Bitcoin News Today: Bitcoin's 9.94% Volume Rise Fails to Break Stagnation as Altcoins Struggle

Bitcoin remains mired in a neutral phase as the dominant cryptocurrency lingers near $118,700, with altcoins unable to sustain meaningful gains despite intermittent rallies. The coin’s price has fluctuated within a narrow range since its $123,000 peak on July 14, 2025, failing to break above $120,000—a key psychological threshold that could reignite broader market momentum [3]. Meanwhile, altcoin activity has shown fragmented energy, with major tokens like Ethereum (ETH) and XRP experiencing double-digit weekly gains but lacking the staying power to shift market dynamics [1].

Market sentiment metrics highlight the uncertainty. Coinmarketcap’s Greed Index, which measures investor optimism, dipped from 70 to 67 over recent days, reflecting cooling enthusiasm for a 2025 altcoin season [1]. The Altcoin Season Index, a gauge of altcoin performance relative to Bitcoin, also retreated to 40 from a peak of 56, signaling waning confidence in a sector-wide rally [1]. These trends underscore a market in transition, where Bitcoin’s indecision has left altcoins without a clear catalyst for sustained growth.

Technical analysis reveals further caution. Bitcoin’s price action has formed a bullish pennant pattern following a 14% surge, yet traders remain hesitant to push beyond the pattern’s upper boundary [4]. The MACD indicator, a key tool for assessing trend momentum, has flattened, suggesting a lack of directional bias [5]. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s dominance metric, which measures its share of the total crypto market capitalization, edged down slightly to 61.83%, while 24-hour trading volume rose 9.94% to $74.27 billion [1].

Altcoins face similar challenges. Cardano (ADA), for instance, has stalled near $0.78 despite stable transaction volumes, and niche tokens like Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) and PUMP—powering the memecoin site Pump.fun—have seen volatile movements without sustained traction [1]. The collapse of PUMP, a much-hyped token, further illustrates the fragility of current altcoin optimism [1].

Investor behavior has shifted toward caution. With no major regulatory updates—such as SEC rulings on spot Bitcoin ETFs—to drive action, traders are adopting defensive strategies. Some have pivoted to on-chain metrics or niche tokens, though these efforts have yet to translate into broad capital inflows [8]. Cardano’s network activity remains steady, but price stagnation limits its appeal [9].

Analysts attribute the market’s neutrality to the absence of external catalysts. A breakout—either upward or downward—would likely require macroeconomic developments, regulatory clarity, or institutional adoption milestones. Until then, Bitcoin’s sideways movement and altcoins’ fragmented momentum are expected to persist, leaving investors in a holding pattern as they await decisive signals from broader markets [1].

[1] Bitcoin.com, [https://news.bitcoin.com/tl/bitcoin-nananatiling-neutral-habang-nahihirapan-ang-altcoins-sa-paghahanap-ng-momentum/](https://news.bitcoin.com/tl/bitcoin-nananatiling-neutral-habang-nahihirapan-ang-altcoins-sa-paghahanap-ng-momentum/)

[2] TechJuice, [https://www.techjuice.pk/pi-coin-seems-to-be-unaffected-by-the-recent-altcoin-surge-bitcoin-lurk/](https://www.techjuice.pk/pi-coin-seems-to-be-unaffected-by-the-recent-altcoin-surge-bitcoin-lurk/)

[3] Binance, [https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/27368473911633](https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/27368473911633)

[4] TradingView, [https://www.tradingview.com/ideas/pennant/](https://www.tradingview.com/ideas/pennant/)

[5] Facebook (CardanoCommunity), [https://www.facebook.com/groups/CardanoCommunity/posts/2179****25765997/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/CardanoCommunity/posts/2179****25765997/)

[8] CoinGecko (Bitcoin/TWD), [https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/bitcoin/twd](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/bitcoin/twd)

[9] Facebook (CardanoCommunity), [https://www.facebook.com/groups/CardanoCommunity/posts/2179****25765997/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/CardanoCommunity/posts/2179****25765997/)