A Practical Guide to Understanding 'Altcoin Rotation' at the End of 2025 and How to Monitor 5 Low-Cap Coins (ARKM, W, JTO, AIOZ, AEVO) with a Lower Risk Entry and Strict Capital Management.

As the movement of major coins sometimes slows down, some traders look for 'seasonal' opportunities in lower market cap coins. But it is important to understand the context first: the Altcoin Season Index is based on the performance of the top 100 alternative coins against Bitcoin over 90 days, and it is considered an 'Altcoin Season' when 75% of them outperform BTC. (CoinMarketCap)
Currently, indicators lean more towards 'Bitcoin Season' (low readings like ~16/100 on some dashboards), which means liquidity may be selective and move quickly towards specific opportunities instead of a broad rise across all altcoins. (Gate.com)

What does Low-Cap mean? And why is it high risk?

Generally, cryptocurrencies are classified as 'Small/Low-Cap' when their market cap is below $1 billion—and they often carry the most risk due to low liquidity and rapid volatility. (eToro)
Therefore, this article is not 'buy recommendations', but rather an educational watchlist with a less reckless approach.

Golden rules before entering low-cap coins

  1. Very small position size compared to the portfolio (as volatility can be multiplied). (eToro)

  2. Do not use leverage on low liquidity coins.

  3. Watch: liquidity/volume, token unlocks, FDV vs Unlocked, security audits, and product updates.

  4. Best practice: dollar-cost averaging (DCA) instead of 'one-time hit'.

5 Low-Cap coins under the radar by the end of 2025 (watchlist)

The numbers below are a 'snapshot in time' from CoinMarketCap and may change quickly.

1) Arkham (ARKM) — narrative of 'analytics and wallet tracking'

  • Why is it being watched? Arkham Intel is a blockchain analytics platform focused on linking on-chain activity to entities/wallets to enhance transparency and analysis. (Intel Platform | Arkham)

  • Market cap snapshot: approximately $43.7M (rank ~#451). (CoinMarketCap)

  • Primary risk: very small low-cap = prone to sharp fluctuations with any wave of liquidity.

2) Wormhole (W) — narrative of 'connecting networks'

  • Why is it being watched? Wormhole is a protocol that provides communication between blockchains (Cross-chain messaging) and enables cross-network applications and integrations, not just 'token bridges'. (Wormhole)

  • Market cap snapshot: approximately $184.8M. (CoinMarketCap)

  • Primary risk: the bridge/interoperability sector is security and competition sensitive; any negative technical news could exert strong pressure.

3) Jito (JTO) — narrative of 'Solana liquidity + Liquid Staking + MEV'

  • Why is it being watched? Jito Liquid Staking service on Solana distributes rewards (Staking + MEV) through a product like JitoSOL. (jito.network)

  • Market cap snapshot: approximately $149M (rank ~#176). (CoinMarketCap)

  • Primary risk: strong correlation with Solana ecosystem momentum; any general drop on SOL may directly affect ecosystem projects.

4) AIOZ Network (AIOZ) — DePIN narrative for infrastructure (Streaming/Storage/AI)

  • Why is it being watched? AIOZ positions itself as a DePIN infrastructure to provide storage/streaming/content delivery and computing resources for AI via a distributed node network. (aioz.network)

  • Market cap snapshot: approximately $123M (rank ~#195). (CoinMarketCap)

  • Primary risk: DePIN projects require continuous 'actual usage' to avoid remaining just a narrative; watch network/growth indicators, not just price.

5) Aevo (AEVO) — narrative of 'decentralized derivatives' (Options/Perps)

  • Why is it being watched? Aevo is a decentralized derivatives trading platform supporting Options and Perpetual Futures among others within a unified margin system, built on a dedicated Layer 2 (OP Stack). (docs.aevo.xyz)

  • Market cap snapshot: approximately $33.4M (rank ~#543). (CoinMarketCap)

  • Primary risk: derivatives are inherently high risk, and with small low-cap, the movement can be more violent; this type is more suitable for professionals than quiet investors.

A 'less risky' way to exploit altcoin rotation during holidays

  • Consider these coins as Satellite Positions (small side positions) and not 'core portfolio'.

  • Make the decision based on liquidity + product news + ecosystem activity, not just 'cheap price'.

  • Set an exit plan before entering: gradual partial profit + logical stop loss (according to your style).

Disclaimer: This is educational content and not financial advice. Low market cap coins are highly volatile and can lead to total loss of capital.