What is the Crypto Altseason?

6 min readNov 29, 2024

Altseason, short for “Altcoin Season,” is a distinct period in the cryptocurrency market when capital flows away from Bitcoin and into altcoins (any cryptocurrency that isn’t Bitcoin), resulting in a rapid and widespread price surge.

This phenomenon is characterised by significant gains and increased market volatility, making it an exciting yet unpredictable time for crypto traders. This article will cover everything you need to know about altcoin season.

Understanding Altcoin Season

Altcoin season or altseason is a phenomenon in the cryptocurrency market where alternative cryptocurrencies outperform Bitcoin in terms of price appreciation. This shift in performance typically follows a period of Bitcoin dominance, when most of the market capital is concentrated in Bitcoin. During altcoin season, money flows from Bitcoin into altcoins, leading to significant price rallies across the board.

During altseasons, which historically have lasted for a few weeks to months, altcoins experience explosive growth as investors seek higher returns outside Bitcoin. This shift often triggers a chain reaction: as prices rise, more investors succumb to FOMO (fear of missing out), injecting additional capital into altcoins.

This wave of enthusiasm propels prices to extraordinary highs, creating a short-lived but intense period of opportunity and excitement in the cryptocurrency market.

Signs of Altcoin Season

Bitcoin Dominance Decline: Bitcoin’s market capitalisation relative to the total crypto market decreases, indicating capital moving to altcoins.
Altcoin Outperformance: Altcoins start showing higher returns than Bitcoin.
Increased Volume in Altcoin Trading: There’s a surge in trading activity for altcoins.
Emerging Narratives: Specific categories of altcoins, such as DeFi tokens or meme coins, gain popularity and attention.

The cryptocurrency market is cyclical, and altcoin seasons often occur as part of these broader cycles.

Altcoin Season and Its Relevance in the Market Cycle

To understand the relevance of altcoin seasons, it’s essential to examine the cryptocurrency market cycle. This cycle can be broken down into the following phases:

Bitcoin Dominance Phase:

Bitcoin typically leads the market during the early stages of a bull run.
Media attention and institutional investment often focus on Bitcoin first.

2. Altcoin Season:

After Bitcoin stabilises or consolidates, investors seek higher returns by reallocating their profits into altcoins.
Many altcoins experience exponential growth during this phase.

3. Market Euphoria:

Both Bitcoin and altcoins rally, often leading to overvaluation.
This stage typically marks the peak of the bull market.

4. Market Correction/Bear Market:

Excessive optimism gives way to fear, and asset prices decline.
Bitcoin and altcoins lose value, with altcoins often experiencing sharper declines.

Why Altcoin Seasons Matter

Higher ROI Opportunities: Altcoins are often more volatile than Bitcoin, providing opportunities for significant short-term returns.
Market Diversification: Investors diversify their portfolios by allocating funds to promising altcoin projects.
Technological Growth: Increased interest in altcoins drives innovation, encouraging the development of new protocols, ecosystems, and use cases.
Investor Sentiment Shift: Altcoin seasons often signal shifts in market dynamics, which traders and investors can use to anticipate broader trends.

Implications of Altcoin Season

Altcoin season has profound implications for the cryptocurrency market and its participants.

1. Increased Market Volatility

Altcoins are inherently more volatile than Bitcoin. While this volatility can lead to massive gains, it also exposes investors to significant risks. For example, a coin might experience a 500% gain in a week, only to lose 70% of its value in the following days.

2. Amplified Risks and Opportunities

During altcoin season, many projects receive attention, but not all are fundamentally sound. Some projects capitalise on hype and may lack real utility or development. Investors must perform due diligence to avoid falling victim to “pump-and-dump” schemes.

3. Boost to Innovation

Altcoin seasons often bring attention to innovative blockchain solutions. For example:

Ethereum introduced decentralised finance (DeFi).
Solana gained traction for its high-speed transactions.
Polkadot facilitated blockchain interoperability.

4. Portfolio Rebalancing

Altcoin seasons encourage investors to rebalance their portfolios by diversifying into smaller-cap coins. This shift can help capture gains from emerging projects but also increases exposure to higher-risk assets.

5. Long-Term Adoption

Successful altcoin projects often see sustained growth and adoption beyond altcoin season. For instance, Ethereum’s smart contract platform gained mainstream acceptance even after its speculative rally.

Where Are We Now?

As of November 28, 2024, the cryptocurrency market is showing signs of transitioning into an altcoin season. Here’s what the current landscape looks like:

Bitcoin Dominance Declining

Bitcoin’s dominance, a key indicator of capital concentration, has been decreasing in recent months. Historically, such declines precede a shift toward altcoins.

***Source: CoinStats, November 28, 2024***

Altcoin Market Capitalisation Growth

The total market capitalisation of altcoins is on the rise. According to recent data, altcoins have reached over $800 billion in market value, reflecting renewed investor interest.

***Source: CoinMarketCap, November 28, 2024***

Emerging Narratives and Trends

New themes are dominating the altcoin space, including:

AI Tokens: AI tokens have captured significant attention as projects intertwine blockchain with artificial intelligence to unlock new use cases, from decentralised data training to AI-driven trading strategies.
Memecoins: memecoins have staged an unexpected yet powerful comeback, fueled by a mix of nostalgia, innovative narratives, and real-world utility. No longer dismissed as mere jokes, many memecoins in 2024 have combined their viral appeal with robust technical foundations, drawing in both seasoned traders and a new generation of Web3 enthusiasts. Their return highlights the market’s enduring appetite for fun, community-driven projects that also deliver real value. Some notable memecoins include $PEPE and $DOGE.

Macro Trends and Sentiment

The broader macroeconomic environment has been significantly influenced by Donald Trump’s re-election in 2024, which has played a pivotal role in shaping trends and sentiment in the cryptocurrency market. Trump’s administration has historically been vocal about the need for U.S. innovation leadership, and his return to power has brought renewed focus on blockchain technology as a driver of economic growth. Under his leadership, there has been a noticeable push for regulatory clarity, particularly around altcoins and DeFi, creating a more favourable environment for investors and projects.

This clarity has instilled greater confidence in institutional players, who have ramped up their adoption of high-quality altcoins as part of diversified portfolios. Trump’s pro-business stance and rhetoric around minimising regulatory “red tape” have further accelerated capital inflows, particularly as global markets seek stability in uncertain times.

These macroeconomic tailwinds, combined with the increased institutional interest, are laying the groundwork for the rise of altcoins, making them an attractive asset class for both retail and institutional investors in 2024 and beyond.

Conclusion

Altcoins are a vital part of the cryptocurrency ecosystem, offering diverse functionalities and opportunities for innovation. Altcoin season, characterised by the outperformance of altcoins over Bitcoin, plays a pivotal role in the broader market cycle. It signifies a shift in investor sentiment, often driving substantial gains for emerging projects and categories.

As of now, indicators suggest that the market may be on the verge of another altcoin season, with declining Bitcoin dominance, rising altcoin market caps, and new narratives taking center stage.

Whether you’re a seasoned trader or a newcomer to crypto, understanding altcoins and their market dynamics can help you make informed decisions and potentially capitalise on the opportunities presented during altcoin season.

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