What is an altcoin?

An altcoin is an alternative cryptocurrency to Bitcoin, which itself was the only crypto coin at one point in time. During its early years Bitcoin dominated the field so much that other rivals were defined in relation to the original cryptocurrency. It was Bitcoin – and everything else.

How are altcoins different from bitcoin?

Most altcoins are designed and released by developers who have a different vision or use for their tokens or cryptocurrency. Learn more about altcoins and what makes them different from Bitcoin. The term altcoin refers to all cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin (and for some people, Ethereum). There are tens of thousands of altcoins on the market.

What is an “alternative coin”?

Every cryptocurrency that’s not the original Bitcoin is considered an “alternative” to it, hence an “alternative coin” or altcoin. From this vantage point, an altcoin is every cryptocurrency that’s not Bitcoin. But there’s a caveat to this definition: Not everyone agrees with it.

Are all crypto tokens altcoins?

Some tokens are also considered altcoins, even though there’s a technical difference. One of the largest crypto exchanges considers all tokens to be altcoins, yet refers to all crypto assets as (technically) tokens. Is your head spinning? That’s OK; even crypto pros don’t always get it right.