Meme coins’ decline hits a historic high, with 40% of the tokens nearing their historic lows

Gate News reports that analyst Darkfost pointed out that as of March 2026, over 40% of altcoin trading prices have approached or reached historical lows, which is about 38% higher than the peak value during the previous bear market cycle. This indicates that the decline altcoins are experiencing in this cycle has set a new record. Ongoing geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic fluctuations continue to exert pressure on risk assets, with altcoins bearing the brunt.

Darkfost stated that beyond macro factors, structural issues in the market are also evident. The current total supply of cryptocurrencies has exceeded 47 million coins; Solana (SOL) alone has over 22 million, Base has more than 18 million, and the BNB Smart Chain has added 4 million. The surge in token quantities has led to highly dispersed capital in the market, diluting liquidity and making altcoins more susceptible to pressure in low-demand environments.

Despite the sluggish market performance, Darkfost believes this may create potential entry opportunities. If investors can identify resilient projects amid the sell-off, they could achieve long-term returns. Liquidity dilution and oversupply have caused some projects’ prices to be undervalued, providing opportunities for discerning investors.

Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer of Bitwise Asset Management, also analyzed structural trends. He pointed out that the traditional capital rotation pattern—Bitcoin (BTC) flowing into Ethereum (ETH) and then into speculative altcoins—has become less effective. Hougan believes that future markets will reward projects with real value and solid ecosystems, rather than tokens relying solely on broad speculative momentum.

In this context, investors need to pay even closer attention to project fundamentals and market resilience. Although altcoins generally face pressure, opportunities at lower levels may attract insightful capital, leading to a new phase of market divergence and emphasizing the importance of high-quality projects in upcoming cycles.