Bitcoin Leads the Market While Altcoins Struggle to Catch Up

Bitcoin (BTC) has further cemented its dominance in the cryptocurrency market, reaching its highest market cap share in over three years.
On the latest data,
BTC’s
market cap dominance climbed to 60.6%, the strongest level since April 2021. While Bitcoin’s price has dipped by less than 4% from last week’s near-record high of over $73,000, many altcoins have experienced steeper declines. Ethereum (
ETH
) and Solana (
SOL
) are both down about 10% from their recent highs.
Smaller altcoins have been hit even harder, with their combined market cap – those outside the top 10 – falling to its lowest point relative to Bitcoin since early 2021.
Analysts from Bitfinex attributed this trend to the dominance of Bitcoin, noting that when BTC retreats, altcoins often face sharper losses. This has led to a reduction in speculative interest in altcoins, as shown by the return of funding rates in perpetual futures markets to more typical levels.
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With Bitcoin continuing to absorb most of the capital inflows into the crypto space, Bitfinex analysts predict that Bitcoin’s strong performance will likely persist in the medium term, while altcoins may struggle further. Without a new catalyst to revive interest in altcoins, they foresee further declines in these smaller tokens.