Altcoin Season Index: When Does Altseason Start?

The Altcoin Season Index, also called the altseason index or alt season index, measures how broadly major altcoins are outperforming Bitcoin.

Altcoin season has no fixed start date. Instead of following one token or sector, the index compares performance across a basket of cryptocurrencies to show whether market leadership is shifting toward altcoins.

Altcoin Season Index Current Value

As of October 27, 2026, both indexes are in neutral territory, below the 75-point threshold for altcoin season.

The readings differ because the providers track different groups of cryptocurrencies. Neither reading currently confirms broad altcoin outperformance at the level required for altcoin season.

This snapshot is updated monthly. Follow the linked charts for the latest readings between updates.

What Is Altcoin Season (Alt Season)?

Altcoin season, or altseason, is a market period when a broad range of altcoins outperforms Bitcoin.

The key word is broad. A rally in ETH, SOL, or a handful of memecoins is not enough on its own. Altseason implies that stronger performance is spreading across a meaningful share of the altcoin market.

Bitcoin does not need to fall for this to happen. BTC can still rise during altseason — altcoins simply need to rise faster.

What Is the Altcoin Season Index?

The Altcoin Season Index measures how many major altcoins are outperforming Bitcoin over a set period.

The index runs from 0 to 100:

• 0–25: Bitcoin Season
• 26–74: Neutral territory
• 75–100: Altcoin Season

A higher score means more altcoins are beating BTC. A reading above 75 is commonly used as the threshold for a confirmed altcoin season.

How Is the Altcoin Season Index Calculated?

The index compares the 90-day performance of major altcoins against Bitcoin.

Most major versions use this same basic approach, but they do not track exactly the same assets.

Stablecoins and certain wrapped or asset-backed tokens are excluded. Because the indexes use different baskets of assets, their scores can differ even on the same day.

When Is Altcoin Season?

Altcoin season is generally considered confirmed when the Altcoin Season Index reaches 75 or higher.

That means at least 75% of the coins tracked by the index have outperformed Bitcoin over the previous 90 days. There is no fixed date or schedule for altseason — it depends on how market leadership shifts between BTC and the broader altcoin market.

The 75 level is a confirmation signal, not a prediction. By the time the index reaches it, altcoins may already have been outperforming Bitcoin for weeks.

Altcoin Season vs Bitcoin Season

The difference comes down to which side of the market is outperforming: Bitcoin or altcoins.

Bitcoin Season does not necessarily mean altcoins are falling, just as Altcoin Season does not require Bitcoin to decline. The distinction is about relative performance: which part of the crypto market is gaining faster.

How to Read the Altcoin Season Index

The index is best used as a measure of market rotation, not as a forecast.

A low reading shows Bitcoin leading most of the market. A move toward 50 means performance is becoming more balanced, while a sustained rise toward 75 suggests altcoin leadership is broadening.

The direction also matters. An index climbing from 25 to 60 can show a meaningful shift toward altcoins even before the market officially reaches the 75 threshold. At the same time, a reading above 75 does not guarantee that altcoins will keep rising.

Because the index uses trailing 90-day returns, it reacts to moves that have already happened. Different providers also track different groups of coins, so the exact score should be treated as context rather than a standalone trading signal.

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Altseason Indicators: Bitcoin and Altcoin Dominance

Altseason becomes more convincing when broad altcoin outperformance is supported by falling Bitcoin dominance, strength in ETH/BTC, wider trading activity, and stablecoin-funded buying.

Bitcoin dominance measures BTC’s share of total crypto market capitalization. A declining share can accompany stronger altcoin performance, but the composition of the remaining market matters.

Stablecoins can distort dominance signals. Because they are included in many total-market calculations, their growth can reduce Bitcoin’s share without a broad altcoin rally.

Stablecoin inflows to exchanges indicate available buying power, rather than completed altcoin purchases. Exchange buying-power metrics therefore need to be read alongside trading activity. Buying an altcoin with USDT does not necessarily reduce stablecoin supply—the seller receives that USDT.

These indicators support interpretation. The index itself measures how broadly altcoins have outperformed BTC over its lookback period.

Is It Altcoin Season Right Now?

As of October 27, 2026, the latest checked readings do not confirm altcoin season: both indexes remain below the 75-point threshold.

Under the common index definition, at least 75% of the eligible coins must outperform Bitcoin over the preceding 90 days. A rally limited to Ethereum, one sector, or a handful of memecoins does not establish that breadth.

A developing rotation becomes more convincing when more altcoins start beating BTC, spot trading activity spreads, and altcoin market share excluding stablecoins expands. These changes can emerge before the index reaches 75.

Will There Be an Alt Season in 2026?

An altseason could still develop before the end of 2026, but current readings cannot establish whether or when that will happen.

The useful question is whether leadership is broadening and persisting. A rising index can support that interpretation; crossing 75 confirms that its historical performance condition has been met. It does not guarantee further gains.

What Happened in Previous Altcoin Seasons?

Earlier cycles show how different forms of adoption and speculation can expand altcoin participation:

• 2017–early 2018: The ICO boom attracted attention and capital to Ethereum-based tokens and other projects. In CoinGecko’s historical series, Bitcoin dominance fell from 87.2% at the start of 2017 to 31.1% in January 2018. The subsequent bear market reversed much of that enthusiasm
• 2021: DeFi, NFTs, and alternative blockchains supported several waves of activity. Across the year, ETH gained approximately 403%, compared with Bitcoin’s 62.6%, according to the 2021 market report

These were uneven cycles with rallies, corrections, and changing sector leaders. They illustrate possible patterns of rotation rather than a timetable that 2026 must follow.