Altcoin is short for alternative coin and describes any cryptocurrency that is not Bitcoin. The term covers thousands of assets, from large established networks to small, new tokens.

Types of altcoin

Some altcoins run their own blockchains and aim to improve on speed, cost or features. Others are tokens built on an existing network for a specific use, such as a stablecoin or a governance token.

Things to keep in mind

Because the category is so broad, altcoins differ greatly in maturity, liquidity and risk. Each one is best researched on its own merits rather than treated as a single group.