The altcoin market is hovering at a crucial support level after pumps and sharp corrections. With a total market capitalisation of $3.61 trillion, Bitcoin's dominance mirrors that of 2019. Macroeconomic and regulatory hurdles continue to keep the market in a prolonged accumulation phase.
Bitcoin continues to absorb available liquidity in the crypto market, with a dominance level reminiscent of Q3 2019, just before the first real breakthrough in favor of altcoins. This dynamic creates increasing pressure on altcoin that struggle to maintain their gains.
After the recent correction that pushed BTC below $110,000, bulls managed to stabilize the price and prevent a downward cascade. This consolidation allows altcoins to temporarily breathe, with modest increases observed across the sector. However, as long as Bitcoin’s dominance remains high, altcoins remain under structural pressure.
The analogy with 2019 presents a fundamental difference, however: the mature DeFi ecosystem and layer 2 solutions now offer much stronger fundamentals. Staking yields, liquidity protocols, and technical infrastructure represent structural catalysts that were absent during the previous cycle. This solid foundation could transform the next capital rotation into a sustainable movement rather than a simple ephemeral pump.
The current cycle, initiated in early 2024, is distinguished by three distinct phases of pumps followed by brutal corrections. This fragmented structure prevents the establishment of a true sustained bullish trend for altcoins.
The first phase in Q1 2024 saw a temporary return of liquidity before global monetary tightening resumed. Altcoins briefly rallied before surrendering their gains in the face of macro contraction. The second wave between November and December 2024 coincided with a correction in gold, temporarily diverting capital toward cryptocurrencies. Altcoins took advantage of this narrow window before falling back.
The third rise between May and August 2025 was supported by Ethereum’s unexpected rally, fueled by inflows into ETFs and institutional treasury allocations. Yet even this dynamic was insufficient to maintain momentum. Each time, the reaffirmation of Bitcoin dominance or tightening macro liquidity interrupted the altcoins’ bullish movement. This repetition creates a frustrating market structure for altcoin holders, but it also builds a solid technical base for a future breakout.
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For the market capitalization of altcoins to sustainably cross the critical level of $1.7 trillion, several macroeconomic conditions must converge simultaneously.
The end of quantitative tightening and the return of quantitative easing constitute the first major prerequisite. Without massive liquidity injection into the global financial system, risky assets like altcoins cannot maintain a prolonged bullish trend. Interest rate cuts would also play a decisive role in restoring risk appetite and reducing the opportunity cost of holding cryptocurrencies rather than bonds.
The stabilization of precious metals, particularly gold and silver, would reduce competition for capital from investors seeking protection against inflation. The acceleration of real asset tokenization would bring concrete utility and attract institutional capital to the blockchain ecosystem.
Finally, approval of altcoin ETFs, especially for Ethereum and other major projects, represents the regulatory catalyst that is still missing. These financial products would open the floodgates for institutional allocations and replicate the effect observed with Bitcoin spot ETFs. Only the simultaneous convergence of these factors will allow altcoins to move from fragmented rallies to a coherent and sustainable bullish phase.
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Charles Ledoux is a Bitcoin and blockchain technology specialist. A graduate of the Crypto Academy, he has been a Bitcoin miner for over a year. He has written numerous masterclasses to educate newcomers to the industry and has authored over 2,000 articles on cryptocurrency. Now, he aims to share his passion for crypto through his articles for InvestX.
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