Early Signals” of Altcoin Season as OG Tokens Pump Following XRP, BTC All‑Time Highs

Author: Ryan S. Gladwin
Edited by: Stephen Graves
Published: July 18, 2025

In Brief

XRP reached a new all-time high on Thursday, closely followed by strong performances from Ethereum Classic, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash AInvest+12Decrypt+12YouTube+12.

Akshat Vaidya, CIO at Maelstrom, says that the rally in older “OG” tokens could signal the start of a broader altcoin season BeInCrypto+2Decrypt+2Decrypt+2.

While Bitcoin dominance has started to decline, it remains above 60%, suggesting that the full altseason—where newer altcoins surge—is still on the horizon YouTube+15Decrypt+15Indiatimes+15.

Key Highlights

1. XRP & Bitcoin Lead the Charge

XRP surged to a new all-time high ($3.65), catalyzing gains across other established altcoins Coinpedia Fintech News+2Decrypt+2AInvest+2. Bitcoin also hit record highs earlier this week, further boosting trader momentum YouTube.

2. OG Altcoins Pumping

Ethereum Classic (ETC): +20.3% over 24 hours, though still ~85% below its 2021 peak Decrypt+1Reddit+1.

Litecoin (LTC): Climbed to a four-month high (~$110), ending around $108.73 (+9%) Decrypt.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH): Up ~6.4%, despite being down ~86% from its 2017 high BeInCrypto+4Decrypt+4Coinpedia Fintech News+4.

This suggests capital is rotating into legacy altcoins first—seen as more liquid and familiar optionsReddit+15Decrypt+15BeInCrypto+15.

3. Expert Insight

“We’re seeing early signals of an ‘altcoin season’, but it’s not fully underway yet… Bitcoin dominance is starting to dip… momentum is building,” says Maelstrom’s Akshat Vaidya Coinpedia Fintech News+7Decrypt+7BeInCrypto+7.

4. Macro Market Factors

XRP’s rally may also link to its legal progress and the U.S. GENIUS Act passed by the House, favorable to stablecoin and crypto frameworks Coinpedia Fintech News+2Decrypt+2Decrypt+2.

BeInCrypto and Swissblock note Bitcoin dominance falling from ~66% to ~64%, altcoin season index rising—the highest since February—indicating growing investor interest in altcoins BeInCrypto.

What It Means

Early rotation: Capital appears to be moving into established altcoins first, often seen as less risky.

Potential momentum: If these trends continue, newer altcoins (e.g. DeFi, meme coins, Layer-1s) could follow.

Watch for confirmation: Analysts caution that a broader altseason hasn't officially begun—it requires sustained price and volume strength across many tokens.

Implications for Traders

Consider established altcoins (ETC, LTC, BCH) to follow macro crypto trends.

Monitor key market indicators: Bitcoin dominance, altcoin season index, and trading volumes.

Avoid overcommitment until broader momentum confirms “true” altseason.