## Altcoin Season Index at 18 – What It Means for Your Investment Decisions

The cryptocurrency market hears it everywhere: questions about when the next altcoin boom will begin. The answer lies in a number that speaks louder than a thousand articles – the **Altcoin Season Index** remains at just 18 points. What does such stagnation mean for your strategy? History is more nuanced than it might seem.

## How does the seasonality indicator mechanism work?

**Altcoin Season Index** is a barometer of capital rotation in the digital asset market. Developed by CoinMarketCap, it measures the performance of 100 major cryptocurrency projects (excluding stablecoins and wrapped tokens) against Bitcoin over a 90-day horizon. The math is elegant: when 75% of these projects outperform BTC in a given period, an “altcoin season” is declared. A low score, like the current 18 points, indicates the opposite – Bitcoin, which absorbs attention and institutional capital.

## Why is the market stuck in Bitcoin dominance?

The number 18 is not accidental. Bitcoin attracts institutional investors through products like Spot Bitcoin ETF, and at the same time acts as a “safe haven” during macroeconomic uncertainty. Altcoins, with higher risk profiles, lose competitiveness. When market caution prevails, capital gathers around the largest cryptocurrency, leaving smaller projects in the shadow. What does this mean for you? The fact that the broad risk appetite is currently subdued.

## Practical approach to strategy in current conditions

Instead of waiting passively, professional market participants act decisively:

**Building long-term positions** – low altcoin prices resulting from the low index can be an opportunity to accumulate projects that develop fundamentally, regardless of short-term seasonal trends.

**Focusing on Bitcoin** – when the index is 18, market trends favor BTC. Increasing exposure to Bitcoin or Bitcoin-related products aligns with the current momentum.

**Monitoring turning points** – watch when the index approaches 25 or 50. A sustained increase would indicate the beginning of capital rotation between BTC and altcoins.

## Catalysts for potential change

Market history shows patterns. The **Altcoin Season Index** usually rises after a Bitcoin stabilization phase, when investors seek higher returns. Additional factors could include:

- Breakthrough updates in major altcoin ecosystems (e.g., Ethereum)
- Revival in the decentralized finance sector (DeFi)
- Positive regulatory developments for specific project categories
- Strengthening independent momentum on altcoin charts

The key is to observe when Bitcoin stops attracting all the attention, and other projects start developing autonomously.

## Investor FAQ interpretation

**What does a score of 18 mean?** It signals that very few altcoins outperform Bitcoin. The market is in a “Bitcoin season” phase, where BTC is the main focus of capital.

**Where to track the current index?** CoinMarketCap regularly publishes data. Search for “Altcoin Season Index” on cryptocurrency data aggregators.

**Is it a bad time to buy?** Not necessarily for long-term investors – prices are lower. However, short-term traders should wait for the index to rise above 75.

**What threshold indicates the start of the season?** The magic number is 75 – then officially 75% of the top altcoins outperform Bitcoin.

**Are meme coins included?** Yes, if they are in the top hundred projects by market capitalization (excluding stablecoins).

**How often are updates?** Daily, providing an almost real-time assessment of the dynamics between Bitcoin and the rest of the market.

## Future outlook

The current stagnation of the **Altcoin Season Index** at 18 is not a verdict. It’s more a chapter in the market cycle. Bitcoin will dominate as long as institutional capital sees the greatest value in it – but every cycle has its end. Preparing now means understanding this indicator, nurturing positions in solid altcoin projects, and being ready to act when the index finally rises, signaling new opportunities for the entire sector.