K-shaped crypto market widens as Bitcoin and top tokens gain, altcoins lag

Beincrypto reports Bitcoin and leading cryptocurrencies are maintaining growth while most altcoins continue to decline, a divergence highlighted by the Accumulation/Distribution (A/D) indicator.

The cumulative A/D line for the broader crypto market is falling even as the top 200 assets show stable upward patterns, suggesting capital is concentrating in established projects and sectors such as AI and tokenized real-world assets while many infrastructure and unlock-heavy tokens weaken. Analyst Jamie Coutts noted altcoins have been in a bear market since 2021, and the A/D indicator, developed by Marc Chaikin, measures money flow through price and volume and makes the split visible. Analyst Taiki Maeda described the recovery as K-shaped, with Bitcoin and buyback-model cryptocurrencies on the rising branch and weaker tokens on the downward branch.

The pattern mirrors broader U.S. trends, where the S&P 500 has risen while the Consumer Sentiment Index has fallen, a divergence PolymarketMoney highlighted. By January 2026 the main question is how long the K-shaped divergence will persist; the reporting says the forces behind the split show few signs of fading and that continued monitoring throughout the year will be crucial.

Key Topics

Crypto, Bitcoin, A/d Indicator, Jamie Coutts, Taiki Maeda, Real-world Assets