Altcoin Market Faces 13 Months of Net Selling — Has It Reached Bottom?

Altcoins have endured thirteen months of continuous net selling, with market capitalization staying below $1 trillion in February and sentiment falling to its most extreme level in years. Many investors expected a bottom after five straight months of declines, and some see the first quarter of 2026 as offering opportunities, though objective signals are needed to assess the broader picture.

CryptoQuant data shows the cumulative buy/sell delta for altcoins reached -$209 billion over the past 13 months. In January 2025 the delta was nearly zero, reflecting balanced supply and demand, but it has declined since then without reversal. "This is not a dip.

It’s 13 months of continuous net selling on CEX spot. -209B doesn’t mean bottom. It means buyers are gone," analyst IT Tech said. Derivatives metrics and trader positioning underline the weakness: Bitcoin’s long ratio has stayed above the altcoin average for four consecutive months, suggesting reduced exposure to altcoins and weaker expectations for their volatility.

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