What is an Altcoin?
The short answer
Informal shorthand for any cryptocurrency that isn't Bitcoin.
A broad category, not a quality judgment — altcoins range from major, well-established networks like Ethereum to small, purely speculative tokens. Each deserves to be understood on its own terms.
Related terms
Full glossaryBlockchain
A shared, tamper-evident record of transactions, copied across many independent computers instead of one company's private database.
KYC (Know Your Customer)
The identity verification process required by regulated exchanges before you can trade.
Gwei
A tiny unit of ETH used to price gas fees — one gwei is one billionth of one…
Staking
Locking up crypto to help secure a proof-of-stake network, in exchange for rewards.
Stablecoin
A crypto token designed to hold a steady value, usually pegged to a currency like the US dollar.
Layer 2
A network built on top of a layer 1 blockchain to make transactions faster and cheaper.
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