Altseason is not “a couple of green coins at the top” and not a mood in the feed. It’s a market regime where altcoins show broad strength, capital rotates wider, and you get more setups. In those periods it can be easier to catch momentum, but it’s just as easy to lose results because of two things: narrow leadership (only a few coins pull the market) and poor execution (when you move into illiquid names).
There is one practical approach: confirm the regime first, then turn on a trading playbook. On our site, this is supported by a strong confirmation layer that is often missing from public “altseason indexes”: Market Median — 30m, a breadth indicator that shows the market’s “temperature” not through leaders, but through the market’s typical participation.
What Altseason Means in Simple Terms
Altseason (altcoin season) is a period when a meaningful share of alts outperforms BTC over a comparable horizon — and you can see it not in a few tickers, but across the market.
Operationally, that means:
- the market becomes faster and less stable;
- capital rotation strengthens across sectors;
- you see more impulse moves and level sweeps;
- requirements for filters and risk limits get stricter, not softer.
Why Altseason Is Often Confused with a Local Pump
The most common mistake is to look at a few leaders and conclude “everything is on.” In practice, it can be:
- narrow leadership: a minority pumps while the rest of the market is flat;
- illiquid noise: “looks great on the chart,” “costly in execution”;
- short-term rotation: today one group leads, tomorrow it all unwinds.
That’s why you need a tool that answers the core question: is the move broad or just a showcase?
“Market Median — 30m”: What It Is and Why It’s a Strong Breadth Check
On our site, Market Median — 30m is one percentage number that shows where the alt market sits on average relative to its 30-minute regression channel midlines over a defined history window. The calculation is formal:
- for each asset, a regression channel is built using the last 1000 candles on 30m;
- the current price position relative to the channel midline is expressed in percent;
- then the median of those values is taken across the liquid alt universe.
How to interpret it:
- positive means alts are, on average, above their midlines;
- negative means, on average, below;
- the absolute value is the magnitude of the market’s deviation from midlines on 30m.
Why it works well for altseason:
- it reflects the market in the median, not just top leaders;
- extreme outliers are smoothed — fewer chances to mistake a showcase for a regime;
- the indicator updates on every 30-minute candle close, so it tracks regime dynamics at a workable pace.
Limitations you should respect:
- it is a composite indicator and not an entry trigger;
- after a structural trend change, returning to “midlines” can be delayed;
- in risk-on / risk-off regimes, the sign can persist for a long time.
Signs of a Real Altseason: A Checklist
Below is a practical set of signs. You don’t need “all at once” — 4–6 items are enough to make a sound operational decision.
- Market breadth is expanding - Not a few coins, but a meaningful part of the market starts moving.
- “Market Median — 30m” confirms participation - The median shows the average market is “engaged,” not just the leaders.
- Capital rotation becomes stable - Sectors shift in waves: some alts take profit, others pick up — the regime is not a one-off.
- BTC dominance does not contradict the scenario - Dominance is not a trigger, but it’s a background factor: if everything is “about alts” while dominance strongly compresses them, the move is often narrow.
- Liquidity and volume support the move - If growth happens on thin order books, price can rise but trading it becomes expensive. Liquidity filtering is mandatory.
- Correlation behavior changes - In altseason the market either becomes more dispersed (some lead, some lag) or more synchronized in impulses — in both cases you need a playbook.
A Playbook: How to Operate in Altseason Without Losing Control
Step 1. Confirm the regime instead of chasing
- Check breadth: market median, plus the overall participation character.
- Evaluate liquidity: otherwise “altseason” becomes paying spread and slippage.
Step 2. Narrow the universe to tradable instruments
- Remove illiquid tail assets where execution breaks the math.
- Define minimum volume/liquidity requirements as a rule, not a preference.
Step 3. Risk limits must be stricter than usual
- fixed risk per trade;
- a cap on concurrent positions;
- controlled leverage and margin load;
- a strict “no chasing after impulse candles” rule.
Step 4. Enter only on structure
Altseason does not cancel basics: levels, retests, ranges, confirmations, and clear invalidation. This reduces emotional entries.
How to Tell When Altseason Is Ending
It usually looks like a contraction of breadth and worsening move quality:
- the median stops confirming broad participation or clearly “deflates”;
- leaders pull again while the average market fails to support the move;
- pullbacks become sharper and you get more level sweeps without continuation;
- execution worsens in alts: wider spreads and more slippage;
- correlations revert to “alts simply follow BTC.”
Operationally, the decision is straightforward: reduce risk, shrink the universe, and return to a conservative trading mode.
FAQ
- Is altseason when “everything goes up”?
No. It’s when alts are stronger on average than BTC and participation is broad.
- Why does breadth matter?
Because a “showcase altseason” often ends with sharp reversals and poor entries.
- What does “Market Median — 30m” add?
It shows the market’s average participation and helps distinguish a regime from a narrow spike.
- Can you trade only by the median?
No. It’s regime context, not an entry trigger. Entries come from structure and risk rules.
- Why is risk higher in altseason?
Lower liquidity, higher speed, worse execution, more impulses — this demands discipline.
- What timeframes should you use for diagnostics?
Use multiple horizons: short for current dynamics and longer for context.
- What most often breaks results in altseason?
Overtrading, moving into illiquid tail assets, and relaxing risk limits.
- What should you do when ending signs increase?
Cut risk, compress the coin universe, tighten filters, and regain execution control.
Conclusion
Altseason is a regime, not a headline. To operate systematically, you confirm breadth participation and execution quality, then trade by a playbook. On our site, “Market Median — 30m” helps you measure the alt market’s “temperature” using regression channels and determine whether the move is broad regime strength or a showcase spike — and only then decide on risk and instrument selection.