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What BTC and ETH dominance actually measure

Dominance is a share of global crypto market cap, not a score. When bitcoin’s slice grows, everything else is shrinking relative to it — even if those coins are also up.

2026-03-18 · 4 min read · Original BoreDash explainer

Bitcoin dominance is bitcoin’s market cap divided by the sum of all reported crypto market caps. Ethereum dominance is the same fraction for ether. BoreDash prints both in the top ticker on every page.

Rising BTC dominance during a rally usually means capital is concentrating in bitcoin. Falling dominance during a rally usually means capital is rotating into smaller names. Neither pattern lasts on a schedule.

Dominance can rise while bitcoin’s dollar price falls, if the rest of the market falls faster. Always read dominance next to the global market-cap change, not alone.

Stablecoins also sit inside the global cap. A large USDT or USDC print can nudge dominance without any risk-asset move.