Altcoin spot volume is now running close to 4x Bitcoin’s, the highest ratio since September 2025.
That sounds like “altseason.” The leverage data says something more useful.
#Glassnode found that 72.5% of tracked altcoins outperformed
$BTC over the prior week, while altcoin perpetual open interest barely grew over 30 days and fewer than half of markets added positions.
So this rotation is still being driven mostly by spot activity, not a broad leverage build. That lowers the risk of a sudden liquidation cascade compared with the overheated setups seen in 2021 and 2024.
But 4x volume does not mean 4x new money. Volume measures trading activity, not net buying. Glassnode also notes that this kind of high-risk demand has often appeared near local
$BTC tops.
The signal I’d watch next is simple: broad altcoin OI expansion.
Spot rotation is healthy. A leverage chase would change the setup fast.