Ethereum Sparks Altcoin Season as FOMO Shifts Away From Bitcoin

Traders are rapidly shifting their focus to Ethereum and altcoins after Bitcoin’s recent all-time high triggered widespread retail FOMO.

According to Santiment data, the attention has now moved toward Ethereum, which has seen a major spike in social media mentions and price projections above $4,000 across platforms like X, Reddit, and Telegram.

The chart highlights a notable shift in trader behavior. On July 16, Ethereum experienced a significant FOMO spike, following Bitcoin’s hype earlier in the week. This comes just two days after XRP also registered a major spike in online chatter on July 14—mirroring a previous wave on May 15.

These surges indicate that retail interest is rotating quickly between top-layer cryptocurrencies, often following price breakouts or headline-driven momentum.

Ethereum now leads the pack in terms of online buzz, potentially signaling the start of an altcoin season. As Bitcoin cools off after its rally, Ethereum is emerging as the next speculative target for traders anticipating continued upside. The combination of technical breakouts and aggressive social media sentiment is creating a feedback loop that could push ETH further up.

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The current environment echoes previous market cycles where retail sentiment rapidly chases outperforming assets. With Ethereum back in the spotlight, the broader altcoin market may follow suit, especially if traders rotate capital from BTC profits into high-beta alternatives. Santiment’s data reveals how quickly crowd behavior shifts, and right now, Ethereum is at the center of that rotation.

Kosta Gushterov

Kosta has been working in the crypto industry for over 4 years. He strives to present different perspectives on a given topic and enjoys the sector for its transparency and dynamism. In his work, he focuses on balanced coverage of events and developments in the crypto space, providing information to his readers from a neutral perspective.