Altcoin is a catch-all term for every CryptocurrencyCryptocurrencyA digital currency secured by cryptography and recorded on a shared ledger, with no bank or government issuing or controlling it. other than BitcoinBitcoinThe first and largest cryptocurrency: a digital currency that no single party controls, with a fixed limit of 21 million coins.. The word is short for "alternative coin", meaning a coin offered as an alternative to bitcoin.
Examples
Altcoins come in all shapes and sizes:
- Ether (ETH), the coin of the Ethereum network and, for many years, the largest cryptocurrency after bitcoin.
- XRPXRPThe currency of the XRP Ledger, a blockchain that has run since 2012 and is designed for fast, cheap payments, including across borders. and Solana (SOL), among the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation.
- Dogecoin (DOGE), which started as a joke and is the best-known MemecoinMemecoinA cryptocurrency born from an internet joke or meme, usually with little or no practical use, whose price rests almost entirely on hype..
Some people count stablecoinsStablecoinA cryptocurrency designed to keep a steady price, usually by tracking the US dollar or another currency. as altcoins and some don't. The word has no precise definition.
How do altcoins differ from bitcoin?
The first altcoins were often copies of Bitcoin's code with small changes, such as a shorter time between blocks. Later came networks with quite different features, like Ethereum, which can run applications, and networks that use proof of stakeProof of stakeA consensus method where crypto is locked up as a stake for the right to create blocks, and anyone who cheats can lose part of that stake. instead of mining.
What to keep in mind
There are thousands of altcoins, and most are small. The prices of smaller coins usually swing more than bitcoin's, and they are often harder to sell. Many have disappeared or become worthless. So find out who is behind a coin and what it is actually used for.
Everything in Myntkaup Learn is written and regularly reviewed by the Myntkaup editorial team. It is for education and is not investment advice. Editorial policy. Updated 18 October 2026.