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CoinMarketCap’s Altcoin Season Index Hits Record Low – What Investors Need to Know

2 mins
Updated by Ann Maria Shibu
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In Brief

  • CoinMarketCap’s Altcoin Season Index drops to 17, its lowest level since launch, as fewer altcoins outperform Bitcoin.
  • Altcoin market capitalization has fallen 38% from its all-time high, with $600 billion exiting the market.
  • Experts predict a potential altcoin rally, citing historical cycles and the possibility of a $5T market cap in 2025.
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The Altcoin Season Index by CoinMarketCap (CMC) has fallen to its lowest level since its inception. The number of altcoins delivering better performance than Bitcoin has significantly declined.

Altcoin market capitalization (TOTAL2) has plummeted by 38% from its all-time high (ATH), with $600 billion exiting the market. Despite this, many analysts remain optimistic.

Only 17 Altcoins Outperformed BTC in the Last 90 Days

CMC’s Altcoin Season Index provides real-time insights into whether the crypto market is currently in an Altcoin Season. The index is based on the performance of the top 100 altcoins relative to Bitcoin over the past 90 days.

The index stands at 17 at the time of writing. This means that only 17 altcoins have outperformed Bitcoin in the last three months.

Altcoin Season Index
Altcoin Season Index Chart. Source: CoinMarketCap

Meanwhile, CZ—the former CEO of Binance, the exchange that owns CMC—has suggested that an index level of 50 or higher is a positive sign.

“I think this is a tough ranking system. 50 is probably a really good score,” CZ commented.

Therefore, a level of 17 is alarming. It is also the lowest point since the index was introduced.

A separate Altcoin Season Index by Blockchain Center currently stands at 29. This index assumes that if 75% of the top 50 coins outperform Bitcoin in the last 90 days, it is considered an Altcoin Season. On March 7, the index even dropped to 10—the lowest level since October 2024.

Altcoin Season Index. Source: Blockchain Center
Altcoin Season Index. Source: Blockchain Center

These declining indices align with a significant drop in altcoin market capitalization. The total altcoin market cap has fallen by 38%, from its ATH of $1.64 trillion to around $1 trillion.

Analysts Remain Optimistic Despite the Sharp Decline

However, market analyst Master of Crypto, who has been active since 2016, believes that this downturn signals a promising future.

“The Altcoin Season Index has fallen to its lowest since October 2024. Interestingly, the last time the index was this low, altcoins staged an impressive rally. While each dip may worry new investors, those who hold on usually see significant returns,” Master of Crypto predicted.

Bitcoin investor Coinvo, active since 2017, also believes that current market volatility is not concerning but rather a repetition of previous cycles.

Altcoin MarketCap Performance. Source: Coinvo
Altcoin MarketCap Performance. Source: Coinvo

Coinvo observes that altcoin market capitalization expansions in 2017 and 2021 could repeat in 2025. According to Coinvo’s chart, the altcoin market cap could surge to $5 trillion in 2025—more than triple its current level.

Additionally, Ki Young Ju, CEO of CryptoQuant, offers a redefined perspective on Altcoin Season. He argues that the old Altcoin Season theory no longer applies. Instead, the new Altcoin Season will primarily direct capital into stablecoins or widely accepted altcoins rather than smaller, speculative tokens.

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Nhat Hoang
Nhat Hoang is a journalist at BeInCrypto who writes about macroeconomic events, crypto market trends, altcoins, and meme coins. With experience tracking and observing the market since 2018, he is able to grasp the stories in the market and express them in an accessible way to new investors. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Japanese from Ho Chi Minh City University of Pedagogy.
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