Bitcoin is built to last, Trader Mayne says: Altcoins ‘either bled out or died’
Crypto trader and YouTuber Trader Mayne is making a renewed case for Bitcoin as the only digital asset worth holding over the long term, arguing that nearly every alternative cryptocurrency ultimately collapses when measured against BTC.
- Trader Mayne framed Bitcoin not as a speculative technology play, but as a monetary asset designed in direct response to the failures of the traditional financial system
- Most altcoins resemble inflationary systems with centralized control, insider allocations and governance structures that allow founders or early investors to dilute supply or exit positions at the expense of retail holders.
- “Bitcoin was created after 2008 for a reason. The banking system proved it couldn’t be trusted,” Mayne says.
In a recent video, Mayne said his conviction is rooted not in ideology but in experience, citing more than a decade of trading through multiple boom-and-bust cycles, including the Mt. Gox collapse, the Terra-Luna implosion and the 2022 FTX bankruptcy.
“I’ve traded through three full market cycles. FTX, Luna, Mt. Gox — and the one constant through all of it has been Bitcoin.”
Mayne, whose trading firm Breakout was acquired by Kraken, said most altcoins may experience brief rallies but tend to lose value relative to Bitcoin over time, often by dramatic margins. Even projects with strong communities or technical ambitions have failed to maintain long-term performance, he argued.
“Every altcoin I’ve held long term has either bled out against Bitcoin or straight up died. The few that survived are down 50, 60, even 90% in Bitcoin terms.”
The YouTuber framed Bitcoin not as a speculative technology play, but as a monetary asset designed in direct response to the failures of the traditional financial system. He pointed to Bitcoin’s fixed supply of 21 million coins, its decentralized structure and its ability to be self-custodied as key differentiators from both fiat currencies and alternative cryptocurrencies.
“Bitcoin was created after 2008 for a reason. The banking system proved it couldn’t be trusted.”
By contrast, Mayne argued that most altcoins resemble inflationary systems with centralized control, insider allocations and governance structures that allow founders or early investors to dilute supply or exit positions at the expense of retail holders.
“Altcoins are a lot closer to the U.S. dollar than they are to Bitcoin,” he said. “No hard supply cap. Insiders can dump whenever it’s convenient.”
Mayne also highlighted data from meme-coin launch platform Pump.fun to underscore the risks facing retail traders. According to figures he cited, fewer than 0.4% of wallets on the platform have generated more than $10,000 in profits, while only a few hundred wallets out of millions have reached millionaire status.
“You’re statistically better off playing the lottery,” he said.
While acknowledging that short-term profits can be made trading altcoins, Mayne said the strategy requires precise timing and discipline that most participants lack. Bitcoin, he argued, offers a clearer long-term risk profile, with historically predictable boom-and-bust cycles that reward patient accumulation.
“Bitcoin is the only asset where I genuinely don’t worry about whether it will exist next cycle.”
As for strategy, Mayne advised dollar-cost averaging into Bitcoin over long time horizons, supplemented by larger purchases during deep market pullbacks. Attempting to trade Bitcoin aggressively, he warned, often leads to missed exposure rather than improved returns.
“This isn’t about timing tops and bottoms. It’s about accumulation.”
The message resonated with a broader shift among crypto investors following years of market volatility, regulatory scrutiny and high-profile failures — a backdrop that has increasingly positioned Bitcoin as the sector’s most durable asset rather than just its first.
