#Altcoin101 | Understanding Altcoins in Crypto

An altcoin is any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. The word comes from “alternative coin,” meaning it represents alternatives that were created after Bitcoin to improve, modify, or expand on what Bitcoin started. While Bitcoin was designed mainly as decentralized digital money and a store of value, altcoins explore many other purposes within the blockchain ecosystem.

Altcoins include popular networks like Ethereum, which introduced smart contracts, allowing developers to build decentralized apps (dApps). There are also stablecoins that aim to reduce volatility by being pegged to assets like the US dollar, and utility tokens that are used to pay fees, access services, or power blockchain platforms. Some altcoins focus on privacy, some on speed and low fees, while others support gaming, NFTs, DeFi, or real-world asset tokenization.

In simple terms, altcoins are the innovation layer of crypto. They push blockchain technology forward by experimenting with new ideas, features, and use cases beyond Bitcoin.