The market is leaning towards the oldest cryptocurrencies. We found prices to be hectic between $65,000 and $72,000. Trading in this range has become a focus for major players and longholders. Some traders are coming in, but others are leaving.
Trading volume rotation
According to exchange statistics, Bitcoin’s trading share is increasing while many altcoins are declining in ranking. According to the report, Bitcoin accounted for nearly 37% of total transactions in the most recent snapshot, with the majority of the market now shifting away from smaller tokens.
Ethereum still accounts for a large portion at about 28%, but the combined altcoin share has declined sharply since the second half of last year, dropping from about 59% to nearly 35%. On the chart, the decline looks large. It shows that money is going back to the most familiar assets.
Altcoin trading volume shrinks by 50% as capital returns to Bitcoin
“This pattern has appeared repeatedly in previous corrections, including April 2025, August 2024, and October 2022 near the end of the bear market.” – by @darkfost_coc
Link ⤵️ https://t.co/B0ZFeiMukl pic.twitter.com/jVRTOkaTic
— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) February 18, 2026
Featured price range
Large orders and institutional investor flows are attracted to the aforementioned price range. Whales and long-term holders are active there. Accumulation and sales are both visualized. Due to the strong performance, some movements appear to be profit-taking.
When there is a sense of uncertainty across the market, some moves are defensive as traders value the safety of the oldest coins. Liquidity is concentrated where market participants expect it to be. If this happens, the price change on one side may be larger than the price change on the other.
What Market Capitalization and Control Reveal
According to the report, Bitcoin’s market capitalization has fallen from nearly $1.55 trillion to about $1.34 trillion in recent weeks, but the decline in the total market value of many altcoins was much smaller.
Changes in volume do not necessarily equate to changes in market capitalization, but this does make sense. More Bitcoin trading means more attention to the asset and faster price discovery.
Although the dominance measure has declined slightly over a short period of time, Bitcoin remains the most traded token on major platforms. Historical patterns have shown capital to rotate into Bitcoin during corrections, and this cycle fits that mold.
Why traders should pay attention
Some traders expect stability to return if Bitcoin maintains its current range. Some have warned that the concentration of orders could create sudden pressure if sentiment reverses.
While altcoin outflows can create opportunity costs for selective buyers, they also compress risk for those who prefer a single market leader. Market watchers will be closely monitoring the volume flow and order status for the upcoming session.
Bitcoin is back in the spotlight
Based on the report, Bitcoin reasserts itself as the main focus of cryptocurrency trading at the moment. Short-term action will depend on whether buyers in the $65,000-$72,000 zone continue to add to their purchases, or whether selling pressure increases and forces a broader move.
Either way, the rotation away from many altcoins is clear and traders are recalibrating where they bet.
Featured images from Pexels, charts from TradingView
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