Why sticking to old crypto playbooks is holding you back, and what to do to win in the new cycle
Intro
This crypto cycle has felt almost impossible for many investors — not just because of price swings, but because the entire game changed. New coins used to flood the market daily. Retail investors were everywhere, pushing altcoins to wild highs. That’s gone. The landscape has shifted dramatically, and most retail players didn’t adapt. The market isn’t dead, but your strategy might be. In this article, you’ll learn what really changed in crypto, why old tactics failed, and how coordinated, smarter strategies can help you thrive moving forward.
What Changed in This Crypto Cycle?
Bitcoin Dominance and Altcoin Drought
Bitcoin again dominated 2025, hitting new all-time highs, but altcoins told a different story — a prolonged bear market. Every altseason pump fizzled quickly, leaving traders burned. The big story? Altcoins simply didn’t have the capital or momentum to sustain rallies like before.
Retail Investors Have Disappeared
The economic crunch squeezed retail wallets. Instead of crypto, retail money flowed into AI stocks, gold, and safer havens. Without fresh retail cash, even strong projects had little runway. The usual hype engines were missing fuel.
Explosion of Coin Supply via Pump.fun
A game-changer was Pump.fun — a platform making it ridiculously easy to launch millions of new tokens. The market flooded with low-quality projects, fragmenting capital and attention. Retail buyers who lost money early checked out for good, shrinking the market further.
Why Did Your Old Strategies Fail?
1. Expecting Pocket Influence from “KOLs”
In previous cycles, crypto influencers (key opinion leaders or KOLs) could move markets with a tweet. Not anymore. The market is now too large, too fast, and too fragmented. No single voice reliably shifts prices.
2. Confusing Trades with Investments
Many missed big gains by not defining their approach clearly. If you treat a fundamental project like a meme coin trade, you risk selling early and missing the run-up.
Answer Box
How should I differentiate between a crypto trade and an investment?
A trade focuses on short-term price moves for quick gains, while an investment involves buying for long-term value and holding despite volatility. Decide your goal upfront to avoid strategy confusion and regret.
3. Stopping Learning and Experimenting
Earlier cycles saw retail dive into new tools, chains, and protocols out of curiosity. In 2025, most stuck to familiar momentum trades on known tokens, missing early plays in emerging sectors.
4. Relying Too Much on Momentum Trading
While momentum can yield quick wins, it rarely leads to big portfolio growth. The greatest gains come from deep research, long-term theses, and conviction in projects you trust.
5. Ignoring Cryptorelated Stocks
Crypto infrastructure stocks—exchanges, miners, market makers—outperformed altcoins. But retail stuck to tokens only, missing steady gains sitting right in front of them.
The Real Edge: Coordination
The biggest winners weren’t solo players. Funds, syndicates, whales, and VCs coordinated everything: research, timing, entries, and exits. This collective approach moved markets before retail even caught wind.
Retail, by contrast, acted alone — no shared framework, no collective timing, no coordinated playbook. In tough markets, this lack of coordination was the real competitive disadvantage.
Data Callout
According to recent on-chain data, coordinated whale groups now account for over 40% of daily Bitcoin trading volume, while retail share has dropped below 15%. This concentration underscores the growing influence of coordinated players.
What Should You Do Next?
Embrace Coordination
Playing solo in a coordinated market is an uphill battle. Joining a community or DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) can help you regain the lost edge through shared knowledge, timing, and strategy.
Decide Your Role: Trader or Investor
Clarify your goals before entering any position. Are you looking for short-term momentum or long-term value? This mindset anchors your decisions and limits costly mistakes.
Keep Learning and Experimenting
Don't settle for familiar ground. Explore new chains, DeFi tools, and tokens backed by fundamentals. Adaptability is crucial.
Consider Crypto-Related Stocks
Balance your portfolio with stocks in crypto infrastructure. These often show less volatility and can complement your crypto holdings.
Risks / What Could Go Wrong
No strategy guarantees success, especially in crypto’s volatile environment. Coordination can reduce risk but won’t eliminate it. New projects can still fail. Macro factors like regulations or economic downturns might impact markets unpredictably. Always do your own research and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
Actionable Summary
- This cycle is defined by Bitcoin dominance, retail withdrawal, and market fragmentation due to millions of new tokens.
- Old strategies relying on influencer tweets, momentum flips, or solo research don’t work anymore.
- Clarify if you’re trading or investing before entering positions.
- Join coordinated groups or DAOs where shared insights and timing provide an edge.
- Don’t ignore crypto infrastructure stocks; they outperformed many altcoins.
- Keep learning, stay adaptable, and avoid emotional decisions.
Ready to Level Up?
Get the full playbook, breaking market analysis, and timely alerts in today’s Wolfy Wealth PRO brief. Don’t go it alone when the market’s already coordinated—join a winning team.
FAQ
Q: Why is Bitcoin dominating the current market cycle?
A: Bitcoin’s brand, liquidity, and institutional adoption continue to outpace altcoins, especially in tough economic times when retail funding shrinks.
Q: What caused retail investors to leave the crypto market?
A: Economic pressures and repeated losses from fragmented altcoin markets pushed retail investors toward traditional assets like stocks and gold.
Q: What makes Pump.fun so disruptive?
A: Pump.fun enabled millions of quick token launches, flooding the market and dividing both attention and capital, hurting overall quality and returns.
Q: How does a DAO help improve crypto investing?
A: A DAO offers coordination, shared data, and collective strategy, allowing retail investors to act with the alignment and timing that institutional players enjoy.
Q: Should I avoid momentum trading entirely?
A: Not necessarily. Momentum trading can work for short-term profits, but combining it with deep research and long-term investments usually delivers better growth.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments carry risk, and individual results may vary.
By Wolfy Wealth - Empowering crypto investors since 2016
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Disclosure: Authors may be crypto investors mentioned in this newsletter. Wolfy Wealth Crypto newsletter, does not represent an offer to trade securities or other financial instruments. Our analyses, information and investment strategies are for informational purposes only, in order to spread knowledge about the crypto market. Any investments in variable income may cause partial or total loss of the capital used. Therefore, the recipient of this newsletter should always develop their own analyses and investment strategies. In addition, any investment decisions should be based on the investor's risk profile
