Bitcoin has dominated the crypto market since the 2022 bear market ended. At times, the OG cryptocurrency dominated over 60% of the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies. At the same time, Ethereum struggled to find any momentum. Even as Bitcoin hit new all-time highs, ETH struggled to stabilize above $3,000.
The dominance of Bitcoin appears to be waning, finally. Ethereum has come within touching distance of a new all-time high. Even following a short-term pullback, ETH’s market cap has remained above $500 billion with its market dominance inching above 13% for the first time in several years.
The surge in ETH’s value alongside solid runs from other altcoins, including Solana ($SOL), Tron ($TRX), and BNB ($BNB), has resulted in some analysts and traders calling the start of altcoin season. If altcoin season is on the horizon, it is time for developers and teams to start planning their altcoin crypto marketing strategies.
Has Altcoin Season Started?
Whether altcoin season has started or not cannot be answered with absolute certainty. Different analysts have different metrics, meaning there is no single correct answer. However, what can be objectively measured is the amount of capital flowing into altcoins compared to Bitcoin.
One of the most widely watched indicators is Bitcoin dominance. After bottoming out at the end of 2022, Bitcoin dominance steadily climbed to more than 63% as capital poured into the market leader. Over the past couple of months, however, that dominance has begun to slip and now sits below 58%, suggesting that altcoins are starting to capture a larger share of the overall market.
Ethereum’s dominance provides further evidence. In July 2025, ETH’s dominance fell below 9%, its lowest in years. Since then, it has rebounded and now sits around 13%. This recovery shows that altcoins, led by Ethereum, are beginning to eat into Bitcoin’s dominance.
Another important factor is Total Value Locked (TVL) in the leading smart contract platforms such as Ethereum, Solana, and Tron. According to DeFiLlama, TVL has been steadily increasing. As of August 18th, 2025, the combined TVL across chains is roughly $150 billion, only slightly below the 2021 all-time high.
While it may be too early to claim that altcoin season has been fully confirmed, there are clear positive signs that more capital is rotating into altcoins and away from Bitcoin.
Altcoins Explained: From Memes to DeFi Tokens
Altcoin is a very broad term. It generally refers to any cryptocurrency that isn’t Bitcoin. While Bitcoin remains the original and most dominant digital asset, altcoins represent the thousands of alternative tokens and coins that have emerged, each attempting to improve on or differentiate from Bitcoin in some way.
Some altcoins are designed as serious infrastructure projects. Ethereum, for example, introduced smart contracts that enabled the rise of decentralized applications (dApps). Solana and Tron compete in this space by offering faster and cheaper transactions, while BNB Chain benefits from its strong ties to Binance.
Others take a different approach by focusing on memes. Tokens like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu may not offer revolutionary technology, but they have shown how powerful community-driven narratives can be. These projects thrive on hype, social media presence, and viral meme coin marketing.
The altcoin market is partly driven by meme narratives and utility, but primarily it is a place where traders and investors look to snap up tokens with lower market capitalizations than Bitcoin in the hopes of earning big returns.
Best Marketing Tools for Altcoins in 2025
As technical indicators increasingly point towards the start of altcoin season, many teams and devs will start competing for the altcoin community’s attention. Competition is always fierce during altcoin season, which is why devs behind memecoins, DeFi tokens, and NFT collections generally rely on expert Web3 digital marketing agencies for support.
Programmatic Advertising for Altcoins
Programmatic advertising is a popular and valuable altcoin marketing tool. It allows projects to tap into audiences with a predisposition toward their specific altcoin niche, such as memecoins or DeFi.
Despite its potential, programmatic ads are highly technical and require considerable expertise to set up correctly. Success depends on clear ad copy, engaging calls to action, and high-quality graphics capable of capturing user attention in competitive environments.
Expert programmatic advertising teams typically handle account setup, campaign execution, and data reporting. They then refine campaigns through frequent adjustments, ensuring maximum ROI and delivering consistent traffic growth for altcoin projects.
Crypto SEO for Altcoins
Crypto SEO remains one of the most valuable Web3 marketing strategies available to any team. Building a cohesive SEO strategy and implementing it ahead of altcoin season can be a massive advantage, as it has the capacity to generate relevant traffic once altcoin season is in full swing.
At its core, crypto SEO works by optimizing a project’s online content to rank for highly searched terms. For example, targeting trending keywords such as “The Next DOGE” can capture attention from retail investors actively looking for the next big meme token.
Specialized crypto SEO agencies support projects by carrying out comprehensive audits, fixing technical SEO issues, performing in-depth keyword research, and creating content that aligns with high-value search terms. This ensures long-term visibility and sustained organic traffic for altcoin projects.
Press Release Creation and Distribution for Altcoins
Crypto press release distribution is the cornerstone of a successful altcoin project. It allows teams to build authority and tap into the readership of leading financial and crypto outlets across the world.
A successful PR strategy depends on the use of expert crypto copywriting teams that can produce high-quality press releases. These must engage readers, explain the project narrative clearly, and present information with both accuracy and professionalism.
Crypto PR agencies not only help projects create polished copy but, perhaps more importantly, ensure it reaches top editors at outlets like Fox Business, MarketWatch, and CoinDesk.
Preparing for Altcoin Seasons in 2025 and Beyond
Has altcoin season started? It's hard to say, but the market is certainly signaling a growing appetite for altcoins such as ETH, BNB, TRX, and smaller-cap projects. Teams looking to gain first-mover advantage as the market heats up will be building out their altcoin crypto marketing strategies early and planning their approach to dominating the altcoin community once the season is in full swing.
FAQs
What is altcoin crypto marketing?
Altcoin crypto marketing is the process of promoting non-Bitcoin cryptocurrencies through strategies such as influencer campaigns, SEO, programmatic ads, PR distribution, and community building. The goal is to generate awareness, attract investors, and grow liquidity while building long-term trust around the project.
What is an altcoin?
An altcoin is any cryptocurrency that isn’t Bitcoin. This includes Ethereum, Solana, BNB, and thousands of smaller tokens. Altcoins often introduce unique features, such as faster transactions, DeFi applications, or NFT integrations, making them attractive to investors seeking opportunities outside Bitcoin.
How can you find out if altcoin season has begun?
Altcoin season is when altcoins outperform Bitcoin in price growth. Signs include rising altcoin dominance in total crypto market cap, sharp increases in trading volume across major exchanges, and widespread social media interest shifting from Bitcoin to altcoin narratives.
