Altcoin Season Index reaches its highest level in 3 months: What does this mean for the market in 2026?

In early January 2026, the Altcoin Season Index rose to 55, marking the highest level in the past three months. Although this figure is not yet sufficient to confirm a true Altcoin Season, experts interpret it as a sign that momentum is being accumulated, opening prospects for a strong rally of alternative cryptocurrencies.

The rising Altcoin Season Index reflects increasing strength of altcoins

The Altcoin Season Index is used to measure the period when (altcoins) outperform Bitcoin. By definition, a true Altcoin Season occurs when at least 75% of the top 50 cryptocurrencies (excluding stablecoins) outperform Bitcoin over a 90-day period.

Altcoin Season Index | Source: Blockchaincenter.net With the current score of 55, this index indicates that the strength of altcoins is growing, but it is still not enough to confirm an official Altcoin Season. However, many signals in the market are reinforcing expectations of a new growth cycle for altcoins. A recent analyst noted that the OTHERS/BTC index has bottomed out and is showing signs of breakout. Based on observations from previous cycles, similar conditions often precede significant growth phases of altcoins.

Simon Dedic, founder of Moonrock Capital, shared: “The altcoin market is currently moving as forecasted. I believe that momentum will continue to increase strongly toward the end of Q1 and mid-Q2, laying the groundwork for a major breakout and price acceleration. When liquidity and business cycles synchronize, this process will happen faster. 2026 will witness the return of Altcoin Season.”

Previously, Coinphoton also pointed out three key signals indicating the potential emergence of Altcoin Season in 2026: bullish divergences on weekly charts of altcoins, a breakout in altcoin dominance outside the top 10, and high trading volume of altcoins despite modest price increases.

Joao Wedson, founder and CEO of Alphractal, offers a different perspective by analyzing capital flows in the market. He states that small Altcoin Seasons appear approximately every 48 hours, with performance shifts between Bitcoin and altcoins occurring continuously every 12 hours.

“Sometimes BTC leads the trend, then altcoins follow. This rotation is how market makers optimize asset accumulation by shifting capital between BTC and altcoins.”

Expectations for Altcoin Season fuel discussions on leading trends

As confidence in an upcoming Altcoin Season grows, investors are beginning to focus on sectors with potential to lead the market if this cycle materializes. According to Kate Miller, meme coins could create millionaires during the next Altcoin Season, although only a few are expected to deliver extraordinary returns.

“Meme coins will create millionaires in the next Altcoin Season, but only a few could increase over 100 times.”

Since the beginning of 2026, meme coins have generally performed positively, aligning with the overall market growth. Despite recent adjustments, the sector still shows growth, with most top tokens increasing in value over the past week.

In another development, data from Artemis Analytics shows that tokens in the AI sector (AI) are leading the altcoin group. The AI industry has emerged as one of the most active sectors this year, with a 20.9% increase in average market capitalization, completely diluting since the start of the year. This positions AI as one of the most prominent areas in cryptocurrency, second only to the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Cryptocurrency market performance by sector | Source: Artemis Additionally, BeInCrypto’s analysis indicates that tokens from decentralized exchanges (DEX) are also prime candidates to become early leaders in the next Altcoin Season. DEXs are experiencing increasing acceptance, with a growing share of spot and futures trading volume compared to centralized exchanges.

Notably, major investors have actively accumulated key DEX tokens during periods of low prices, indicating early position-building. Furthermore, many top DEX tokens are beginning to trade more independently of Bitcoin, reflecting the maturity and growth potential of this group.