What is Altcoin?
Altcoin is a colloquial term for any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. The category spans tens of thousands of assets with very different designs, security models and economic policies.
Why Altcoin matters
Understanding Altcoin is part of building a solid mental model of how Bitcoin, blockchain and Web3 systems actually work. Concepts in the General category sit at the foundation of the broader stack — get them right and the rest is far easier.
Learn this interactively
Reading the definition is a start. ZeroToBlock teaches concepts like Altcoin through hands-on, browser-based simulations. Build the mental model by actually using it:
- Bitcoin 101 — interactive fundamentals course
- Bitcoin Proof of Work — mining, hashing and consensus
- Browse all interactive blockchain courses
More general terms
- Cryptocurrency — Digital money secured by cryptography on a blockchain.
- Stablecoin — A cryptocurrency designed to track a stable reference value.
- CEX (Centralized Exchange) — A company-operated crypto trading venue.
- Whitepaper — The technical document describing a protocol's design.
- KYC (Know Your Customer) — Identity verification required by regulated services.
- AML (Anti-Money Laundering) — Regulations preventing illicit financial flows.
- Tokenomics — The economic design of a cryptocurrency.
- Market Capitalization — Circulating supply × price.
Keep exploring
Continue with the full blockchain glossary — 136 terms in total — or read the developer blog and FAQ for deeper context.