The most risky cryptocurrency token has plummeted to the levels of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tracking the smallest 50 of the 100 digital assets, the MarketVector Digital Asset 100 Small Cap Index hit its lowest level since November 2020 last Sunday, before recovering some of the losses. At this low point, the largest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, had erased about 30% of the gains it had accumulated from the beginning of 2025 to the beginning of October. Known as "altcoins" - they are the barometer of risk appetite in the most speculative area of cryptocurrencies - they have lagged significantly behind their larger peers in market value since early 2024.