The cryptocurrency market has all of a sudden shifted again to Bitcoin (BTC) after a number of months of a decentralized finance (DeFi) frenzy. Whereas market cap dominance stays beneath 60%, earlier this month, the buying and selling dominance of BTC has spiked to ranges not seen since 2017 when the worth hit an all-time excessive at $20,000.

The trading dominance of Bitcoin against other major cryptocurrencies

The buying and selling dominance of Bitcoin towards different main cryptocurrencies. Supply: TheTie

Because of the rising dominance of Bitcoin by way of market quantity, the choice cryptocurrency (altcoin) market is stagnating. The buying and selling dominance of the bellwether for altcoins, Ether (ETH), for example, didn’t see the same spike in the identical interval. 

Why does the altcoin market underperform when Bitcoin goes up?

As seen from July to early September, when Bitcoin is climbing upwards steadily, it could possibly trigger an “altseason” to materialize. In reality, ETH has outperformed BTC thus far this yr by way of proportion, which is partially why the momentum could also be returning again to Bitcoin. 

Bitcoin and Ethereum YTD Performance

Particularly throughout August, many DeFi tokens elevated between 5 to 20-fold, inflicting a large altcoin craze.

However when the worth of Bitcoin goes up shortly in a brief interval, it could possibly trigger the altcoin market to stoop. Earnings are seemingly biking in from altcoins again into stablecoins and Bitcoin, main BTC to rally by itself.

Su Zhu, the CEO of Three Arrows Capital, emphasised that Bitcoin going up shortly might be bearish for altcoins. He explained:

“BTC going up swiftly just isn’t solely not bullish for alts nevertheless it’s bearish. Causes for this are myriad however boil right down to the truth that cash is a coordination recreation and Bitcoin is the Schelling level; that is impartial of how you’re feeling about it, group is actually irrelevant.”

An identical development has been noticed throughout main cryptocurrency exchanges. On Huobi, Bitcoin buying and selling quantity’s market share has been growing, as proven by the info from Skew.

The share of major cryptocurrency volume on Huobi

The share of main cryptocurrency quantity on Huobi. Supply: Skew

The buying and selling knowledge on Huobi is important as a result of the alternate has 1.1% of the Bitcoin provide in its chilly pockets. It stays one of many largest exchanges on the planet by way of cryptocurrency reserves, alongside OKEx and Binance.

What does this point out for BTC?

Prior to now 13 days, the worth of Bitcoin has elevated by greater than 12% towards the U.S. greenback. The robust efficiency of BTC comes after a collection of destructive occasions that would have induced a significant pullback.

As Cointelegraph extensively reported, a number of exchange-related information, together with the suspension of withdrawals by OKEx, induced BTC to drop beneath $11,300. Regardless of the uncertainty out there and the stoop of U.S. equities, BTC pushed above $11,700.

Analysts stay comparatively assured within the optimistic medium-term trajectory of Bitcoin. But when BTC pulls again within the quick time period because the market seeks for reduction, it may trigger a much bigger altcoin correction.

A potential Bitcoin scenario in the medium-term

A possible Bitcoin state of affairs within the medium-term. Supply: Michael van de Poppe

Michael van de Poppe, a full-time dealer on the Amsterdam Inventory Trade, believes BTC would seemingly drop again to $11,100. Referring to a chart that expects a BTC pullback to $11.1K. He wrote:

“Nonetheless standing behind this view, there’s such an enormous hurdle developing for $BTC.”