Are Altcoins Set for a Run? Traders Split as Bitcoin Retreats

The atmosphere around altcoin season remains uncertain. Some traders view Bitcoin’s (BTC) recent pullback as a sign that altcoins could be ready to rise. Others are more cautious, unsure if a meaningful shift is coming. A few even believe there may be no altcoin season at all in 2025.

Are Altcoins Ready for a Run?

Market analyst Michaël van de Poppe believes concerns about an altcoin downturn are misplaced. He argues that many altcoins are already near their bottoms, and with Bitcoin valuations falling and expectations of renewed money printing, the conditions could favor a relatively smooth and profitable run for altcoin investors over the next 12 to 24 months.

In the past month, some altcoins have seen notable gains. Ethereum is up over 45%, while Solana has grown by around 14%. Despite these rises, they are still trading below the prices seen during the broader crypto rally earlier in the year. For instance, since mid-January, when Donald Trump was sworn in, Solana has dropped more than 41% from its all-time high of $294. Ethereum has declined over 20% from its January peak of $3,438.

However, the recent drop in Bitcoin, which is now trading around $108,000, has sparked optimism among many traders. There’s a belief that BTC’s price movements often set the stage for alternative coins to follow. With Bitcoin easing from its peak, some investors are hopeful that altcoins will soon start gaining momentum.

Traders Weigh the Chances of an Altcoin Rally

Analyst Davinci Jeremie suggested on his X page that Bitcoin has ignited the market, and soon altcoins are expected to drive a much larger surge, building on BTC’s initial move.

Ash Crypto took a more cautious stance. He expects that altcoins might outperform Bitcoin over the coming weeks but doesn’t see it as a major rally. He described it more as a temporary bounce. In his view, a full-scale altcoin season would likely require interest rate cuts and broader economic stimulus—conditions he believes may develop in the second half of 2025.

Another crypto analyst, Moustache, pointed to a key technical signal on Ethereum’s chart that has often marked the start of strong rallies in the altcoin market. According to him, Ethereum has now reclaimed an important level on the two-week Gaussian Channel. In previous cycles, this same move was followed by major gains across altcoins, such as in 2021 and 2024. Moustache believes this could be a sign that an altcoin surge is on the way.

The Numbers Tell a Different Story

Despite the optimism from some corners, data from CoinMarketCap’s Altcoin Season Index tells a different story. The current score is 24 out of 100, suggesting that Bitcoin remains the dominant force. The index reached a high of 87 in December 2024, indicating strong altcoin performance. But by April 2025, it dropped to 12. Over the past month, the index has stayed low, which means BTC has been doing better than most other coins.

Adding further doubt to the alternative coins narrative, an anonymous market analyst has warned against expecting a repeat of past trends. According to this crypto commentator, the conditions that supported the 2021 cycle—such as low interest rates and widespread stimulus—no longer exist. Instead, they pointed to a market now driven by institutional investors who are mainly focused on Bitcoin.

In their view, the current environment doesn’t support a broad-based altcoin revival. Rather than diversifying into smaller tokens like ZIL or ADA, major players are concentrating on BTC, treating it like a digital version of gold. The analyst argued that altcoins have little place in institutional portfolios and likely never will.

For now, the outlook for altcoin season remains uncertain. Some traders are preparing for a breakout, while others are adjusting their strategies to focus on Bitcoin. It is safe to say that economic policy decisions, institutional activity, and market sentiment will likely shape what happens next.