Recently, someone asked me how to understand the concept of altcoins, and I realized that many beginners are still a bit confused. Instead of a lengthy explanation, I’ll get straight to the point. Let's start with the most basic. Altcoins are actually the general term for all cryptocurrencies except Bitcoin. Why is that? Because Bitcoin is the first one to appear and is currently the most well-known, so Ethereum, Cardano, XRP, and others are categorized as altcoins. This definition might sound a bit derogatory, but that’s how it’s used in the crypto community. Now, when we talk about the altcoin season, that’s the really interesting part. The altcoin season is the period when the price increases of altcoins start to surpass Bitcoin’s. You’ll see many investors suddenly paying attention to various altcoins because they realize the returns are much higher than holding Bitcoin. This is usually driven by the hype of new projects, expectations of technological advancements, or the community’s desire for the next big opportunity. So, how do you tell if you’ve entered an altcoin season? I usually look for these signals. The first is that Bitcoin’s dominance begins to decline, meaning Bitcoin’s share of the total crypto market cap shrinks, which often indicates funds are flowing into altcoins. The second is that you’ll see many altcoins’ prices rising faster than Bitcoin’s, which basically confirms the arrival of altcoin season. The third is that new projects and technologies start to trigger a lot of hype, and community discussions heat up noticeably. Why should we pay attention to altcoin season? Honestly, this is a moment many traders and investors look forward to because, during altcoin season, certain altcoins can achieve astonishing gains in a very short period. But I also want to remind you that altcoins are much more volatile than Bitcoin, and the risks are higher. I’ve seen many people make money during altcoin season, and I’ve also seen many lose everything. So, my final advice is that altcoins do have opportunities, and altcoin season does exist, but you must do your homework and understand what risks you’re taking. Blindly following the trend will only make you the bag holder. You can also see various altcoin market movements on Gate, so if you’re interested, you can do some research yourself.