Altcoin Season Index Rises to 55, Highest in Three Months

Beincrypto reports the Altcoin Season Index climbed to 55 in early January 2026, its strongest reading in about three months. The index measures periods when alternative cryptocurrencies outperform Bitcoin and defines an altcoin season as at least 75% of the top 50 non-stablecoin tokens beating Bitcoin over a 90-day window.

A 55 reading signals rising altcoin strength but falls short of the 75 threshold needed to confirm a full altseason. Analysts flagged breakout signals and capital rotation as supporting evidence. One analyst said the OTHERS/BTC index has bottomed and shows signs of a breakout, while Simon Dedic of Moonrock Capital said momentum is likely to intensify toward the end of Q1 and into mid-Q2, potentially setting the stage for a broader breakout: "The liquidity and business cycles aligning will only accelerate this.

2026 will be the return of altseason." Market watchers also point to rotating short-term flows, with Joao Wedson describing mini altcoin seasons every 48 hours and swaps between BTC and altcoin performance every 12 hours. Discussion is focusing on likely leaders if a rally unfolds: meme coins (which some expect could produce outsized individual winners), artificial intelligence tokens (reported by Artemis Analytics as posting a 20.9% year-to-date gain in weighted average fully diluted market capitalization), and decentralized exchange tokens, which are seeing rising trading-share and accumulation by large investors.

Key Topics

Crypto, Altcoin Season Index, Bitcoin, Simon Dedic, Meme Coins, Ai Tokens