noun
altcoin
AWLT-koyn
Altcoin (noun) means any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. Example: “The fund holds mostly Bitcoin and a handful of altcoins.”
noun
1
Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.
"The fund holds mostly Bitcoin and a handful of altcoins."
"Altcoins tend to move sharply when the wider market turns."
How to use altcoin
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAny digital coin that is not Bitcoin.
When to use it
Informal industry jargon. Some speakers use it dismissively; others use it purely descriptively. A few also exclude Ethereum from the category, though this is not a settled convention.
Memory tip
The clipped form "alts" is common in speech and posts: "the alts are down today".
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
altcoin season
major altcoins
altcoin market
hold altcoins
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The fund holds mostly Bitcoin and a handful of _____.
Etymology
A compound of alternative and coin, meaning a coin offered as an alternative to Bitcoin.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for altcoin
See all rhymes for altcoin →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a coin and a token?
A coin normally has its own blockchain, as Bitcoin and Ether do. A token is issued on top of somebody else's blockchain, using that network's rules and fees. In casual speech the two words are often swapped, but the distinction matters when you are checking which network something lives on.
Is Ethereum an altcoin?
By the plain definition, yes: it is a cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. In practice some people treat Ethereum as a category of its own because of its size, and reserve "altcoin" for smaller projects. Neither usage is wrong; context tells you which is meant.
How many altcoins are there?
Thousands, and the number changes constantly as new ones are created and old ones are abandoned. Listing sites track different subsets, so published counts vary a great deal.
What is the meaning of altcoin?
"altcoin" (noun) means any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.
