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

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

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.

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Nate Geraci, president of The ETF Store, sees spot solana ETFs gaining regulatory approval in 2025, solidifying the altcoin's position as a significant player in the digital asset space.

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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%.

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

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"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.

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