Taking a look at this list of cryptocurrency prices on Binance, one can see that, alongside Bitcoin, there are 10,465 other cryptocurrencies available for trading. Technically, each of these coins and tokens is considered an “Altcoin,” as the phrase is a catch-all for any cryptocurrency besides Bitcoin.

Traders in the past have profited from these numerous cryptos, ranging from top “Altcoins” like Ethereum and Solana, all the way to the less serious “memecoins” and other esoteric crypto and token assets.

Given the role speculative frenzy plays in the market, don’t rule out some of the smaller names experiencing strong runs in the future, if only on hope and hype. However, according to one market expert, when it comes to the most popular and widely-used “Altcoins,” only a few of them are poised to benefit from a 2025 cryptocurrency rally.

So, which altcoins stand to win, and which stands to lose? It may all come down to one key factor.

End of an Era for Most of the Top Altcoins

Ki Young Ju is the CEO of CryptoQuant, leading provider of cryptocurrency market analytics. Ju also has a substantial social media presence, and often tweets out his commentary on the cryptocurrency market.

In a Feb. 25 X.com post, the crypto market analyst laid out his bear case for most major cryptocurrencies outside of Bitcoin and Ether. In the post, Ju states that “the era of everything pumping is over.” Referring to the current market environment as “selective altseason,” the analyst states that only Altcoins that meet three specific criteria are well positioned to outperform during the year.

What is this criteria? First, potential exchange-traded Fund (ETF) approvals. Admittedly, this criterion may not be tough to meet for most widely-traded altcoins. For example, investment managers have either launched, or in the process of launching, ETFs focused on many of the top Altcoins by market capitalization. There are even proposed ETFs that plan to focus on holding popular “memecoin” Dogecoin.

However, looking to Ju’s second criterion “sustainable attention drivers,” the herd of possible contenders starts to thin out. Consider his third criterion, “revenue-generating projects,” and the list of viable contenders could fall to just a handful.

Possible Winners of ‘Selective Altcoin Season’

While the prospect of just a few Altcoins “winning” may sound disheartening at first, there may be a silver lining. If Ju’s thesis is correct, and just a few of the Altcoins are poised to thrive this year, it may be easy to deduce which names he is hinting at through his tweet.

First, we can consider the Altcoins most likely to have an ETF launch this year. While it may be safe to assume that names like Dogecoin will fail to meet the other criteria, names like XRP, Solana, and Cardano may fit the bill.

As you may recall, President Trump included them as potential Altcoins to be acquired for his proposed cryptocurrency strategic reserve. Besides signaling the likelihood that their respective ETFs will soon receive the regulatory green light, this may also be a sign that these Altcoins have “sustainable attention drivers” and have existing success and/or strong future potential when it comes to “revenue-generating projects.”

That said, while Ki Young Ju may or may not believe these are the forthcoming “winners” of the next altcoin season, keep in mind that the market could play out differently than his thesis.

What This Means for Altcoin Prices in 2025

Ju’s current take on Altcoins is certainly food for thought, but consider the possibility of different scenarios playing out for Altcoins during 2025. Only time will tell whether last year’s crypto rally will persist throughout the calendar year.

Bitcoin may be inching higher after the recent sell-off, but a full recovery is far from set in stone. For Altcoins, which have experienced a far greater degree of price capitulation, another wave of bearishness could result in further declines, even for high utility Altcoins like Solana.

Conversely, if bullishness fully renews, this could usher renewed market participation by retail traders. As these traders are influenced more heavily by non-fundamental factors, names that fail to meet Ki Young Ju’s criteria could nonetheless experience strong price performance.