- Sygnum forecasts Q2 2025 as the start of an altcoin season because there will be new and clearer crypto regulations while mainstream crypto adoption continues to grow.
- The bank expects a change, even though Bitcoin dominance has reached its maximum after users started to show interest in altcoin projects, which could kickstart the much-awaited altcoin season.
- Innovative strategies, being tested on emerging altcoins and Layer 2 networks, will help overcome adoption hurdles and build long-term value.
As rules and regulations around crypto become more supportive and clearer in 2025, Swiss bank Sygnum predicts that in the second quarter of this year, some altcoins, or cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin, could make a strong comeback in value in what is generally referred to as the altcoin season.
In its latest investment report, the bank noted that there has been significant progress in crypto regulation, which has prepared the ground for the altcoin season. Yet, the market has yet to reflect these positive changes in the altcoin prices.
Despite Bitcoin dominance, the altcoin season is approaching
Many traders moved their funds into Bitcoin recently when it reached its highest level of dominance in the crypto market in four years. This usually indicates that investors are playing it safe rather than engaging with particularly volatile altcoins.
However, Sygnum believes this may change soon. The bank pointed out new developments in the US, such as President Donald Trump’s establishment of a Digital Asset Stockpile and efforts to clarify stablecoin regulations, which would make crypto more mainstream, leading to greater adoption.
It believes that projects or protocols that succeed in attracting and retaining users will outperform others over time. Bitcoin’s dominance will decrease in favor of these emerging altcoins.
Mass Crypto Adoption could result from New Altcoin Strategies
Each of the altcoins mentioned by Sygnum, such as Toncoin, Sui, Aptos, Sonic, and Berachain, grew in a unique way. These newer blockchains are created with the aim of overcoming some of the inadequacies of older ones, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.
While these coins have gained widespread adoption, they still face challenges in generating consistent income from transaction fees. Nevertheless, some of these projects are promising.
For instance, Berachain incentivises its validators to help with liquidity for DeFi apps, Sonic pays the developers who bring in the fans, and Toncoin has a close association with Telegram, providing a platform of one billion potential users.
Sygnum also mentioned the use of layer two networks, which are networks built on top of an existing blockchain to make them faster and cheaper. An example is Base, which in the past attracted a wave of interest, leading to huge trading volumes and revenue into the network.