Altcoin Volumes Hit Multi‑year Lows As Social Interest Collapses — BTC Could Spark an Alt Comeback

Headline: Altcoin volumes slump to multi-year lows as social interest collapses — but BTC’s strength could flip the script Summary: Spot trading in major altcoins has plunged to multi-year lows and public interest in crypto is falling sharply, data shows. Yet this downturn looks different from past pullbacks: Bitcoin is holding near cycle highs and many altcoins have stopped cascading lower. That setup could allow compressed altcoins to outperform BTC if Bitcoin weakens, analysts warn. What the data shows - December spot activity across leading altcoins slowed dramatically, according to on-chain analytics from CryptoQuant. - Ripple (XRP) logged roughly $32 billion in spot volume — its weakest showing of 2025 — with Binance exchange accounting for nearly half of that flow. - Binance Coin (BNB) recorded about $13.7 billion, among its lowest volumes this year, again dominated by Binance exchange flows. - Solana (SOL), typically the most active large-cap alt, fell to roughly $43 billion — its softest level since 2024. - Cardano (ADA) also trailed, at around $3.8 billion, signaling subdued interest across venues. Collapse in attention - Public interest has collapsed in tandem with spot volumes. Google Trends shows crypto-related searches near multi-year lows despite relatively high prices (source: Alphractal). - Over the past five years, sharp spikes in attention coincided with big surges or panics; now both surge-driven FOMO and panic-driven searches are noticeably absent. - Alphractal’s 90-day data through December shows interest falling with no rebound for Bitcoin or major altcoins. Why this matters — and how this cycle differs - Historically, weak volumes and collapsing attention have preceded long consolidations or extended bear markets — a pattern Alphractal CEO Joao Wedson highlighted on X. That makes the current picture worrying for many traders. - But there’s a key difference from past pullbacks (2019 and 2022): Bitcoin is holding near cycle highs while altcoins have largely stopped making new lows. In prior pullbacks, altcoins eventually outperformed Bitcoin even as BTC corrected further. - If Bitcoin takes another leg down, that drop may be absorbed unevenly. With many altcoins already compressed, their relative strength could allow them to “swim away” from BTC and outperform in the next phase. Bottom line Weak spot volumes and collapsing public interest raise downside risks for the market overall. At the same time, the current divergence — a buoyant BTC versus a stabilized (but low-volume) altcoin market — creates a scenario where altcoins could outperform if Bitcoin retraces. Traders should watch volumes, exchange concentration (notably Binance’s dominant share of some flows) and attention metrics for clues about where the next rotation may come. Disclaimer: This article is informational and not investment advice. Cryptocurrency trading is high-risk; do your own research before making financial decisions. Sources: CryptoQuant, Alphractal, X (Joao Wedson). © 2025 AMBCrypto Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news