Bitcoin Extends Lead Over Altcoins as Market Divergence Hits Record Levels in January 2026

On 30 January 2026, Bitcoin traded around $84,500 during a sharp market pullback, while the total crypto market cap dropped to about $2.87 trillion, nearly 5% lower. Bitcoin now sits roughly 83% above its prior cycle high and has rebounded around 730% from its bear-market low, compared with only about 6% above the previous peak and a roughly 300% recovery for the altcoin-focused TOTAL3 index. This widening performance gap has raised concerns that institutional flows and market structure may be increasingly favoring Bitcoin over the broader altcoin sector.