CRYPTO 101 Podcast – "Crypto Rundown: Where Are We in The Cycle, Facts Around Altcoin Season, & Top Meme Coin Trades Now!"

Hosts: Brendan Viehman (filling in for Bryce Paul), Producer TiVo
Guests: Brian (“Momentum Money Maker”), Rohit (Research Analyst)
Date: August 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This special extended episode brings together the full CRYPTONATION analyst team to dive deep into the current state of the crypto market. The discussion covers where we are in the crypto cycle, perspectives on altcoin season, detailed technical analysis, the booming meme coin/NFT scene, evolving regulatory attitudes in the U.S., and outlooks for Ethereum and Solana. Listeners get actionable insights, memorable moments, and candid team commentary on navigating the fast-moving world of crypto in 2025.

Key Segments & Topics

1. Episode Kickoff & Disclaimers

[03:08–06:25]

• Brendan introduces a turbo-charged episode with the full analyst team and lays out CRYPTONATION’s mission of equipping retail investors.
• Emphasizes: “Nothing that we say is financial or investment advice. We're not financial or investment advisors over here. And all the content is strictly educational in nature.” (Brendan, 04:10)
• Reinforces security, risk management, and awareness of impersonators/scammers.

2. Where Are We In The Crypto Market Cycle?

[08:12–19:07]

• All-Around Bullishness: The team agrees we’re in a bull market, noting months of upward moves.
• Political Momentum:
  • Noted shift as U.S. admin, Treasury, and SEC adopt the most pro-crypto policies ever, a “night and day” difference from the Gensler era.
  • “Every powerful person in this administration... seems to be talking about crypto, it's something that you should take note [of].” (TiVo, 08:26)
  • Example: Treasury Sec. Scott Bessant’s walkback tweet about exploring “budget neutral pathways to acquire more bitcoin” in response to community backlash.
  • Google reversed planned crypto app delistings after instant community feedback, illustrating rising power and voice of the “crypto army.”
• Cautions Against Overexpectations:
  • “People have become… greedy... asking for a little bit much... the government never really told us we were getting those [things].” (Brendan, 16:18)
  • “There's so much great progress... and people just need to be appreciative.” (Brendan, 16:48)

3. Technical Analysis – Where’s the Market Headed?

[19:07–30:10]

• High-Level Market Structure:

  • Bitcoin and Ethereum have hit (or nearly hit) all-time high resistance levels. A recent ~10% pullback is textbook for this part of the cycle.
  • Noted “break, hook, and go” pattern: break resistance, retest as support, continue up.
  • “When we have bitcoin and ethereum pushing up into all-time high resistance levels and we start to see a rejection, is that a bad thing? Is it anything unexpected? Absolutely not.” (Brendan, 19:52)
  • Major dip = major opportunity: "I think any kind of dips... are going to be presenting just fantastic potential buying opportunities." (Brendan, 23:36)

• Altcoin Market Structure:

  • “Total 2” (crypto market cap minus BTC) and “Total 3” (market cap minus BTC & ETH) are near or at all-time highs, with major altcoins (XRP, BNB, TRON) breaking records.
  • Bitcoin dominance (~60%) and monthly RSI both point to more upside ahead: “The data is just saying the market top isn't in.” (Brendan, 27:25)

4. Is This Altcoin Season? Facts, Data, and Narratives

[30:10–33:21]

• Consensus: Altseason Is Here

  • Both Rohit and Brian give the go-ahead: “I think technically we are in altcoin season… and in the past two to three cycles, there's been a specific sequence of events. But I would say we're in altcoin season.” (Rohit, 31:49)
  • Coins like Euler, Aerodrome, Pengu, and meme tokens are roaring.

• Institutional Confirmation

  • Coinbase Institutional and CME Group both highlight “altcoin season” in their official communications.

5. Spotlight – Meme Coin & NFT Momentum

[33:21–54:42]

• Ethereum’s Current Narrative Dominance

  • ETH ecosystem and “treasury companies” are aggressively accumulating. ETH ETFs and big cap companies already own 8% of supply.
    “If there's not a ton of supply being offered and... strong demand, it's not hard to imagine what that will do to the price.” (Rohit, 38:03)
  • Tom Lee (“the Michael Saylor of the ETH treasury strategy”) offers price targets: $7,500–$10,000 ETH by end of year.
  • Ethereum flipping Bitcoin? Team is bullish but divided (“A little aggressive, but... I love me some Ethereum,” Brian, 37:04).

• Solana’s Shifting Narrative

  • Solana vs. Ethereum momentum has cycled back and forth; both “specialize in different things.”
    “We’re not Maxis... The bulk of the crypto industry can and likely will succeed together.” (Brendan, 41:48)

• NFTs & Meme Coins: Major Developments

  • Pengu: Transitioning from meme coin to brand/IP powerhouse; first ever meme/NFT ETF filed (Canary Capital).

  • Wrecked (REKT): Moved from NFT to meme coin to consumer brand (beverages in 7/11), rewarding holders with token incentives.

  • Moonbirds, Azuki, Anime: OG/blue-chip NFTs and their tokens see wild inflows; Anime’s $2.5m buy-in from a NASDAQ-listed company signals further merging of TradFi and NFTs.

  • New Meta: Meme coins/projects are now “caterpillars cocooned into butterflies” (TiVo, 49:54), evolving from quick flips to real businesses with utility and reward systems.

• Trade Call Spotlight

  • Tibber (speculated to be associated with Mickey Malki and Ribbit Capital): Identified early, now up 500%+ since May.
    • “This was a stealth launch in January. It's absolutely popped off… Feels like it's just up only, really impressive stuff.” (Brian, 53:45)

6. Cycle Analysis – Timing the Market Top

[56:06–61:42]

• Market Cycle Framework: Four stages (bear, sideways, gentle up, feverish bull).

  • Bitcoin leads, then ETH, then large-caps, then smaller alts/NFTs/meme coins.
  • “We're in that final phase now. Typically… the peak would be later this year… altcoins have peaked about a month after bitcoin.” (Rohit, 56:24)

• On-Chain & Macro Signals:

  • Bitcoin’s all-time highs are correlated with global M2 money supply growth (~0.7 correlation).
  • On-chain signals (Centralized exchange withdrawals, decreasing supply) point to bullish supply/demand squeeze.
  • App-store rankings and Google trends: still not at frenzy levels, indicating potential top is not yet in.

7. Listener Q&A & Final Thoughts

[61:42–70:46]

• Can the Cycle Extend?

  • Brendan: “If there's any argument to say, like can the cycle extend... there's a pretty good argument now… All the data on the charts says that we're just not near [the market] top yet.” (Brendan, 65:20/69:35)
  • Rohit: “The transitions... between Ethereum to large cap tokens, large cap tokens to small and mid cap, the most frenzied part… tend to be the shortest.” (D, 68:37)

• How Long Is Altcoin Season?

  • “I hope it lasts a long time. ...Altcoin season lasts [a] few hundred days actually. But I'm fired up for this altcoin season... I don't want to talk about the end until we get into the thick of it.” (Brian, 69:18)
  • Historically has grown longer in each cycle; likely to last until end of this year at least.

• Cultural Reality Check: The rapid evolution of projects, meta-narratives, and regulatory attitudes means flexibility and ongoing participation are essential for retail investors.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Political Change:
  “Compare that to where we were a year, two, three years ago with Gary Gensler. It’s literally night and day.” (TiVo, 14:20)

• On Meme/NFT Evolution:
  “[They’re] not just meme coiners anymore. Like, TradFi is diving into this stuff.” (TiVo, 51:52)

• ETH Supply Squeeze:
  “ETH ETFs and the public treasury companies already own 8% of the total Ethereum supply, which is kind of crazy.” (Rohit, 37:47)

• Trader Mindset:
  “I'm not panicking up here, I'm not freaking out… If anything, it should have been expected.” (Brendan, 19:55)

Key Takeaways & Actionable Insights

• We are firmly in a bull market, supported by political tailwinds, institutional adoption, and clear chart structure.
• Altcoin season is “on,” with money flowing first into ETH and majors, then to memes, NFTs, and small/mid-caps.
• New “meta” for meme coins/NFTs: Brands are building real products, not just quick cash grabs—community and utility matter.
• Cycle isn’t over: On-chain, chart, and macro signals suggest more upside in 2025. The top is likely months away, not imminent.
• Historical “rules” still apply but evolving market and incoming institutional demand could extend the cycle.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:08 – Disclaimers & Analyst Introductions/Setups
• 08:12 – Political shift & market context
• 19:07 – Technical analysis: BTC, ETH, total market structure
• 30:10 – Institutional calls for altcoin season
• 33:21 – Meme coin/NFT trends: Pengu, Rekt, Moonbirds, Anime, Tibber
• 56:06 – Market cycles: Where are we now?
• 61:42 – On-chain/macro signals, AppStore, Google trends
• 68:37 – Altcoin season timing, listener Q&A
• 70:46 – Closing thoughts

Stay bullish, stay sharp, and remember: zoom out, focus on long-term cycles, and lean into communities like CRYPTONATION for education and support.