New Altcoins Outperform Older Tokens in 2025, Data Shows Divergence in Exchange Performance

Gate News message, April 27 — In 2025, newly launched altcoins significantly outperformed older tokens, marking a shift in how liquidity is allocated across the crypto market. While older altcoins posted net losses between 18% and 23%, newly listed altcoins in 2025 retained 5% in net gains, according to Cryptoquant analysis.

A major centralized exchange hosted the strongest altcoin season in 2025, with newly listed assets averaging 6.58% gains over the past 90 days. In contrast, altcoins on another major exchange fell 16.8% on average, while those on a derivatives platform dropped 40.1%. The divergence reflects how different trading venues curated vastly different collections of altcoins, with selective liquidity allocation replacing the previous market dynamic where all assets rose together.

Market maturity has fundamentally changed altcoin trading dynamics. Rather than competing on fundamentals or on-chain innovation, newer assets now compete for liquidity retention and market attention through social media noise and smart money signals. Long-term holding strategies have largely failed across altcoin assets, with very few exceptions. Despite this weakness, new token launches continued throughout 2025, including meme tokens, public sales, and venture-backed projects, all seeking exchange listings and market exposure.

The leading exchange’s advantage stems from concentrated liquidity, market maker presence, and curated token selections through its alpha program. This selective approach has redefined what an altcoin season means in 2026, where capital allocation is strategic rather than indiscriminate.