Trading volumes for altcoins and Bitcoin-alternatives (BTC) have plummeted on major crypto exchanges, demonstrating a clear loss of investor interest.
An analyst named “Darkfost” on the CryptoQuant data platform emphasizes that altcoins are here to stay. Significantly worse performance than Bitcoin (BTC) in advanced bear market.
This outlook is exacerbated by the unfavorable environment for risk-taking caused by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East following the war between the US, Israel and Iran that began on February 28th.
Binance, the largest exchange in the market, Daily altcoin trading volume plummets to $7.7 billion in March 2026This is a fraction of the peaks of 40,000 to 50,000 recorded in October and February 2025.
Combined trading volume on other major exchanges now stands at $18.8 billion, well below the $63 billion to $91 billion during more active periods.
The graph shows the volume spot (Spot) Altcoin trades (in USD) from January 2025 to March 2026. We distinguish between Binance (blue) and the rest of the major exchanges (pink).
Binance Currently accounts for about 40% of the total trading volume of altcoinsstrengthening its dominant role in the retail market.
Volume spikes and market movements
Dirkforst points out that the volume peaks observed in October and February 2025 coincided with the formation of local highs in the cryptocurrency market.
He describes these stages as follows: These are usually associated with periods of FOMO. (Fear of Missing Out), “During this time, investors in a favorable position use the increase in demand as exit liquidity.”
“Despite the current unfavorable environment, it is still important to monitor this type of data,” Dirkforst emphasizes. Historically, the most attractive opportunities occur precisely when market interest is lowest and most investors are on the sidelines.
Market is far from alternative season
The weakness of this volume Point out how far the market is from altseason or altcoin seasona period in which alternative cryptocurrencies generally outperform Bitcoin, with the price of dozens of tokens potentially doubling in a matter of days, according to a report by CriptoNoticias.
The normal movement means that after a phase of capital concentration in Bitcoin, investors direct their profits to assets with smaller market caps in search of more explosive returns.
According to Blockchain Center criteria, an alt season begins when 75% of the top 50 cryptocurrencies (excluding stablecoins) outperform Bitcoin in the past 90 days. Currently, the Altcoin Season Index is at 47 points, confirming that the market remains at «.Bitcoin season«.
The lack of expectations is also reflected in Google searches for “altseason,” which has fallen from a peak of 100 points (August 10 to 16, 2025) to just 4 points now, a further indicator of short-term selling pressure and lack of interest.
(Tag translation) Altcoin
