What Is Bitcoin Dominance? Where to Check BTC.D and How to Read It
Bitcoin dominance shows what share of all the money in crypto sits in BTC. Here's how it's calculated, where to check it, and what it says about altcoins.
What it is
Bitcoin dominance is bitcoin's share of the total market cap of the entire crypto market. If the whole market is worth 100 units and bitcoin is worth 55, dominance is 55%.
You can check it on aggregators like CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko, and on TradingView under the ticker BTC.D.
How it's read
| Situation | Common interpretation |
|---|---|
| Dominance is rising | Money is flowing into bitcoin, or leaving altcoins faster |
| Dominance is falling | Altcoins are rising faster than bitcoin |
| The whole market is falling, dominance is rising | Investors are fleeing riskier altcoins harder |
A period when altcoins rise faster than bitcoin for a long time is called "altseason."
Limitations
- Stablecoins are included in total market cap. When money moves into them, dominance changes even if bitcoin's price stands still.
- It's background, not an entry signal. Trade decisions are made on the chart of the specific asset, with a stop-loss.
Crypto market basics are in the lesson cryptocurrency: what it is and how to invest in it; about bitcoin, see the article how to buy bitcoin.
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- Dominance is BTC's share of total crypto market cap.
- Check it on TradingView under the ticker BTC.D and on aggregators.
- It's market background, not a precise signal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is dominance different on different sites?
Aggregators track different sets of coins. So the numbers differ slightly; compare data from a single source.
What is altseason?
It's a period when many altcoins rise noticeably faster than bitcoin and dominance falls. Its start and end can't be predicted in advance.
Can I trade based on dominance?
It's used as background to gauge market sentiment. Trades are opened based on the chart of a specific coin, with a stop-loss set in advance.
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