In a discussion with crypto influencer Kyle Chassé, Hayes highlighted that numerous traders complain about missing altcoin seasons, yet they often hold back when opportunities emerge. He pointed to previous cycles in 2017 and 2020 and more recent activity surrounding Hyperliquid (HYPE) in 2024 and 2025 as examples of when gains were accessible. Hyperliquid entered the market around $2 to $3 and surged to nearly $60. Similarly, Solana experienced a sharp decline to roughly $7 in 2022 but recovered steadily in stages, reaching almost $300 earlier this year.
At present, HYPE is trading at $24.69, while Solana sits at $126. Hayes contends that the altcoin season has already taken place, but most traders did not participate because they were hesitant to commit capital or accept the associated risk. Each phase of the market introduces new assets that generate gains, requiring investors to adjust their strategies and focus on emerging opportunities. Those who cling to past cycles often conclude that an altcoin season never happened, simply because they did not hold the assets that actually appreciated.
Again, there’s been altcoin season. You just didn’t participate in it. Not all traders align with Hayes’ perspective. Some still anticipate a more conventional pattern in which price momentum begins with Bitcoin, spreads to Ethereum, and only then reaches smaller altcoins. Meanwhile, Maen Ftoui, CEO of CoinQuant, believes that established altcoins with exchange-traded fund exposure, including Ethereum, Solana, and XRP, are likely to attract significant investment during the next phase of altcoin gains.
Leave a Reply