Altcoin Season Index dips to 26: Is Bitcoin dominance fading, or just pausing?

• The Altcoin Season Index fell to 26, showing Bitcoin dominance but leaving room for a future alt pivot.
• A sustained move toward $270B in market cap is key to validating the alt season breakout structure.

The overall cryptocurrency markets saw a slight rebound, but it was altcoins — not Bitcoin [BTC] — that led the charge. Naturally, this sparked speculation of a potential sell-off. However, the data painted a different picture.

Muted exchange inflows signal calm amid volatility

While price swings intensified, the Exchange Inflow Transaction Count for altcoins remained subdued.

On major platforms like Binance, Coinbase, OKX, and Bybit, inflows barely crossed 30,000—well below the 100,000+ peaks seen during past corrections in March and December 2024.

This was unlike the past, where altcoin sell-offs were seen before big corrections.

The flat inflow pattern represented a change in the behavior of the traders, possibly into decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and stablecoin swaps into USDC and USDT.

Source: Julio Moreno/X

It’s quiet… Too quiet

However, when the data only considers the centralized exchanges, it can be misrepresentative of the entire market activity.

The quiet inflow was an indication that holders were not scrambling to sell positions yet. This indicated fewer panics and a potential longer-term buying.

With the uncertainty from geopolitical tensions, the Fear and Greed Index at 52 indicated that sentiment had reset to neutral following the severe flush that took most cryptos in the red.

This was an indication that panic was subsiding, and clean-up efforts were being done.

Source: CoinMarketCap

The neutral level was neither an indication of excessive greed nor fear but rather a sign of cautious optimism. The recent volatility and liquidation-driven declines led to a reset of the markets.

Can the altcoin season index flip?

A look into the Altcoin Season Index showed the metric declined back to 26 after being in the 30s previously.

This indicated that Bitcoin still dominated recent volatility. However, altcoins weren’t entirely sidelined—some signs of recovery emerged.

If the index crosses above 50, it would confirm a stronger altcoin trend. For now, the scale tipped toward Bitcoin, but the dynamic could shift quickly.

Source: CoinMarketCap

Déjà vu? 2025 mirrors 2021’s pattern

Winding up, the comparison of the Altcoin Season 2021 and 2025 showed one common thing after another, that is, a “double fakeout” slightly below the 1-month moving average, and then a powerful recovery.

Back then, this led to a multi-month altcoin rally.

In 2025, we’ve already seen two sharp wicks beneath $180 billion, both followed by recoveries. The structure is in place, but execution depends on what comes next.

Source: Merlijn The Trader/X

Nevertheless, volume and macro were still absent in 2025. Should the strength gather towards $270B in overall altcoin cap, we may see a breakout.

Nevertheless, the inability to stay above the MA may reject the move. The configuration was in place, although it needed more support and utility-based flows to affirm it.