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The cryptocurrency market is currently experiencing a significant divergence between major assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) and smaller altcoins. While BTC and ETH are trading only 15% below their yearly highs, other significant cryptocurrencies like Solana (SOL) and Avalanche (AVAX) have corrected by 40% to 70%. This divergence reflects the struggles of altcoin investors amid broader market consolidation.
Pressure on Altcoins
Various factors are contributing to the current pressure on altcoins. Venture funds that invested heavily in recent years are now under pressure to sell their assets to realize profits. This selling pressure is exacerbated by planned unlocks and distributions, leading to an increased supply of coins/tokens. For example, Solana’s daily supply inflates by 75,000 coins, equivalent to about $10 million at current prices. Similarly, the Ethereum Layer-2 network Arbitrum (ARB) is facing a significant supply increase, pushing its price to near all-time lows despite its market cap growth.
The lack of fresh capital inflow into the cryptocurrency market has particularly adverse effects on altcoins with upcoming major unlocks and AirDrop programs introducing new coins/tokens. This lack of demand means there isn’t enough liquidity to absorb the continuous new supply of coins/tokens.
Typically used as intermediaries for cryptocurrency trading, the market cap of stablecoins has remained flat since April, indicating a stagnation or even a reversal in liquidity inflows. Stablecoin balances on exchanges, which serve as potential purchasing power for traders and investors, have also dropped significantly.
Moreover, seasonal trends have not been favorable for altcoins. Historically, June has been a bearish month for smaller altcoins, and this year has proven no different with a significant drop in the total market cap of cryptocurrencies excluding BTC and ETH. The combined market cap of these cryptocurrencies has fallen by 11% so far this month, continuing a six-year June downtrend.
Investment Focus Shifts to Technologies Like Artificial Intelligence
In addition to these market dynamics, the shift in investment focus from cryptocurrencies to other emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) is affecting altcoin performance. Venture capital funds that once poured billions into cryptocurrency projects are now redirecting their attention and capital to AI, leading to further selling in the cryptocurrency market.
Overall, while major cryptocurrencies remain relatively stable, the altcoin market is under significant pressure due to venture fund sales, increased coin/token supply, stagnant capital inflow, and unfavorable seasonal trends. This challenging environment is straining altcoin investors despite resilience across the broader market.
