Alt season – short for “altcoin season” – is a recurring market phenomenon in the cryptocurrency ecosystem during which a broad basket of altcoins (any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin) rises sharply in value, with their collective price appreciation outpacing Bitcoin over a defined measurement window. The most widely cited quantitative benchmark comes from Blockchain Center’s Altcoin Season Index: if 75% or more of the top 50 cryptocurrencies (excluding stablecoins and asset-backed tokens such as Wrapped Bitcoin) have outperformed Bitcoin over the preceding 90 days, the market is formally in “altcoin season.” Conversely, if fewer than 25% of those coins beat Bitcoin, the index flags a “Bitcoin season.” Alt season is not a random event but tends to emerge from identifiable macro conditions: Bitcoin has often rallied first and stabilised, drawing in retail capital that then rotates into higher-risk, higher-reward altcoins in search of outsized returns. The phenomenon was first widely observed in 2017–2018 during the ICO boom, when Bitcoin’s market dominance fell from approximately 86% to 39%, and recurred powerfully in 2020–2021 when DeFi protocols, meme coins (Dogecoin, Shiba Inu), and layer-1 alternatives drove another collapse in BTC dominance from roughly 70% to 38%.
Происхождение и история
Время
События
2009
Bitcoin launches as the sole cryptocurrency; the concept of “altcoins” does not yet exist.
2011
Litecoin and Namecoin launch, creating the first true altcoins and the precondition for an alt season.
2017 Q4
The first major documented alt season: Bitcoin dominance falls from ~86% to ~39% as the ICO boom drives Ethereum, Ripple, and hundreds of altcoins to all-time highs.
В начале 2018
Alt season peaks; total altcoin market cap reaches record levels before the broader crypto bear market begins.
2019
Blockchain Center launches the Altcoin Season Index, formalising the 75%-of-top-50-over-90-days definition.
2020-2021
Second major alt season driven by DeFi summer (2020), meme coins, and NFT mania; BTC dominance falls from ~70% to ~38%; Dogecoin gains over 12,000% in 2021.
2021 Q2
Ethereum hits an all-time high above $4,800; Solana, Cardano, Binance Coin, and dozens of altcoins set records.
2024-2026
Post-Bitcoin ETF approval cycle; analysts debate whether a new alt season has begun as ETH and SOL rally.
“During altcoin season, money flows from Bitcoin into smaller coins like water finding every crack – discipline is what separates traders who profit from those who get caught at the top.”
Как это работает
Bitcoin rallies → BTC dominance high │ ▼ BTC stabilises / consolidates │ ▼ Retail & institutional capital seeks higher returns │ ▼ Capital rotates into large-cap alts (ETH, BNB, SOL, ADA…) │ ▼ Large-cap alts rally → momentum builds │ ▼ Capital cascades into mid- & small-cap alts (DeFi tokens, L2s, meme coins…) │ ▼ 75%+ of Top 50 outperform BTC over 90 days │ ▼ ┌─────────────┐ │ ALT SEASON │ ← Altcoin Season Index ≥ 75 └─────────────┘ │ ▼ Profit-taking → capital returns to BTC │ ▼ ┌───────────────┐ │ BITCOIN SEASON│ ← Index ≤ 25 └───────────────┘ “`
Метрика
Биткойн-сезон
Нейтральная зона
Альтернативный сезон
Индекс сезона альткойнов
0-25
26-74
75-100
BTC Dominance trend
Rising
Плоский (XNUMXD)
Падение
Производительность альткойнов
Lagging BTC
смешанный
Outpacing BTC
Typical retail sentiment
Fear / BTC accumulation
Осторожный оптимизм
Euphoria / FOMO
Уровень риска
Средняя
Средняя
High (late-stage)
Простыми словами
Imagine Bitcoin as a large river and altcoins as smaller streams: in alt season, water (money) overflows the main river and rushes into every channel it can find.
Investors who made gains on Bitcoin during its rally start looking for the “next Bitcoin” – they move into Ethereum, Solana, and smaller coins hoping for bigger percentage returns.
As more money pours in, prices rise rapidly, which attracts even more attention via social media, creating a self-reinforcing FOMO cycle.
The Altcoin Season Index (0–100) gives a real-time score: above 75 means most top altcoins are beating Bitcoin, signalling an active alt season; below 25 means Bitcoin is dominating.
Alt seasons typically end when profit-taking accelerates, retail euphoria peaks, or a macro shock (regulatory news, exchange collapse) causes investors to flee back to Bitcoin or fiat.
Примеры из реального мира
Сценарий
Реализация
Результат
2017 ICO boom alt season
Ethereum’s ERC-20 standard enabled hundreds of ICO token launches; retail investors piled into altcoins
BTC dominance dropped from ~86% to ~39%; many alts gained 1,000%+ before crashing in 2018
2021 DeFi & meme coin alt season
Uniswap, Aave, Dogecoin, and Shiba Inu attracted billions; BTC dominance fell from ~70% to ~38%
Dogecoin rose ~12,000% in 2021; Shiba Inu gained over 40,000,000% from its 2020 launch price
Trader rotation strategy
An investor moves 30% of BTC holdings into a diversified altcoin basket when ASI crosses 75
Captures alt season upside while retaining BTC core position as hedge
Exchange volume surge
Major exchanges (Binance, Coinbase) see altcoin spot trading volume exceed BTC volume during alt season
Fee revenue spikes; new users onboard primarily to trade trending altcoins
Преимущества
Преимущества
Описание
Более высокий потенциал возврата
Altcoins can post percentage gains multiples larger than Bitcoin during alt season, creating outsized profit opportunities.
Диверсификация портфеля
Spreading exposure across multiple chains and sectors reduces single-asset concentration risk.
В центре внимания инновации
Alt seasons draw attention to genuine technological advances in Defi,Уровень 2, AI tokens, and other niches.
Market maturing signal
Repeated alt seasons reflect growing ecosystem depth and investor sophistication beyond Bitcoin maximalism.
Quantifiable timing tool
The Altcoin Season Index provides a data-driven, objective signal rather than relying purely on sentiment.
Недостатки и риски
Снижение
Описание
Крайняя волатильность
Altcoins can lose 80–95% of their peak value within months once alt season ends, far exceeding typical BTC drawdowns.
Ковры тянет и аферы
The influx of speculative capital during alt season attracts fraudulent projects designed to exit-scam investors.
Иллюзия ликвидности
Thin order books on smaller altcoins mean large sell orders can collapse prices instantly once momentum reverses.
FOMO-driven mistakes
Euphoria causes investors to buy at local tops, resulting in significant losses when the cycle turns.
Regulatory crackdown risk
High-profile altcoin gains attract regulatory scrutiny; enforcement actions can puncture alt season abruptly.
Советы по управлению рисками
Use the Altcoin Season Index (blockchaincenter.net) as a neutral data point – enter positions early in the cycle, not at peak euphoria.
Set predetermined take-profit targets (e.g., 2x, 5x) and use trailing stop-loss orders to lock in gains automatically.
Avoid allocating more than you can afford to lose entirely to small-cap altcoins; maintain a BTC or stablecoin reserve.
Research fundamentals before buying: team credibility, token economics, on-chain activity, and audit history matter even during bull markets.
Watch Bitcoin dominance charts alongside price – a sharp dominance reversal is often the earliest warning that alt season is ending.
FAQ
How is alt season officially defined?
The most widely used definition comes from Blockchain Center’s Altcoin Season Index: if 75% or more of the top 50 cryptocurrencies (excluding stablecoins and asset-backed tokens) have outperformed Bitcoin over the last 90 days, it is considered altcoin season.
How long does an alt season typically last?
Duration varies widely. The 2017–2018 alt season lasted several months; the 2020–2021 cycle had multiple mini alt-season waves over roughly 12 months. There is no fixed duration – conditions depend on macro liquidity, sentiment, and Bitcoin’s own price behaviour.
Does alt season always follow a Bitcoin rally?
Historically, yes – Bitcoin tends to lead the market cycle, rally first, then stabilise, and capital rotates into alts. However, this pattern is not guaranteed and may compress or invert in maturing markets.
Which altcoins perform best during alt season?
Performance varies by cycle. In 2017, Ethereum and ICO tokens led; in 2021, DeFi tokens, Solana, Cardano, and meme coins dominated. Narrative and technology themes drive which sectors outperform each cycle.
Can Bitcoin and altcoins rise at the same time?
Yes, briefly – in early bull markets, everything can rise together. Alt season specifically describes the phase when altcoins outperform Bitcoin on a relative percentage basis, not necessarily when Bitcoin is falling in absolute terms.
Совет от UEEx: Bookmark the Altcoin Season Index at blockchaincenter.net and check it weekly during bull markets. A reading above 75 signals active alt season – but the best risk-adjusted entries are often made when the index first crosses 50 on its way up, before peak euphoria.
Предупреждение: Данная информация предназначена исключительно для образовательных целей и не является финансовой консультацией.
