Bitcoin Reasserts Dominance—Are Altcoins Stuck in Waiting Mode Until May?
BTC bulls are back in the driver’s seat, leaving altcoins choking on dust. After weeks of sideways action, Bitcoin’s latest surge has traders wondering if the ’altseason’ playbook got delayed—again.
Market cycles don’t lie (usually). Historically, altcoin rallies follow Bitcoin’s momentum after a 2-3 month lag. With BTC eating 54% of crypto’s total market cap this week, the math suggests alts might stay sleepy until mid-Q2.
Of course, hedge funds will still pitch you their ’high-conviction altcoin baskets’—just ignore the 2.5% management fees bleeding your returns dry.

In Brief
- Bitcoin dominance reaches 64%, threatening altcoin growth.
- Rekt Capital warns: a return above 64% could limit altcoin season.
- Altcoins struggle to regain their 2021-2022 highs.
Bitcoin dominance: the 64% barrier and its consequences
is a valuable indicator in the crypto industry. Today, it has surpassed, its highest level since 2021, heading towards a key threshold:. If bitcoin manages to maintain this dominance above this level at the end of the month, thecould be compromised, delayed, or even crushed. This is whatstates:
A close above 64% followed by a retest could turn this resistance zone into support.
In other words, once this threshold is crossed,could hold and even push towards historic levels close to, as seen in 2019.
, already under pressure, risk being relegated to the background, limited in their gain potential. And this is despite a strong willingness to see altcoins take off. The bitcoin performance, supported by a more active institutional market, could well crush this momentum.continues:
If dominance remains stable above 64%, altcoins could find themselves in a dead end.
Altcoins struggling: difficult comeback under pressure
When bitcoin shines, altcoins fade. And even ifhas slightly dropped, altcoins struggle to catch up with their past highs. The Bitcoin price recently reached a new historic high close to, but enthusiasm for altcoins has remained timid.
BTCUSD chart by TradingViewhighlights:
Although bitcoin has shown resilience, many altcoins have not regained their 2021 and 2022 highs.
continue to suffer, with declines exceedingon some projects.
Theis striking: major names like Solana (SOL) or XRP are experiencing some growth, but they cannot catch the momentum of bitcoin. Asreminds us, “altcoins are entering an early phase of Altseason” — a phase marked by small increases.
But these performances remain very limited.warns:
Bitcoin dominance remains one of the crucial factors to watch.
Altcoins, despite a resurgence of interest, still have to overcome this major obstacle: the omnipresence of bitcoin in the market. A few price increases are not enough for theto truly take off.
Altcoin Window: a last chance before the door closes?
Thecould however persist, provided thatfluctuates around.mentions the possibility of a brief ““. This short respite could allow altcoins to recover some ground, but this window seems to be closing faster as bitcoin strengthens its position.
The gap betweenand smaller ones is now more pronounced than ever. However, increased volatility coupled with persistent bitcoin dominance makes a true rise for altcoins difficult. Ashighlights:
Altcoin dominance remains concentrated on the top 10, representing nearly 64% of the total traded volume.
A sign that even if liquidity is moving to other tokens, a large share remains reserved for.
So it seems that although altcoins still have a chance, thethreshold could well become a point of no return for their ambitions.
In December 2024, an altseason triggered by stablecoins had captivated analysts, but today, bitcoin still dominates. If bitcoin dominance closes April above 64%, the space for an altcoin season is likely to shrink rapidly. May could clarify whether altcoins will get their chance or if bitcoin will keep the upper hand.
Maximize your Cointribune experience with our "Read to Earn" program! For every article you read, earn points and access exclusive rewards. Sign up now and start earning benefits.