The Altcoin Season Index currently reads 44, indicating that only 44% of the top 100 cryptocurrencies excluding stablecoins and wrapped tokens outperformed Bitcoin over the past 90 days.
The reading places the cryptocurrency market closer to Bitcoin season than altcoin season as Bitcoin maintains dominance around 52% market share compared to 48% three months earlier.
The index provides a quantitative benchmark measuring whether alternative cryptocurrencies are gaining or losing ground against Bitcoin by comparing price performance across the top 100 digital assets over a 90-day lookback period.
A score of 75 or higher indicates an altcoin season where smaller coins rally harder than Bitcoin, while a score of 25 or lower points to Bitcoin season when the leading cryptocurrency outperforms most alternatives.
Several factors drive the current Bitcoin-favoring trend including regulatory uncertainty in the United States pushing capital toward Bitcoin, institutional investors preferring Bitcoin for its liquidity, and the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in 2024 boosting appeal while altcoins face increased scrutiny from regulators.
Data from CoinMarketCap shows that only 44 of the top 100 coins outperformed Bitcoin in the last 90 days including major names like Ethereum, Solana and Cardano, however their outperformance was marginal.
The current index reading influences trading decisions with a reading of 43 suggesting a balanced approach where many allocate 60% to Bitcoin and 40% to altcoins to hedge against either scenario. Several catalysts could trigger an altcoin season pushing the index above 75 including potential Ethereum ETFs launch, regulatory clarity for stablecoins, or Bitcoin price consolidation above $100,000 encouraging rotation into altcoins.
