The whole problem with altcoin trading is the fact that it is tied to most of bitcoin's movement. One of the key concepts i have realized is that altcoins are only on an upswing when bitcoin is stable. When bitcoin is green, money is flowing into it and exiting alts. When bitcoin is red, money is leaving the whole market rather than flowing back into the market. Alts only bloom once every blue moon, but when they do it is a sure profit for the smart trader.