Altcoin
a.k.a. Alt, Alts
Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.
Altcoin is short for "alternative coin": any cryptocurrency that isn't Bitcoin. Ether, Solana, Dogecoin and thousands of others all count.
Some altcoins try to fix things people dislike about Bitcoin, such as speed or what you can build on top. Others are experiments, jokes or outright scams. As a group, altcoins tend to swing harder than Bitcoin: they often rocket further in a bull run and crater deeper when the market turns.
Traders watch Bitcoin dominance to see whether money is flowing into Bitcoin or out towards the alts.
Assuming a cheap altcoin is a better deal than an expensive one. A low price per coin means nothing on its own; what matters is the total value and supply.
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