While the leading cryptocurrency Bitcoin set new records in 2025, many altcoins, including Ethereum, exhibited more limited upward momentum.
In this context, altcoins generally lag behind $BTC, and cryptocurrency research company Blockworks Research has published a comprehensive report examining the performance of the altcoin market in recent years.
According to the research, altcoins are lagging behind $BTC, with only 1.7% of altcoins that reached a market capitalization of at least $50 million and had a 24-month history between the beginning of 2020 and June 2026 managing to outperform Bitcoin.
Research data reveals that Bitcoin has outperformed the vast majority of altcoins in the long run.
“The Picture Changed After the 2021 Bull Show!”
The report highlighted a significant shift regarding $BTC and altcoins. It noted that during the 2020-2021 bull market, a significant portion of altcoins outperformed Bitcoin, but this success was not sustainable.
According to the report, between February 2020 and November 2021, approximately one in three altcoins outperformed Bitcoin. However, 86% of those altcoins have lost more than 90% of their value since reaching their peak.
In contrast, among the 187 altcoins that outperformed Bitcoin during the 2021 bull season, only $OKB was able to maintain its superior performance against Bitcoin in the subsequent period.
“Only 22 Altcoins Managed to Surpass Bitcoin!”
Analysts have determined that only 22 altcoins outperformed Bitcoin during the 2020-2026 period. However, the study noted that it analyzed only projects that reached a market capitalization of at least $50 million during the 2020-2026 period, not all cryptocurrencies.
These altcoins were listed as follows: “BNB, $OKB, GT, LEO, BGB, WBT, MX, CAKE, Ethereum, Solana, and Tron”
*This is not investment advice.