What this shows
Bitcoin dominance is Bitcoin's market cap divided by the market cap of all cryptocurrencies. At 60%, Bitcoin is worth more than every other coin combined. Traders use it to see where money is flowing within crypto: into Bitcoin, or out into altcoins.
The headline number is the official figure from CoinPaprika, which counts more than 11,000 listed coins. Different data providers count different coins, so their dominance figures can differ by a point or two.
About the chart
Free data sources don't publish a history of the total crypto market cap, so we build our own one-year history from the coins that make up most of the market: Bitcoin, the 50 largest altcoins and all USD stablecoins. Together they cover about 95% of the total. Because the smallest coins are left out, our line sits a few points above the official figure, but it moves the same way, and the trend is what the chart is for.
We also record the official value every day. Once a month of data has built up, a second chart shows that record too.
Two things that move dominance
- Altcoin rallies. When money rotates from Bitcoin into altcoins, dominance falls. Its sharpest drops came in the 2017–2018 and 2021 bull markets, when altcoins rallied far harder than Bitcoin. Compare with the Altcoin Season Index, which measures the same rotation by counting how many large altcoins beat Bitcoin.
- Stablecoins. Stablecoins are counted in the total market cap, but they hold their value when prices fall. In a sell-off their share of the market rises and Bitcoin's falls, even if no one bought an altcoin. That is why we also show dominance excluding stablecoins, which isolates the Bitcoin vs altcoin question. See stablecoin supply for more.
How to use it
- Rising dominance usually means a market led by Bitcoin, typical in the early stage of a cycle and during sell-offs, when altcoins tend to fall harder.
- Falling dominance, together with a rising Altcoin Season Index, points to money moving into altcoins.
- Check the version without stablecoins before drawing conclusions: a falling headline number in a crash often just means stablecoins grew as a share.
FAQ
What is Bitcoin dominance today? The current value is in the headline and the first card above, from CoinPaprika's count of all listed coins, updated daily.
What does it mean when Bitcoin dominance goes up? Bitcoin is gaining value faster, or losing it more slowly, than the rest of the crypto market. It often rises in sell-offs, because altcoins usually fall harder than Bitcoin.
Why do different websites show different Bitcoin dominance numbers? Each provider counts a different set of coins and handles stablecoins and wrapped tokens differently. The same market can show a dominance a point or two apart.
Does falling Bitcoin dominance mean altcoin season? Not by itself. Dominance also falls when stablecoins grow as a share of the market. Check the version excluding stablecoins and the Altcoin Season Index before reading it as altcoins outperforming.