going from 86.3% in late 2017 and then falling to a low of 38.69% at the start of 2018. During that period, the price of Bitcoin went from a then-record high above $20,000 to trading under $6,000 a few months later.
The surge in altcoins outperforming Bitcoin came as the initial coin offering (ICO) market began in 2017-2018. Many blockchain projects launched ICOs to raise funds by issuing their own tokens.
These include EOS, which raised over $4 billion, making it one of the most successful presales in history. Tezos was another strong-performing altcoin during this period after raising $232 million for its ICO.
2020-2021
The altcoin season of 2020-2021 came during the coronavirus pandemic, as retail traders and crypto degens looked for investment opportunities outside of Bitcoin. This resulted in the birth of modern meme coins, with Dogecoin and Shiba Inu recording historic levels of growth. Since then, we’ve seen several “meme coin supercycles,” where the meme coin sector far outperforms the rest of the market.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were also boosting the altcoin markets, helping to increase sentiment around the wider crypto and blockchain market. During this time, Bitcoin dominance plunged from 70% to 38%, while the market value held by altcoin doubled from 30% to 62%.
2024
The altseason in 2024 was a busy time for the cryptocurrency market, with altcoins seeing huge gains. It started around November 2024 when Bitcoin’s influence weakened, and investors turned their attention to other cryptocurrencies.
During this period, major altcoins like Ethereum, Solana, and XRP neared all-time highs, while smaller altcoins skyrocketed, with some jumping over 150,000%. However, when Bitcoin regained its dominance later in the year, the altseason ended.
This altcoin boom was driven by several factors, including the Bitcoin halving in April 2024, which sparked renewed interest in crypto. Institutional adoption and clearer regulations, like the approval of Bitcoin ETFs and the EU’s MiCA rules, also boosted confidence and investment in altcoins.
A strong economy, active social media buzz, and growing interest in AI, DeFi, and blockchain projects helped keep the momentum going. Although it ended, the 2024 altseason showed how altcoins are becoming more important in the crypto world.
Signs That a New Altseason Has Begun
But, when do you know the next altseason is going to happen? Investing in next altseason coins is an exciting prospect for cryptocurrency enthusiasts, often leading to significant price gains.
However, identifying the onset of an altcoin season requires a strong understanding of market cycles and trends. Let’s explore some key signs that may signal the beginning of a new altcoin season.
Altcoin Season Index
The Altcoin Season Index (ASI) hits “altseason” at 75 or over, meaning 75% of top altcoins beat Bitcoin over 90 days. Scores below 25 signal “Bitcoin season,” while 25–74 is neutral. True altseason starts only when ASI sustains above 75, confirming a market shift from BTC to alts.
You can track live ASI scores on:
- BlockchainCenter.net (original index + historical data)
- CoinMarketCap (interactive charts)
- Bitget (live metrics with dominance charts)
Major exchanges like Binance also show it in analytics. For real-time updates, search “Altcoin Season Index” on these platforms.
Watch for ASI holding above 75 for days and falling Bitcoin dominance. Genuine altseason also needs rising volume and prices across diverse altcoins, alongside surging social media buzz. Never rely on ASI alone; combine these signals to confirm real altseason momentum early.
Increase in Altcoin Dominance
One of the primary indicators that signal the start of an altcoin season is a noticeable increase in altcoin dominance within the overall cryptocurrency market. Altcoin dominance refers to the collective market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies, excluding Bitcoin, expressed as a percentage of the total cryptocurrency market cap.
Bitcoin’s market dominance stands at 58.5% of the total market capitalization. When altcoin dominance begins to rise, it suggests that crypto investors are increasingly allocating capital to alternative cryptocurrencies, indicating a potential shift in market sentiment towards altcoins and the beginning of altcoin season.
Rising Trading Volumes
One of the earliest signs that an altseason is on the way is a noticeable jump in altcoins’ trading volumes. When there are a lot of traders entering the market and activity grows, liquidity improves, and price movements become stronger.
Rising volume usually means there’s money rotating out of Bitcoin and into higher-risk altcoins. This increases buy pressure, speeds up price swings, and signals that investors are open to taking more risk in search of larger gains.
You’ll see the following pattern repeat whenever there’s a major cycle happening: Bitcoin rallies, then cools off, then trading volume moves into altcoins, and their charts begin showing bigger green candles. Also, where there’s high volume in different sectors such as DeFi, meme coins, AI tokens, and L1 and L2s, it usually confirms that interest in altcoins is growing.
Coin Price Breakouts
Finally, significant price breakouts and upward momentum in the prices of various altcoins are clear indicators of the onset of an altcoin season. As investors flock to the best crypto presales in search of potential opportunities, prices may experience sharp and sustained increases, breaking through key resistance levels and forming new highs.
Pepe highlights the fragility of altcoin breakouts, especially during past altseasons where they surged rapidly but struggled to keep the momentum up. These patterns show coins that rely on memes and trends can explode early in the cycle but cool down just as fast.
Bitcoin’s push toward $125,000 briefly, but its 58% dominance underscores stalled altcoin momentum. Select tokens defy the trend: When dominance drops, altcoins usually take over even when momentum stalls.
For example, Ethereum has historically shown robust accumulation, increased DeFi activity, and broader Layer 1 ecosystem strength at the start of the altcoin season. XRP has also seen renewed interest thanks to the legal clarity everyone has been waiting for.
When is the Next Altcoin Season Coming?
The next altcoin season could arrive in late 2025 or early 2026, but it depends on market stability and global events. The recent rise of Layer 2 and DeFi projects points to the possibility of an altcoin season nearing soon, though sentiment is low right now.
Rules and tech upgrades matter, too. Clearer regulations, like Ethereum ETF approvals, could boost confidence in altcoins. Projects improving blockchain speed or adding AI tools are also drawing attention. However, Bitcoin’s strong market position has slowed altcoin momentum so far.
Most experts think an altcoin boom is most likely to start in late 2025 to early 2026, especially if Bitcoin’s influence weakens. Until then, traders are focusing on niche opportunities, like meme coins or presale tokens with high staking rewards, to profit early.
What Triggers Altcoin Season to Start?
There are several factors that trigger altcoin seasons, including but not limited to:
- Bitcoin stabilizing in a tight range: When BTC stops swinging wildly and starts trading sideways, traders look for higher returns elsewhere.
- Improving macroeconomic conditions: Lower inflation and rate cuts can push capital back into more speculative assets like altcoins.
- Renewed liquidity: When fresh liquidity from retail and institutional sources allows smaller assets to move up.
- Market sentiment and FOMO: Bullish market sentiment mixed with fear of missing out (FOMO) induces rapid entry into altcoins.
- Institutional inflows: Growing interest in altcoin projects from institutional investors could also cause momentum to grow.
Is Altcoin Season a Good Time to Invest?
Altcoin seasons can create exciting opportunities for investors, but they come with higher risks. Whether it’s a good time to invest depends on many factors, including your strategy, risk tolerance, and how much you’re willing to lose. Let’s break down a couple of points worth considering:
1) Research and Diversify Holdings
Firstly, research is key when navigating and participating in the market during an altcoin season. Take your time and thoroughly analyze potential investments’ fundamental and technical aspects to find the best altcoins to buy.
Once you do so, you will also need to diversify. Exploring different altcoins can help spread risk and maximize potential returns, as well as ensure that not all of your eggs are in one basket. By conducting thorough research and diversifying your portfolio, your overall chances of success will greatly increase.
During altseason, diversification becomes even more important since some coins may run early while others lag behind.
2) Time Your Entries and Exits
Another important point is timing. Consider using technical analysis tools like support and resistance, and relative strength index (RSI) to identify optimal entry and exit points for trades.
These can be good altcoin season indicators and will help you monitor price trends and crypto market sentiment before deciding to buy. Experienced investors use such tools to make informed investment decisions, like when to take profits. Because altcoins move quickly during this time, having clear entry and exit strategies can help minimize losses and maximize gains during periods of heightened volatility.
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Risks of Trading During Altcoin Season
While altcoin seasons present lucrative opportunities, it can also carry inherent risks that you should be mindful of:
1) Extreme Volatility
Altcoins are known for their extreme volatility, with prices often experiencing rapid and unpredictable fluctuations. This volatility can lead to significant gains but also expose investors to the risk of substantial losses.
It’s essential to exercise caution and employ risk management strategies to mitigate the risks of investing in high-volatility crypto. Diversification can help.
2) Pump and Dump Coins
Some projects may be pump and dump schemes or rug pulls, so knowing how to avoid these is important. This is where prices are inflated by coordinated buying activity before being rapidly sold off, resulting in substantial losses for unsuspecting investors.
An example is EthereumMax, which used Kim Kardashian to help promote its brand before defrauding investors. Be wary of projects exhibiting suspicious price movements or overly aggressive marketing tactics.
3) Buying at Overvalued Prices
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) can lead investors to buy altcoins at overvalued prices during periods of market excitement. However, buying at inflated prices increases the risk of losses if prices subsequently correct, which is typically a 30-40% drop. You must stick to investment strategies that are based on thorough research and analysis.
It’s important to find good projects before their value goes up to make the most profit while staying safe. Check out our list of top undervalued cryptos to find hidden opportunities with strong potential for growth.
While altseason might happen later, investors should stay careful, do their research, and be aware of market ups and downs. Staying informed and having a solid investment plan will be important to take advantage of opportunities when the market eventually shifts toward altcoins.
Conclusion — Is it Altcoin Season?
Altcoin season hasn’t started yet, as Bitcoin still leads the market, and altcoins are struggling to gain traction. While some altcoins have seen short-term jumps, the overall market shows no clear move toward altcoins.FAQs
Is it currently altcoin season?
How long does altseason last?
What was the last altcoin season cycle?
What happens during altcoin season?
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