TLDR:
Binance altcoin market breadth fell from above 90% in early October to 51.6% by October 18, Darkfost said.
In late August, 81% of tracked altcoins traded below their 200-day averages, before the rally reversed.
Darkfost reported a $134 billion altcoin retreat in 15 days but did not clarify whether it was net outflows.
CoinMarketCap’s Altcoin Season Index stood at 54, below the 75 threshold, as Bitcoin dominance reached 60.1%.
The altcoin market’s strongest breadth recovery in months has weakened sharply, raising questions about whether its latest rally can still qualify as a sustained altcoin season . CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost reported on October 18 that just 51.6% of tracked Binance altcoins remained above their 200-day moving averages. That share exceeded 90% in early October, meaning broad participation has nearly halved within weeks.
The Altseason Is cooling fast as Altcoin breadth drops from over 90% to around 52%
Between late August and early October, altcoins went through a brief altseason, which is now starting to fade.
To measure these favorable periods, the number of altcoins trading above their… pic.twitter.com/Er6yvb4evn
— Darkfost (@Darkfost_Coc) October 18, 2026
The shift matters because the 200-day average measures longer-term price direction. Therefore, when fewer assets trade above it, gains become less widespread, even if individual cryptocurrencies remain resilient. This benchmark captures participation across many assets, rather than tracking one token’s price alone.
Binance Altcoin Breadth Falls From Over 90% to 51.6%
The reversal followed a rapid improvement beginning in late August, when 81% of tracked assets traded below their 200-day averages. By September 19, roughly 70% had climbed above that benchmark, their strongest breadth reading since October 2025.
Meanwhile, altcoin market capitalization excluding Ethereum surpassed $800 billion. By September 28, the share above the moving average had reached 87%, before exceeding 90% in early October. Yet warning signs emerged before the downturn.
Darkfost flagged rising exchange deposits and weakening momentum, with weekly deposit transactions topping 22,700 on Binance and 8,300 on Coinbase. Exchange deposits can precede sales, although they do not prove selling occurred. The latest figures show 48.4% below the benchmark, compared with fewer than 10% earlier in October.
$134B Altcoin Retreat Deepens Concerns as Season Index Hits 54
Darkfost estimated that more than $814 billion entered the altcoin market during the preceding two-month upswing. He also reported over $134 billion leaving the sector across the latest 15 days. However, those amounts were described as capital movements without distinguishing actual net inflows from changes in market capitalization.
The distinction matters as falling valuations do not necessarily indicate equivalent withdrawals. Other market measures also fall short of confirming a full altcoin season . At press time, CoinMarketCap’s Altcoin Season Index stood near 54, below its 75-point confirmation threshold.
Source: CoinMarketCap
Meanwhile, Bitcoin dominance remained around 60.1%, while its price hovered near $81,500. BlockchainCenter’s separate index likewise sat below the level associated with sustained altcoin outperformance. Its reading offered another check on the rally’s reach beyond individual price gains.
Taken together, the readings establish weaker market participation, not a definitive end to the cycle. A renewed breadth recovery would require more assets to regain their long-term averages.
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