Bitcoin accounts for roughly 27% over the same period, while Ethereum represents about 23%. As a result, altcoins have surpassed the combined trading share of the two largest digital assets for the first time in several months. The data are provided by CryptoQuant and reflect market conditions as of January 10.
At the time of data collection, Bitcoin was trading near $90,500 and had declined by around 1% on a weekly basis. This phase of low volatility was accompanied by a noticeable redistribution of trading activity. Market participants increasingly shifted their focus toward higher-volatility altcoins.
According to CryptoQuant, overall market trading volume remains elevated, pointing not to waning investor interest but to an internal rotation of capital. Tokens with pronounced price fluctuations recorded the strongest increases in turnover.
Similar market patterns have been observed repeatedly in the past when Bitcoin entered a consolidation phase following strong upward moves.
Ethereum continues to serve as a key liquidity anchor for the market, but its relative share of trading volume is declining. At the same time, current data suggest that this rotation is occurring significantly faster than during comparable phases in previous cycles. Market observers attribute this to heightened trading activity and a growing preference among participants for short-term positioning and rapid capital reallocation.
Outlook
The current trading structure points not to market weakness, but to active capital rotation. Bitcoin consolidation amid persistently high overall volumes creates a favorable environment for liquidity to flow into more volatile altcoins—a classic signal of a late-stage impulse phase. If Bitcoin continues to trade sideways, altcoin dominance in trading volume may become more entrenched, amplifying short-term speculative trends and increasing the risk of localized overheating.
