altcoin
Americannoun
Usage
What's the difference between altcoin, bitcoin, and cryptocurrency? See digital currency ( def. ).
Etymology
Origin of altcoin
First recorded in 2010–15; alt- 2 ( def. ) or alt(ernative) ( def. ) + coin ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ethereum, the second-biggest cryptos, and popular altcoin XRP fell by 3.3% and 2.7%, respectively.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
The overall altcoin market saw sharp declines in the fourth quarter of 2025, as did bitcoin and ether, owing to a variety of factors.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 23, 2026
Crypto watchers are following the path of solana, an altcoin named after a beach town in southern California that is poised to become the next breakout star of the crypto world.
From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2025
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 ● Dec. 15, 2022
Volatility aside, though, there are several obstacles that keep privacy coins from being a top-tier altcoin, or alternative to bitcoin, which has a market cap of around $776 billion.
From Reuters ● Mar. 22, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
