Key takeaways:

• Majors must stabilise & establish price consolidation before "any sustainable rotation into alts" says Rohit Apte.

• Analyst AO says altcoin season can't start if Bitcoin is in a downtrend.

• Merlijn claims altcoin market cap in same pattern as 2020.

Altcoin season refers to periods when altcoins (cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin) see significant price growth, outperforming Bitcoin.

The crypto market bleeds red as we enter a bear market headed by Bitcoin's 30% fall from its all-time high back in early October.

Crypto analysts on X claim the market is due for an altcoin season as Bitcoin loses dominance.

Analyst Merlijn The Trader posted this chart on X that represents altcoin market capitalisation over the years.

"Same pattern as 2020 and 2019" he claims as altcoin market cap nears key level (red line) similar to the pre-2021 rally.

Altcoin season often occurs after a strong Bitcoin rally, as investors shift capital from Bitcoin to altcoins, leading to a decrease in Bitcoin's dominance.

However, Rohit Apte, Head of Markets at Hex Trust, told Coindesk in an interview:

"For any sustainable rotation into alts, we would first need to see the majors stabilise and establish a price consolidation".

This echoes what analyst AO said on X a few days ago:

According to CoinMarketCap's Altcoin Season Index, altcoin market cap is in decline and nearing its yearly low from April 26th.

Though looking back at Merlijn's chart, April 2025's low preceded a short rally so if patterns repeat themselves, as Merlijn implies, and once majors stabilise and consolidate, as Rohit said, we may be at the doorstep of altseason.

When altcoins boom, prices rise, and Bitcoin is outperformed.

Altcoin season has arrived, but by then it may be too late.