altcoin

American

[awlt-koin] / ˈɔltˌkɔɪn /

noun

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

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.

See Examples For:

altcoin

Ethereum, the second-largest crypto, rose 4.2% to $2,140, while popular altcoin XRP jumped 3.4%.

From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026

“Unless you do your research, it’s a dangerous game you’re playing in the altcoin market,” Stowell said.

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

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023