With Ethereum Taking the Lead, Altcoins Are Surging — Could This Be the Beginning of a New Trend?

Jakarta, Pintu News – The Altcoin Season Index has dropped to 35, signaling that the altcoin market is entering a crucial phase. Bitcoin’s (BTC) dominance is weakening, resulting in capital rotation to alternative assets.

The market structure suggests that altcoins are preparing to enter an expansion phase. Ethereum (ETH) is emerging as the main driver of sentiment in the altcoin market.

Bitcoin’s dominance vs. Ethereum’s strength

Ethereum is showing resilience against Bitcoin, performing quite well amidst wide market volatility. As of January 18, the ETH/BTC pair was trading at 0.03484. This value remains above the 2025 low and support level despite market fluctuations.

Read also: Bitcoin Price Held at $92,000 Today: Can the Bulls Break the Bearish Pressure?

Ethereum continues to test the long-term downtrend line that has been in place since 2017. Could the initial bullish crossover signal on the MACD indicator be a sign of Ethereum’s increasing relative strength as Bitcoin’s dominance weakens?

Total 2 Forming an Ascending Triangle Pattern

The overall crypto market capitalization, excluding Bitcoin (Total 2), remained stable at around $1.29 trillion. The weekly chart shows the formation of an ascending triangle pattern.

This structure reflects consistent accumulation pressure, with a potential breakout that could attract capital flows into altcoins. However, could failure to maintain the rising support trendline trigger downward pressure in the short term?

Altcoin Season Index Drops to 35

The Altcoin Season Index dropped to 35, marking a transitional phase in the crypto market. While Bitcoin still outperforms most other assets, this index shows that some altcoins are starting to gain attention.

Read also: Ethereum Price Hovers at $3,100 Today: Whale Buys $33 Million ETH as Price Drops!

Similar index levels in the past were often followed by periods of selective altcoin strength, and ultimately led to broader participation in the altcoin market.

Other Altcoins Start to Strengthen

As the market’s focus shifted, a number of altcoins recorded significant spikes, signaling increased momentum. Monero (XMR) surged 85.39%, Chiliz (CHZ) rose 84.82%, and MYX gained 82.13%.

Dash (DASH) gained 70.61%, Zcash (ZEC) increased 60.07%, and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) added 23.79%. Privacy-focused assets performed strongly in the altcoin market.

With Bitcoin’s dominance weakening, the market appears to be increasingly open to altcoin leadership. Ethereum’s ability to maintain support levels against Bitcoin (ETH/BTC) is key to the direction of market movement.

If altcoins continue to build momentum, Ethereum’s leadership role will be crucial. Ultimately, the future of the market depends on whether altcoins are able to maintain their momentum while Bitcoin takes on a more secondary role.

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*Disclaimer

This content aims to enrich readers’ information. Pintu collects this information from various relevant sources and is not influenced by outside parties. Note that an asset’s past performance does not determine its projected future performance. Crypto trading activities have high risk and volatility, always do your own research and use cold cash before investing. All activities of buying and selling bitcoin and other crypto asset investments are the responsibility of the reader.

Reference:

• AMB Crypto. Altcoins gain momentum as Ethereum leads; is broader adoption next? Accessed on January 20, 2026