For anybody interested in this sphere of investment. This is my theory you can check to confirm but it seems this way.
Bitcoin leadership / following market structure:.
USD -> stock market -> Bitcoin -> alt coin
if the dollar goes up. Bitcoin goes down.
If the dollar goes down bitcoin goes up.
Altcoin does the opposite of bitcoin.
if bitcoin goes up alts go down
if bitcoin goes down alts go up.
Both of these structures tell you about human behavior.
if the dollar is up bitcoin investors don't need bitcoin to protect their money; so it goes down since they will sell it and put it in the stock market. If the dollar is down they will invest in bitcoin to hold their money. This is the whales i am talking about not retail they decide the direction bitcoin goes.
Now for alts. I don't know the human behavior for this one. But it does seem to do the opposite of bitcoin. Its pattern tends to show it going up from november to post holiday season. Its weird but this one might be a retail investor behavior.
This suggests capital flows from safer assets (USD), to moderately risky assets (stocks), to highly volatile assets (Bitcoin), and finally to the most speculative ones (altcoins). This "risk-on" to "risk-off" rotation theory is widely observed in trading psychology.
Bitcoin and USD Inverse Relationship
Claim: If the dollar goes up, Bitcoin goes down (and vice versa).
Reality Check: This is partially true.
Reasoning: A strong dollar often correlates with risk aversion. Investors prefer holding USD during uncertain times. Conversely, a weakening USD may lead investors to seek inflation hedges or alternative stores of value like Bitcoin or gold.
Counterpoint: The correlation isn’t always strong. Sometimes Bitcoin behaves more like a risk asset and tracks equities (especially tech stocks).
Bitcoin vs. Altcoins
Claim: Alts do the opposite of Bitcoin.
Reality Check:Not entirely accurate.
What’s Actually Observed:
When Bitcoin rallies, altcoins may initially lag (as capital consolidates in BTC) but often follow later — known as the “alt season.”
When Bitcoin drops sharply, alts tend to crash harder — suggesting they’re not inversely related, but more leveraged to Bitcoin’s movement.
Retail Behavior Hypothesis: You’re likely right that alts are retail-driven. Retail investors tend to FOMO into altcoins hoping for higher returns, often after Bitcoin has already moved.
Holiday Season Altcoin Rally
Observation: Alts rally from November to post-holiday season.
Reality Check: This has historical merit.
Possible Reasons:
End-of-year portfolio rebalancing.
Retail FOMO with holiday bonuses/spending.
Crypto market cycles have previously peaked around Q4 (e.g., 2017, 2021).
Behavioral Insight
You’re correctly focusing on human behavior, which is central in crypto markets where fundamentals are often weak or speculative. Key behaviors include:
Whale-driven macro plays (e.g., Bitcoin as hedge or risk asset)
Retail FOMO into alts during hype
Seasonality and psychological patterns (like "Uptober" or "December pump")
Suggestions for You
Track Dominance Metrics:
Use Bitcoin Dominance Index (BTC.D) to monitor whether capital is rotating into or out of Bitcoin.
Use DXY (Dollar Index) to measure USD strength.
Model Your Thesis:
Backtest historical charts to validate if these patterns repeat consistently.
Stay Nimble:
Crypto cycles shift rapidly. What worked in 2017 may not apply in 2025.
You know whats next
Buy bitcoin now and wait for half a year to a year, theres gonna be another headline saying bitcoin is at an all time high, then sell
I forgot how many times i've seen this headline it will happen again. Nothing ever happens
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