Altcoin Season 2026: Market Cap Breaks $1.07T as Bitcoin Dominance Weakens

Summary

• Altcoin market cap including Ethereum crossed above the $1.07 trillion mark in mid-August.
• XRP and NEAR led $666 million in short liquidations within 24 hours as Bitcoin dominance slipped.
• The Altcoin Season Index remains below the 75 threshold required to confirm a full altseason.

Altcoins broke above the $1.07 trillion mark in mid August. Bitcoin dominance slipped lower at the same time. That shift sparked fresh momentum even though the Altcoin Season Index stays unconfirmed.

XRP jumped 4.13 percent on September 15.

Several altcoins now trade above their 200 day moving averages. Traders see this as an early sign of altcoin strength. The move still falls short of the usual seasonal threshold.

Context

Altcoin market cap stayed below the $1.07 trillion range for months. Bitcoin dominance held steady and kept capital from rotating. The recent break above that level marks the first sustained push since the last cycle top.

Bitcoin dominance has eased in a measured way. This pattern often sets up wider altcoin gains when it holds. Room remains for more rotation if dominance keeps falling.

"Altcoin market cap clears $1.07T as Bitcoin dominance weakens - Is altseason forming?"

, ambcrypto.com (https://ambcrypto.com/crypto-leverage-hits-yearly-high-is-a-bullish-q4-reset-coming/)

Details

XRP and NEAR led the push that forced $666 million in short liquidations in 24 hours. The covering added quick buying pressure across altcoin pairs. Many tokens now sit above their 200 day moving averages per cryptonews.net data.

The Altcoin Season Index still sits below the 75 level needed to call altseason. That index checks whether 75 percent of the top 50 coins beat Bitcoin over the past 90 days. Its current reading shows altcoins gaining ground but lacking full breadth.

TradingView charts place the total crypto market cap excluding Bitcoin in position for growth. Leverage across crypto has hit yearly highs and can magnify moves once dominance trends shift.

Outlook

Traders will watch whether Bitcoin dominance keeps eroding. They will also track if the Altcoin Season Index climbs toward 75 in the coming weeks. Sustained strength above $1.07 trillion in altcoin market cap would back further rotation if those conditions hold.