Michaël van de Poppe Explains Why Most Altcoins Won’t Survive by 2025
- Why Are Altcoins Facing Extinction?
- Tokenomics Failures: The Silent Killer
- The Institutional Onslaught
- Who Makes the Cut? Survivor Traits
- The Silver Lining
- FAQs
The crypto market is bracing for a brutal shakeout by 2025, with analyst Michaël van de Poppe predicting that most altcoins will vanish due to flawed tokenomics, prolonged bear markets, and institutional competition. Projects like Arbitrum, Aave, and NEAR may survive by demonstrating real utility—but the era of easy altcoin gains is over. Here’s why.
Why Are Altcoins Facing Extinction?
The crypto market is undergoing what Van de Poppe calls "Darwinian selection." In 2023 alone, over 90% of altcoins crashed harder than during the 2022 bear market. "Many won’t recover—ever," he warns. This mirrors the dot-com bubble burst, where most internet startups folded. The difference? Crypto’s bear market is dragging longer, squeezing weaker projects dry.
Tokenomics Failures: The Silent Killer
Van de Poppe highlights reckless financial management as altcoins’ Achilles’ heel. "Founders mint tokens like monopoly money, then wonder why their projects collapse," he quips. Data fromshows 72% of failed altcoins in 2023 had inflationary supplies or mismanaged treasuries. Take Terra (LUNA)—its death spiral began with unsustainable yield promises. "If the math doesn’t add up, neither will the price," notes the BTCC research team.
The Institutional Onslaught
Bitcoin ETFs drew $12 billion inflows in 2024, but altcoins got crumbs. Institutions favor blue-chip cryptos, starving smaller projects of capital. "It’s like Walmart moving next to a mom-and-pop store," says Van de Poppe. Projects like NEO, once a 2017 darling, now struggle against Ethereum’s LAYER 2 solutions. Survival requiresadoption—not just hype.
Who Makes the Cut? Survivor Traits
Van de Poppe identifies four lifelines for altcoins:
- On-chain activity: Arbitrum’s transactions surged 200% despite price drops.
- TVL growth: Aave’s $7B locked proves sticky demand.
- Revenue: NEAR’s fee generation offsets bear market pressures.
- Problem-solving: "If your project’s ‘issue’ was solved by Coinbase, pack up," he jokes.
The Silver Lining
While 90% of altcoins may die, the survivors could thrive. "This purge strengthens crypto’s foundation," argues Van de Poppe. Investors should focus on protocols with measurable utility—not memecoins. Ascharts show, the next bull run will reward fundamentals, not FOMO.
FAQs
Why does Van de Poppe think most altcoins will fail?
He cites poor tokenomics, prolonged bear markets, and institutional competition as key factors.
Which altcoins have the best survival odds?
Projects like Arbitrum, Aave, and NEAR show strong on-chain metrics despite price volatility.
How does this compare to the dot-com crash?
Like the early 2000s, only fundamentally sound projects will endure long-term.
