Altcoin Index

Measure altcoin performance relative to Bitcoin and detect when altseason begins or ends.

What is Altcoin Index?

Altcoin Index tracks the aggregate performance of altcoins relative to Bitcoin over time. It answers one of the most critical questions in crypto trading: are altcoins outperforming or underperforming BTC right now? This distinction fundamentally changes how you should position your portfolio and which assets deserve your attention.

Crypto markets move in cycles. There are periods when Bitcoin dominates and altcoins bleed against it, and there are altseasons when capital rotates from BTC into altcoins, producing outsized returns in smaller assets. Altcoin Index makes these rotations visible by aggregating relative performance data into a single, easy-to-read metric.

Understanding where you are in the BTC-vs-altcoin cycle is essential for capital allocation. Trading altcoins during a Bitcoin dominance phase means fighting the trend. Sitting in BTC during altseason means missing the biggest movers. Altcoin Index helps you stay on the right side of this rotation.

Key Concepts

• Altseason: A period when altcoins broadly outperform Bitcoin — capital rotates from BTC into alts
• Bitcoin Dominance Phase: A period when BTC outperforms most altcoins — capital consolidates into Bitcoin
• Relative Performance: How altcoins perform compared to BTC, not in absolute USD terms
• Rotation Signal: When the index shifts direction, indicating a potential cycle transition

How to Use Altcoin Index

1. Open Altcoin Index from the sidebar under Analysis Tools
2. Review the index chart to see the current reading and its trend direction
3. Identify the current market regime: rising index means altcoins outperforming BTC, falling index means BTC outperforming
4. Compare the current level to historical ranges to gauge how far into the current cycle the market has progressed

What to Look For

• Bullish signals (for alts): Index rising from low levels indicates early altseason. Sustained uptrend in the index with accelerating momentum suggests altcoins are gaining strength against BTC.
• Bearish signals (for alts): Index declining from high levels indicates capital rotating back to BTC. A sharp reversal from elevated levels can signal the end of altseason.
• Key patterns: The index tends to move in multi-week to multi-month trends. Look for trend changes at historical extremes. Prolonged flat readings often precede sharp directional moves.
• Combine with: EMA Heatmap to identify which specific altcoins are leading the rotation, Visual Screener for real-time positioning data, Funding Heatmap to gauge altcoin leverage levels

Supported Exchanges

Tips

• Altcoin Index is a macro tool — it works best for portfolio allocation decisions over days and weeks, not for intraday scalping
• When the index is at extremes, consider rebalancing: high readings suggest altcoins may be overextended, low readings suggest they may be undervalued relative to BTC
• Not all altcoins move together — use Altcoin Index for broad market positioning, then use other DCT tools to select specific coins within the trend