The crypto market is under pressure as geopolitical tensions and volatility weigh on risk assets, with altcoins taking the hardest hit. Over 40% of altcoins are now at or near all-time lows, exceeding the 38% seen in the last bear market. Oversupply and liquidity dilution, more than 47 million tokens across chains like Solana, Base, and BNB Smart Chain, make altcoins fragile. While underperformance is widespread, it also creates opportunities for investors who can identify strong, resilient projects with long-term potential.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index is standing at 8, showing “extreme fear.” The metric has been in that zone for nearly two months, with the period coinciding with reduced participation and lower conviction among traders. This page lists the top 100 cryptocurrency coins by market cap.

Bitcoin has fallen roughly 45% from its all-time high — painful, but modest compared to what has happened further down the market cap rankings. That structural problem is now showing up in the numbers in a dramatic way. Data from CryptoQuant shows that over 40% of all altcoins are currently trading at or near their all-time lows.

Especially since the price action remains under a descending resistance line. Read the best crypto stories of the day in less than 5 minutes. As a reminder, in early 2026, Santiment recorded minimal interest in altseason.

altcoins near cycle lows, but here’s why THESE 22 tokens are NOT among them!

CUSIP Database provided by FactSet Research Systems Inc. SEC fillings and other documents provided by Quartr.© 2026 TradingView, Inc. However, this accumulation may reflect a short-term relief phase rather than a confirmed reversal.

According to data shared around analyst Darkfost, the share of altcoins near their historical floors exceeded 40% in March 2026. This reflects exceptional pressure on the most speculative assets in the sector. The total cryptocurrency market capitalization has grown 2.7% in the past 24 hours to hit $2.44 trillion, with over $326 million in positions liquidated according to CoinGlass data. That figure surpasses the previous bear market peak of around 38%, making this cycle the worst on record for altcoin performance. Altcoins still have under 20% market cap dominance, as the market shifted to BTC. Some assets are viewed with caution, as the speculative trading leads to elevated volatility, with the potential for insider price moves or deliberate pumps.

• The most shorted token is BNX, followed by EDGE, NIGHT, OPN, ESP, BERA, and others.
• Most of the shorted tokens show overall bearish signals, making traders confident in shorting.
• Those tokens belong to almost inactive projects and are down more than 99% from their peak, with illiquid trading.

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Both have moved crypto prices in the past, and with sentiment low and altcoins under pressure not seen before in this cycle, market participants will be closely watching this coming week. According to them, that increase led to a dilution of liquidity, as it had to be spread across a wider set of assets, leaving smaller tokens with little, if any, trading activity and weaker price support. Relative to the previous cycle, current conditions are slightly more severe though. During the last downturn, about 38% of altcoins fell to or near all-time lows before establishing a base and reversing higher.

Best way to track altcoins in Google Sheets?

The scale of the drawdown is now bigger than what was seen during the last bear market, raising new concerns about liquidity and demand across the sector. A breakout above this level, followed by sustained upward movement, would confirm building demand. Such a shift could drive broader market recovery and amplify momentum in the market’s best performers this quarter. AMBCrypto further grouped these assets by three-month performance to identify segments likely to attract capital. Consider this – The 90-day Altcoin Season Index, which tracks performance outside Bitcoin, has held relatively firm despite the broader market’s decline. That gap between Bitcoin and the broader crypto market is a defining feature of this particular downturn.

The monthly average outflow among the top strovemont capital review 10 transactions is also showing growth. Since mid-February, it has climbed from around 2,000 LINK to nearly 2,600 LINK per day.

Just like the shorted tokens, those assets were trading near all-time lows, expecting an eventual breakout. Long positions may face smaller risks, as the assets have mostly traded sideways over the past months. Altcoins are still inviting risky traders to take strong directional bets. According to Alphractal data, there are clear-cut categories of altcoins with minimal long/short ratios and a predominance of short positions. Geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic volatility weigh on all risky assets, but altcoins bear the brunt more violently than Bitcoin or large caps. This retracement phase of altcoins is harsher than that of the last crypto bear market.