Why Didn't the "Altcoin Season" Cycle Appear in the Recent Growth Wave?

Question

Many people expected the market to experience a true “altcoin season” during the recent bull run, but in reality, the opposite happened. The reason wasn’t Bitcoin, nor the total market capitalization, but rather an event that disrupted the entire flow of capital: the explosive emergence of the president-themed token group.

Why Didn’t the Traditional Altcoin Cycle Form? In previous cycles, altcoins typically entered a growth phase following a familiar pattern: Slow, steady increases with periods of shakeouts and recoveries. Gradual attraction of capital from retail investors. Market makers had enough time to build liquidity, create narratives, and set expectations. The process of accumulation – growth – correction – breakout would last for several months. Phases like SHIB, PEPE, and other major memecoins all followed this path. Their growth cycles needed time to build emotion, attract newcomers, and spread belief. But this time, that model was completely broken.
“President Tokens” – The Collision That Disrupted the Market The appearance of president-themed coins set an unprecedented precedent: Just a few days after trading started, their market capitalization soared to tens of billions of USD. The growth rate was so fast that no one could react in time. A huge amount of profits was pulled out of the market in a very short period. As a result: Late investors were left holding the bag at the top. Potential capital for altcoins was drained away. Confidence and hype—the essential ingredients for an altcoin season—were shattered. This “shock pump – shock dump” completely disrupted the market’s usual process for nurturing a healthy altcoin season.
Chain Reaction: Confidence and Liquidity Drained The biggest harm wasn’t just a token’s parabolic move, but the spread of psychological impact: Investors witnessed heavy losses from the “president theme.” Smaller market makers were reluctant to inject capital into new altcoins. Newcomers lost motivation to participate and stayed on the sidelines. The entire memecoin sector—which thrives on sentiment—cooled down abruptly. A thriving altcoin season needs three things: new participants, fresh capital, and contagious excitement. In the recent cycle, all three of these factors were squeezed.
Is There Still a Future for “Altcoin Season”? The answer is yes, but not right now. The market still has its fundamental drivers: Retail investors who find it hard to buy BTC. The ongoing desire to make quick profits. Altcoins remain attractive due to their higher potential price swings. When liquidity is rebuilt, caution subsides, and the market finds a “new narrative” to replace the president theme, the altcoin season will naturally return. However, this comeback is unlikely to happen at the tail end of the current cycle. It will probably wait for the next cycle, when market sentiment is reset from scratch.
Conclusion President-themed tokens broke the natural development rhythm of altcoin season, causing capital and trust to evaporate too quickly. The foundational drivers of altcoin season still exist, but it will take time to restore confidence and market rhythm. A comprehensive altcoin season may not happen in the final stages of this cycle, but it will surely return in the next one—possibly with a different pattern and pace than before.