Crypto glossary
Altcoin
An altcoin is any cryptocurrency other than bitcoin, from large networks such as Ethereum and Solana to small tokens with little trading volume.
The word is short for alternative coin and dates from the early 2010s, when the first projects copied or modified Bitcoin's code, such as Litecoin and Namecoin. Today it covers thousands of assets with very different purposes: native coins of other blockchains, DeFi and governance tokens, memecoins and, in some usages, stablecoins, although many analysts exclude them.
Traders track bitcoin dominance, the share of total crypto market value held by bitcoin, to gauge the appetite for altcoins. A sustained period in which altcoins outperform bitcoin is often called altcoin season.
Altcoins tend to be more volatile than bitcoin, with thinner liquidity and more concentrated ownership. Many lose most of their value over a full market cycle or stop trading altogether, so supply schedules, real usage and the team behind the project deserve scrutiny.
Example
During a rally, bitcoin gains 20% in a month while several large altcoins such as ETH and SOL rise 40% to 60%, pushing bitcoin's dominance down.
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Related terms
Latest articles on Altcoin
- Bitcoin Slides After FOMC as Altcoins Fall, NEAR and BCH Lead Losses
- Bitcoin Rebounds Above $81K as Altcoins Rally Ahead of FOMC
- As Bitcoin Fights to Reclaim $80,000, These 3 Altcoins Are in Focus
- Bitcoin Holds The Line As Altcoins Wait For A Breakout To Reignite Crypto Markets
- Whale Buys $7.22M in Altcoins Including ENA, UNI, PEPE
