Altcoins Have Returned to the Zone That Triggered the Last Altseason
The altcoin sector is once again returning to one of the most important zones of the past few years - the same area that marked the beginning of the altcoin cycle back in 2019.
Summary:
- OTHERS/BTC is once again around 0.12.
- The same level stopped the decline in 2019.
- The Altcoin Season Index is at 41/100.
- RSI is approaching historically oversold levels.
- The last similar setup preceded a major altcoin rally.
- BTC consolidation around $80,000 is also helping.
Before looking at the chart itself, it’s important to clarify what it actually measures. OTHERS/BTC represents the ratio between the total market capitalization of altcoins and Bitcoin.
It doesn’t simply show whether altcoins are rising – it shows whether they are beginning to outperform BTC.
If Bitcoin rises while OTHERS/BTC rises at the same time, that means altcoins are growing faster than BTC – one of the early signs of a strengthening altcoin market.
Why the 0.12 Zone Is So Important
At the moment, the ratio is once again sitting around 0.12 – the same area that stopped the prolonged decline of altcoins in 2019 after the end of the 2017 bull market.
It was precisely from these levels that the major altcoin rally of 2020–2021 began.
Analyst MikybullCrypto shared the chart with the comment:
Look at this chart and tell me a bull market for altcoins isn’t coming.
The reason traders are watching this zone so closely is that the structure is increasingly starting to resemble the previous cycle.
In both cases, the market went through a long downward channel followed by stabilization around the same historical levels.
The difference now is that the current decline lasted longer and the pressure on altcoins was stronger. Historically, such periods often lead to sharper moves once the trend begins to reverse.
The Altcoin Season Index Is Also Starting to Rise
At the same time, CoinMarketCap’s Altcoin Season Index is gradually beginning to show a shift in market structure and momentum among altcoins.
The index measures what percentage of the top 100 cryptocurrencies have outperformed Bitcoin over the past 90 days.
A value above 75 is officially considered the beginning of an altseason, meaning that most of the market is outperforming BTC.
Conversely, readings below 25 usually indicate strong Bitcoin dominance and weaker interest in altcoins.
Currently, the index stands at 41. For comparison, it was 34 a month ago and just 39 a week ago.
This means the indicator has been steadily rising for several consecutive weeks without any major reversal or sharp loss of momentum.
The move itself still does not confirm that altseason has already started, but it increasingly resembles the early phase in which capital gradually begins flowing into riskier crypto assets outside of Bitcoin.
Historically, these periods have often been the most important for positioning because major altcoin rallies usually begin before the index officially crosses above 75.
The Two Signals Are Starting to Point in the Same Direction
The combination of these two signals is increasingly drawing the attention of analysts.
What’s most interesting is that OTHERS/BTC and the Altcoin Season Index measure different things, yet they are currently starting to give a similar signal.
OTHERS/BTC reflects the broader market structure and whether altcoins are sitting near an important historical zone.
The Altcoin Season Index measures current momentum and whether more individual coins are beginning to outperform BTC.
Right now, both indicators are gradually improving at the same time. A very similar combination appeared before the strong altcoin cycle of 2020–2021.
That does not automatically mean a new altseason has already begun, but it does suggest that conditions are gradually aligning in that direction.
What Could Confirm a New Altseason
The counterargument remains that the index already reached 78 in September 2025 without leading to the massive altcoin rally the market saw in 2020–2021.
This shows that a reading above 75 alone is not enough.
For a stronger altseason to develop, Bitcoin usually needs to enter a consolidation phase or continue rising at a more moderate pace instead of completely dominating the market.
At the moment, BTC is trading around $80,000 and is beginning to face stronger resistance around the 200-day moving average.
Periods like these often allow altcoins to gradually catch up.
Confirmation of a stronger altcoin move would be:
The Altcoin Season Index rising above 60 in the coming weeks
While OTHERS/BTC remains above the 0.12 zone
The opposite scenario would be the index falling back below 35. That would suggest the current rise was only a temporary recovery rather than the beginning of a larger market shift.
The information presented in this article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or trading advice. Coinspress.com does not promote or advocate for any particular investment strategy, asset, or cryptocurrency project. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile and unpredictable – always perform your own research and seek guidance from a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.
Kosta Gushterov
Reporter at CoinsPress
Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem. To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem. His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.
