The wait for the start of the altcoin season has been a long one, and even now, this market phenomenon remains elusive to investors. It was expected that after the Bitcoin price hit multiple new all-time highs over the last two years, altcoins would follow. Bitcoin continued to outperform the top altcoins by a large margin, and this blocked the way for the altcoin season to begin. However, with the market recovery, there is now a chance that the altcoin season might begin again.
Altcoin Season Index On The Rise
The Altcoin Season index takes into account the performance of the top 100 altcoins versus the performance of the Bitcoin price. This comparison is then charted and plotted over a 90-day period to show how these large-cap altcoins have performed against the pioneer cryptocurrency.
Depending on the number of altcoins that are outperforming Bitcoin in this 90-day period, the index deduces whether the market is headed into an altcoin season or not. Now, the higher the figure on the index, the higher the chances that an alt season might begin. When there are more than 75 altcoins outperforming the Bitcoin price in a 90-day period, then it is the needed signal that the alt season has begun.
In 2025, the Altcoin Season Index has trended low, mostly below the 50% mark. However, with the recent market recovery over the weekend, the index has now achieved its highest level this year, suggesting that an altcoin season is drawing closer.
According to data from the CoinMarketCap website, the Altcoin Season Index is sitting at a score of 67% at the time of this writing. With 75% being the target, it means that the market just needs another 8 of the top 100 altcoins to outperform Bitcoin to use in an alt season.
What To Expect
Previous market performances have shown altcoin seasons to be a period of explosive rallies for altcoins. The last alt season was categorized by notable rallies such as Dogecoin’s 36,000% rise and Shiba Inu’s legendary rally that saw it temporarily flip Dogecoin.
There was also the DeFi summer during this time that ushered the likes of Fantom, Polygon, and Uniswap into the limelight. Given this, it is expected that the next altcoin season will send existing altcoins flying while giving new narratives a chance to outperform as well.
