altcoin

[ awlt-koin ]

noun

1. any cryptocurrency that is not bitcoin:

   These five altcoins will be worth watching for the next few months, as they've been steadily rising in value.

Usage Note

What's the difference between altcoin, bitcoin, and cryptocurrency? See digital currency ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of altcoin¹

First recorded in 2010–15; alt- ²( def ) or alt(ernative) ( def ) + coin ( def )

Example Sentences

Indeed, the altcoin market cap has jumped to $665.2 billion from $636.38 billion before the ruling, according to CoinGecko, while a Cryptoquant index of the prices of the coins targeted as potential securities by the SEC has jumped 11%.

From Reuters

Traders said liquidity was low on the altcoin moves, but steadily improving in bitcoin and ether.

From Reuters

"Security classifications would affect all U.S. crypto exchanges, leading to a forced closing of various altcoin pairs," said Vetle Lunde, senior analyst at K33 Research.

From Reuters

SkyBridge has invested in bitcoin, ethereum , solana and altcoin algorand , and is also eyeing the structured credit market to drive 2023 returns after the firm's losses in 2022.

From Reuters

In the end, both the Bitcoin camp and altcoin enthusiasts seemed to be happy to see SBF fall, with one CoinDesk editor opining, “In a real sense, Bankman-Fried never represented crypto.”

From Slate