For most people in crypto, alt season means one thing: prices going up fast. Green candles, sudden pumps, and coins that feel like they are moving for no reason. But if you look closely, real alt seasons never start randomly. There is always a signal before the noise. That signal is Bitcoin dominance.
Bitcoin dominance shows how much of the total crypto market value belongs to Bitcoin compared to everything else. When dominance is high, it means most money is still sitting in Bitcoin. When it starts to fall, it usually means capital is slowly rotating into altcoins. This rotation is not emotional. It is calculated.
In every major cycle, smart money moves first. Big players usually park funds in Bitcoin during uncertainty because it is the most liquid and trusted asset in crypto. Once Bitcoin stabilizes after a strong move, that same capital looks for higher returns. That is when altcoins start getting attention. Bitcoin dominance does not crash instantly. It rolls over slowly. That slow rollover is the real early signal.
Many traders make the mistake of watching altcoin charts only. They see one coin pump and assume alt season has started. But without a clear downtrend in Bitcoin dominance, most alt moves remain short lived. True alt seasons happen when Bitcoin holds its range, volatility cools down, and dominance starts printing lower highs.
Another important detail is timing. Bitcoin dominance usually peaks when fear is high or when Bitcoin has just completed a strong rally. At that point, Bitcoin does not need to dump for altcoins to run. It just needs to stop absorbing all liquidity. Sideways Bitcoin is often better for altcoins than a pumping one.
This is why dominance matters more than headlines. News can change daily. Narratives rotate fast. But dominance reflects where money is actually flowing. When dominance breaks key support levels and fails to recover, it shows that capital is no longer hiding in safety. It is looking for growth.
Right now, many people are asking if alt season is coming. The better question is whether Bitcoin dominance is ready to trend down. That is the signal experienced traders wait for. Not hype. Not emotions. Just capital movement.
If you want to stay ahead instead of chasing pumps, keep Bitcoin dominance on your chart. It has quietly called every real alt season before the crowd noticed.
