Altcoin
Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin, a catch-all that spans serious networks and short-lived speculative tokens alike.
'Altcoin' means alternative coin — everything that isn't Bitcoin. The term dates to the early 2010s, when Bitcoin was the only asset that mattered and anything else was a curiosity. Today it covers Ethereum, Solana, thousands of smaller tokens, and the daily churn of meme coins.
The label flattens huge differences. Ethereum, a settlement layer for hundreds of billions in value, is technically an altcoin — and so is a coin launched an hour ago that will be worthless by morning. Traders watch for 'altcoin season,' periods when capital rotates out of Bitcoin and smaller assets outrun it, usually late in a bull market.
Related terms
Bitcoin's share of the total crypto market capitalization, used to gauge where money is rotating.
CoinThe native asset of its own blockchain, used to pay fees and secure the network, unlike a token built on top.
Meme CoinA token built on a joke, trend, or mascot, with value driven almost entirely by hype rather than utility.
Bull MarketA sustained period of rising prices, when buyers dominate and optimism pushes valuations higher across the market.