Altcoin season looks ready to kickstart as the Ethereum price has been outperforming the price of Bitcoin during this time. Previous bull cycles have proven that whenever ETH ($2,939.33) starts outperforming BTC ($87,782.00), then an altcoin season is around the corner. This was the case back in 2021, and a glimpse of this was shown back in May 2025. Now, again, as Ethereum widens the gap against Bitcoin, altcoins look primed to begin their next rally.

Ethereum Moves 24% Ahead Of Bitcoin

In the month of July so far, the Bitcoin price has already rallied to multiple new all-time highs, even climbing above $23,000 before correcting back downward. This has led to double-digit gains for the month for BTC, with CryptoRank data putting it at an over 12.3% climb so far this month.

Unlike previous months when the Ethereum price had trailed behind Bitcoin, ETH is now in the lead in terms of gains. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap is already up by more than 45% this month alone after crossing the $3,100 level. This puts it 33% ahead of Bitcoin, signaling a turn in the trend.

The last time that the Ethereum price outperformed Bitcoin in 2025 was back in May, when ETH rallied 41.1% on the month compared to BTC’s 11.1% on the month. That same month, major altcoins shot up rapidly, with many rising 50-100% during this time period.

Taking this historical performance into account, the altcoin market is already enjoying the dividends of Ethereum’s outperformance. However, new all-time highs still remain elusive for ETH despite the BTC price being almost double what it was the last time ETH peaked at $4,800.

ETH Still Driving Altcoin Season

Ethereum’s outperformance carries the promise of an altcoin season as large altcoins have rallied alongside it. Over the last 90-day period, which is used to calculate the Altcoin Season Index, the ETH price is up over 125% compared to Bitcoin’s approximately 41.5% during this time period.

The Altcoin Season Index from CoinMarketCap has also moved above the 43-point mark, meaning m43 of the top 100 altcoins by market cap are currently outperforming Bitcoin. While this figure means that the altcoin season has not begun yet, it is a step in the right direction.

Usually, altcoin season is considered in full swing when the index reaches the 75% mark. This means that 75 out of the top 100 altcoins outperform Bitcoin over a 90-day period. Then, once the index crosses the 90% mark, with 90 of altcoins outperforming, it is considered the top of the altcoin season.