What we track each week
Every week we walk the same core charts so you can spot regime shifts early and avoid reacting to noise. The goal is to answer one question each week: are we risk-on or risk-off?
- TOTAL — overall market health
- TOTAL2 — altcoin strength excluding BTC
- TOTAL3 — risk-on appetite excluding BTC & ETH
- BTC.D — altcoin pressure and relief
- ETH/BTC — leadership rotation
The show maps the bull vs bear regime in about 10 minutes every week — using the same charts every time so you can track regime changes over time. Watch the latest episode →
What this means for investors
The weekly show keeps you focused on structure — trend, dominance, leadership — instead of headlines.
- Use weekly closes to confirm moves (avoid intraday fake-outs).
- Watch dominance and leadership to know when alts are truly leading.
- If the regime shifts, you'll see it in the charts before you feel it in your feed.
In-depth guide to bull vs bear market regimes
If you watch the charts every day, it's easy to feel like the market "changes" every hour. The goal of this page is to slow that down and make the bull vs bear distinction useful: a repeatable way to read the market without chasing noise. In the YouTube Crypto Show, we use a small set of charts as a weekly dashboard so you can answer one question: are we in a risk-on expansion, a topping/chop phase, or a risk-off contraction?
Deciding if the market is in a bull or bear regime using structure, breadth, and dominance rather than emotions is most valuable when you treat it as context, not a prediction. Think of it like a weather report: it won't tell you the exact price tomorrow, but it can help you choose whether you should be carrying an umbrella (tight risk) or enjoying the sunshine (let winners run).
Why regime matters. Your position sizing, coin selection, and risk tolerance should all be different in a bull market versus a bear market. Getting the regime wrong is the root cause of most crypto losses — taking max exposure in a bear market, or cutting winners too early in a bull. A consistent weekly framework removes the emotional guesswork.
Signals that matter. The cleanest read usually comes from structure and trend: higher highs/higher lows for expansion, lower highs/lower lows for contraction, and long sideways ranges when liquidity is uncertain. Pair that with a simple momentum check — is the market making progress or just whipping? — and you'll avoid most false excitement. Look at TOTAL for the macro structure first, then BTC.D for regime confirmation.
False signals. Crypto is notorious for violent short-term moves that reverse within days. The most dangerous false signals come at range boundaries — a breakout that fails, a breakdown that recovers. The weekly chart filters most of this out. Require two or more weekly closes above a key level before treating a breakout as confirmed. One candle is never enough.
Position sizing by regime. In a confirmed bull (TOTAL making higher highs, BTC.D declining, breadth expanding): hold larger positions, let winners run, use dips as opportunities. In chop/transition: size down, tighten stops, wait for confirmation. In a confirmed bear (TOTAL making lower highs, BTC.D rising or elevated, breadth collapsing): minimum exposure, protect capital, look for short-term bounces only.
Weekly workflow. Here's a simple routine you can run each week: (1) check the trend on TOTAL (up/down/range), (2) check breadth with TOTAL2/TOTAL3, (3) check rotation with BTC.D and ETH/BTC, (4) write one sentence: "This is a ___ market," and (5) choose one action — add, hold, reduce risk, or wait. That's it. Consistency beats complexity.
If you want the fastest way to apply this in real time, go back to the show hub and follow the same order each episode: TOTAL → TOTAL2 → TOTAL3 → BTC.D → ETH/BTC. Over time you'll start noticing that the relationship between these charts matters more than any single price target.
One more practical tip: keep a small journal. After each weekly read, write down (a) what you think the regime is, (b) what would prove you wrong, and (c) what you'll do if that happens. This turns the bull vs bear framework from "interesting information" into a plan. And it's exactly how you avoid emotional decisions when volatility spikes.
Watch the latest episode and grab the full weekly framework here: cryptoschool.cc/youtube-crypto-show/.