Bitcoin Rangebound, Altcoins Struggle for Momentum, but History Suggests Altseason Breakout Could Be Coming

Bitcoin BTC/USD has been stuck in a multi-week range, leaving altcoins struggling for momentum. However, traders believe this consolidation phase could be setting the stage for an altseason breakout.

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) price action has been largely range bound over the past several weeks, impacting the momentum of altcoins in the process.

Now, traders are debating whether this consolidation period could be setting the stage for an altseason breakout.

Astronomer advises patience. Astronomer advises altcoin holders to remain patient, emphasizing that historically, the biggest altcoin surges occur in the final year of the cycle (2025). He argues that the current cycle resembles 2017 more than 2021, which explains why altcoins have yet to make major moves.

Historically, Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE), Litecoin (CRYPTO: LTC), Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA), and IOTA (CRYPTO: IOTA) all stayed stagnant until late in the final year before massive rallies.

Many traders expected Bitcoin dominance to drop sharply, similar to 2021, but the market is following the 2017 pattern of a gradual decline before a sharp break lower.

Similarly, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) also saw a gradual rise in 2017 before an explosive move, unlike its more volatile 2021 cycle.

The logical reasons behind this cycle's similarity to 2017 include market psychology, where investors expect the last cycle to repeat and get outmaneuvered, and mass adoption, with institutional and governmental players now involved, similar to the retail-driven surge in 2017.

Sci: chop to end soon, no extended alt SZN Crypto trader Scient highlighted that market remains choppy, with many altcoins bleeding and Bitcoin ranging between $91,000-$108,000.

This is a typical cycle pattern where liquidity moves from weaker to stronger assets, though it’s happening faster due to market segmentation.

The trader expects the chop/downside to end soon, likely by late April, and does not anticipate a prolonged altseason. They suggest focusing on large caps like L1/L2s, DeFi, AI, and RWA, with only a small 2-5% allocation to meme coins.

Meanwhile, trader arndxt pointed out that Bitcoin has been stuck in a 60-day range, which is relatively short compared to past 240-day consolidation periods.

This suggests the chop is not over yet, and altcoins will continue to struggle for momentum until BTC makes a decisive move.