I see that many newcomers to crypto feel confused when hearing about DOM or BTC Dominance. Today, I want to share a brief overview of this indicator because it really has a significant impact on how we invest.
Bitcoin Dominance, or simply DOM, basically refers to the percentage of market capitalization that Bitcoin holds out of the total crypto market capitalization. It shows Bitcoin's dominance over other altcoins. For example: if Bitcoin has a market cap of $9 billion and all altcoins combined are only $1 billion, then BTC Dominance = 9 divided by 10 = 90%. Very easy to understand.
Bitcoin is considered the "base currency" of the market. Most people wanting to participate in crypto first buy Bitcoin or USDT. And when altcoins drop sharply, many investors often shift back to Bitcoin to preserve their capital. That’s why BTC Dominance is important.
In the market, I usually see four main scenarios happening. First, Bitcoin rises along with the market – this is the most ideal scenario, market confidence is strong, and funds flow into both. Second, Bitcoin rises but altcoins fall – capital only flows into Bitcoin. Third, Bitcoin drops and drags the market down – this is the most common scene, when the king weakens, the entire kingdom shakes. Fourth, Bitcoin moves sideways or slightly down while altcoins rise – this is the phase where Bitcoin regains strength and prepares for a new rally of altcoins.
When BTC Dominance increases, capital from altcoins is gradually pulled back into Bitcoin. At this point, altcoins find it hard to surge strongly, but there are still promising projects that can break out if they prove real value. I usually buy and hold quality altcoins with real products, and avoid chasing prices too high.
Looking back at history, in 2016 Bitcoin accounted for over 90% of the market cap. In 2017, when ICOs exploded, BTC Dominance dropped to about 35%, the lowest at that time because Ethereum reached 30% due to soaring demand for ETH to participate in ICOs. At the end of 2017, when Bitcoin hit $20,000, DOM recovered to over 65%. Early 2018, DOM fell to only 33% as whales took profits and shifted to altcoins. Then from 2020 to 2021, when Bitcoin rose from $3,800 to $41,000, DOM surged close to 74%.
Currently, according to the latest data, BTC Dominance is around 57.56%. I think this is a fairly balanced level, indicating that investors are gradually regaining confidence and starting to pay attention to altcoins again.
Therefore, if you want to keep up with market trends, always pay attention to this BTC Dominance indicator. Additionally, you should also monitor other indices like TOTAL, TOTAL2, DEFI index to better understand capital flows. That’s why newcomers often get overwhelmed – because they don’t fully understand these indicators and how they connect with each other.