Altcoin traders are under increasing pressure as market uncertainty rises in November. Analysts suggest an eight-step strategy to manage risk, spot opportunities, and navigate downtrends during Bitcoin’s ongoing dominance.
As the value of altcoins dwindles compared to Bitcoin, traders are reassessing their positions, tracking capital flows, and analyzing market narratives to mitigate losses. With Bitcoin’s dominance continuing, many altcoin traders find themselves navigating turbulent waters.
Strategies For Altcoin Traders to Navigate November Market Volatility
The altcoin market is experiencing a significant downturn, pushing traders to seek effective strategies for survival. According to Galaxy Research, 72 out of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization have declined by over 50% from their all-time highs. This scenario underscores the punishing nature of the current market for speculative investments.
Amid the prevailing fear, some analysts perceive opportunities for disciplined investors. Crypto analyst Miles Deutscher has outlined an eight-step “survival guide” for navigating November’s volatility. His first piece of advice is straightforward: benchmark every altcoin trade against Bitcoin.
“If your altcoin is in a downtrend relative to Bitcoin, you might as well just go long the leader,” he emphasizes.
Deutscher points out that few altcoins outperform BTC in risk-off market conditions, making it essential for traders to monitor BTC pairs closely before committing their capital.
Next, he stresses the importance of technical discipline, advocating for trades to be entered at major support levels across higher time frames (12H, 1D, 3D, 1W) and for each trade to have clear invalidation points.
“If your stop gets hit, your thesis is wrong — that’s it,” he states, emphasizing accountability in trading decisions.
In addition to technical analysis, flow analysis is a critical component of assessing market strength. Deutscher recommends using tools like Nansen, Arkham, Token Terminal, DeBridge, and DEXTools, combined with macroeconomic data from Artemis to monitor buy pressure and accumulation.
Moreover, he advises traders to examine ecosystem health and sentiment through resources like DefiLlama and cookie.fun. He warns that toxic or inactive communities can be detrimental to a project as quickly as weak fundamentals.
“Avoid alts with harmful sentiment — they can completely destroy a project,” he cautions.
To manage risk effectively, Deutscher suggests dividing capital into two portfolios:
- Core Portfolio: Contains fundamentally strong altcoins that meet various technical and on-chain validation criteria.
- Degen Portfolio (≤20%): A smaller allocation dedicated to higher-risk bets, allowing traders to take calculated risks without endangering their entire portfolio.
As a final note, position sizing emerges as a pivotal factor in trading success. Even if all other strategies are executed correctly, incorrect sizing can lead to significant losses. Therefore, Deutscher suggests employing a “conviction scoring” system, utilizing AI tools to align trade size with the trader’s confidence level.
Market Context: Fear, Blood, and Selective Opportunity
Recent reports indicate that November started with a market bloodbath, with Bitcoin dropping below the $100,000 psychological barrier and Ethereum experiencing its most substantial daily loss of 2025. Amid these tumultuous conditions, Michael IncomeSharks urges traders to seek assets displaying strength rather than those that are breaking down.
He emphasizes that, even during downturns, “there’s always a sector rallying,” pointing to privacy and zero-knowledge (ZK) coins like Zcash (ZEC) and Dash (DASH) as current outperformers. This perspective aligns with Deutscher’s assertion that market momentum and ecosystem flows should guide entry points rather than blind dip-buying.
Spotting the Next Big Move: Dino Coins and Structural Leaders
Analyst Altcoin Vector identifies “dino coins” such as ZEC and DASH, which are among the rare few retesting highs rather than lows. These “ancient” coins have no Key Opinion Leader (KOL) allocations and sturdy long-term holder bases, indicating strong impulse alignment—a signal that often prefaces structural leadership during altcoin seasons.
“This kind of performance reminds us what an Altseason used to feel like,” Altcoin Vector tweeted, emphasizing the importance of recognizing foundational strength.
Supporting this viewpoint, trader The Dev lists ZEC, ICP, FIL, and The Graph (GRT) as potential movers. Alex Clay adds DigiByte (DGB) to the discussion for its impressive accumulation structure over 1,239 days.
“No snipers, better liquidity, and everyone has to actually buy,” IncomeSharks explains, highlighting the appeal of these low-hype, holder-driven assets.
Nevertheless, analysts suggest that chasing late-stage momentum could be a perilous endeavor. Buying into any coin could result in being “stuck,” especially if altcoins turn bearish, which may lead traders to remain trapped for prolonged periods.
With significant drawdown data and Deutscher’s structured approach, November’s altcoin landscape underscores the importance of patience and strategic sizing over emotional trading. In this climate, where 72% of top coins sit beneath 50% drawdowns, waiting for the right opportunities may be the only viable path forward amid the market’s pervasive fear.
