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Blockchain & Crypto vocabulary · Coins & Tokens

Altcoin

Meaning in blockchain & crypto, with examples

nounCore term

In blockchain & crypto, altcoin means: Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. The word comes from 'alternative coin' and covers thousands of very different projects.

In Turkish: altcoin, alternatif kripto para

How it is used

Common in market news and trader talk: altcoin season, the altcoin market, small-cap altcoins. Some people do not count Ethereum or stablecoins as altcoins, so the exact meaning depends on the speaker. Shortened to alts in casual chat.

Example sentences

  1. Altcoins usually move more sharply than Bitcoin when the market turns.

  2. The exchange lists more than 300 altcoins, but most of the volume comes from just ten.

Common collocations

  • altcoin season
  • altcoin market
  • small-cap altcoin
  • list an altcoin
  • cryptocurrencyDigital money that exists only on a blockchain and is protected by cryptography instead of being issued by a central bank. Bitcoin was the first one.
  • BitcoinThe first cryptocurrency, launched in 2009 by an unknown person or group using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It runs on its own proof-of-work blockchain and has a maximum supply of 21 million coins.
  • tokenA digital asset created on top of an existing blockchain, usually by a smart contract, rather than on its own network. Tokens can stand for money, voting rights, access to a service or a unique item.
  • market capShort for market capitalization: the total value of a cryptocurrency, found by multiplying its current price by the number of coins in circulation.
  • volatilityHow much and how quickly a price moves up and down. Crypto prices are known for high volatility, with moves of 10 percent or more in a single day.

More terms: Coins & Tokens

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