The first true altcoin season can be traced back to 2017, an era when the crypto market was dominated by Bitcoin, but a surge of alternative cryptocurrencies (altcoins) began to carve out their own space. This period saw the meteoric rise of Ethereum, which solidified its role as the king of smart contracts, along with Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), and a host of other projects that captured investor imagination. Speculative frenzy was the driving force—an explosion of ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings) and the dream of “getting in early” propelled altcoins to unprecedented heights. For a brief, euphoric period, Bitcoin’s dominance shrank, and altcoins were the stars of the show. But the lesson was clear: as quickly as they rose, most altcoins crashed even faster, exposing the market’s speculative nature and the importance of timing exits.
In 2025, can we still speak of an “altseason” with Bitcoin dominance looming large? Yes, but with important caveats. Unlike 2017, the altcoin market is now far more sophisticated, with clear sectors like DeFi (Decentralized Finance), NFTs, gaming, and layer-2 solutions. The winners are not just random coins with good marketing but projects with strong utility, solid teams, and active ecosystems. Altseason today is not a tidal wave lifting all boats but rather a targeted surge favoring quality projects.
For traders, the key metrics to watch are Bitcoin’s dominance index, Ethereum’s performance against BTC (ETH/BTC pair), and the total market capitalization excluding Bitcoin (TOTAL2). Sharp declines in Bitcoin dominance often signal the start of an altseason. Survival for altcoins in this relentless bull market is about more than hype—they must offer true value, solve real problems, and maintain active communities. In 2025, the altcoins that thrive will be those that can adapt, innovate, and build, even as Bitcoin asserts its dominance.
