Altcoin: Definition & Everything You Must Know!

We know that the most popular coin in the cryptocurrency world is Bitcoin. But without a doubt, Bitcoin is not alone in this huge market. All cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin are called altcoins and they are distinguished from each other by their launch purpose, volume, value, and technology.

In today’s content, we’ve prepared a comprehensive Altcoin guide for anyone just entering the crypto world. In the continuation of the content, you will have the opportunity to examine the types of altcoins, their history, the pros and cons of using altcoins while investing, the future of altcoins, and of course the most popular altcoins. Get ready to discover more.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Altcoin is the common name given to all coins other than Bitcoin in the world of cryptocurrencies.
• The first emergence of altcoins began in April 2011, with ”Namecoin”
• Investing in altcoins can be advantageous in terms of diversity, low transaction fees, rapid block generation process, stablecoins, and high competition in the market.
• Possible risks of investing in altcoins are risk of fraud, the existence of non-promising projects, high volatility, and dead altcoins.
• Altcoins can be examined in several different categories as native cryptocurrencies, tokens, stablecoins, forked coins, mining-based coins, meme coins, utility tokens, and security tokens.
• Today, altcoins stand out as objects that will run financial processes in the world of popular technologies, dApps, Metaverse, and NFT.

The Definition of Altcoins

In its simplest definition, altcoin is the common name given to all coins other than Bitcoin in the world of cryptocurrencies. Altcoins, known as “alternative coins”, can be found in the Blockchain network just like Bitcoin, as well as in alternative networks such as Ethereum, Fantom, Avalanche, Solana, and Hedera, which use DLT technology. Altcoins can be used decentralized on the blockchain network that backs them up. Different protocols may be applied for their transactions, validating processes, and block generation steps. The values of these altcoins and their character as investment objects can be determined by the quality and vision of the project, supply rates, and usage areas of altcoins as they emerge.

Did you know that recent research has revealed that altcoins make up more than 60 percent of the supply in the cryptocurrency world? There are more than 10,000 altcoins currently in circulation and preferred by investors.

Understanding Altcoins in 4 Steps: Their Role in Decentralized World

Although Bitcoin is the most valuable cryptocurrency in the world of decentralized finance, altcoins, inspired by the success of Bitcoin and claiming to be an advanced version of it, also change the color of this process. Today, investors may prefer to buy accessible and promising altcoins with low rates, rather than Bitcoin, whose value is really very volatile and is the victim of more speculation.

History of Altcoin: The First Altcoin

The first emergence of altcoins began in April 2011. The first altcoin was named Namecoin and its code was quite similar to Bitcoin. Namecoin, which gained a lot of attention shortly after its launch, was the first example, revealing that there is room for more than Bitcoin in the cryptocurrency market and that demand can grow day by day.

The purpose of Namecoin, aka NMC, was to make user domains less visible by taking advantage of decentralized network technology in the internet world. In this way, users would be able to oppose censorship more easily and browse anonymously on the Internet. Promising freedom, this goal has received a lot of support as an altcoin. The coin was created based on Bitcoin’s code, and it also uses proof-of-work as a consensus mechanism to provide network security. The supply of Namecoin is capped at 21 million.

The Role of Altcoins in the Cryptocurrency World

Today, there are thousands of different cryptocurrencies in the altcoin world. They differ in their technology, the name of the decentralized network on which they are produced, and their intended use. For example, while some of the altcoins help to develop the Metaverse in the gaming world, some of them offer the users the opportunity to have fun by betting more enjoyable and at higher rates in the online casinos. The purpose of some of the altcoins is to finance decentralized network technologies with a higher vision. For example, Hedera is a decentralized enterprise-grade public network, while HBAR, released to support and finance this network, is an altcoin.

So, while trying to understand altcoins, we also need to understand this: These currently released cryptocurrencies are more reliable and promising as long as there is a strong project behind them. Also, even if there is a project behind them, the project and altcoin are different financial assets.

The Technology Behind Altcoins

It is possible to say that many altcoins on the market are inspired by the basic framework of Bitcoin in terms of having a decentralized infrastructure and being produced and validated on blockchain networks. These cryptocurrencies basically have an infrastructure that supports peer-to-peer transactions, enabling faster, lower-cost, and completely decentralized data transfer than traditional currencies.

Let’s get to know the Blockchain network and decentralized technologies more closely to understand how altcoins work.

So here is the Blockchain in a nutshell:

Blockchain network uses distributed ledger technology (DLT) and considers each user as a node in the chain. Each new participant becomes a node, making it possible for any transaction to be completed by consensus among nodes rather than a center. The method by which nodes will reach consensus is determined by consensus mechanisms. Different networks may employ different mechanisms. The consensus mechanism employed is also the method of creating new blocks in the relevant network. For example, Bitcoin uses a proof-of-work (PoW) mechanism to validate transactions and generate new Bitcoins. In this mechanism, validation operations are based on mining. Differently, different networks may also use non-mining methods such as proof-of-stake (PoS) or proof-of-burn (PoB). The fact that each block also contains the hash value of the previous one prevents arbitrary replacement of chain components, creating a secure, tightly connected network chain.

For more, go to Blockchain 101 article.

It is only one of the assets that can be produced and stored in this decentralized network in altcoins. But that’s not all, altcoins sometimes aim to improve Bitcoin’s shortcomings or produce new blockchains with DLT technology. Litecoin, for example, is an altcoin that was launched to develop the star coin, on the grounds that Bitcoin has high transaction fees and slow transaction processing.

Is everything ok so far? Wonderful! Now is the time to understand the emergence of altcoins by getting to know the concept of the fork.

What Are Forks and How They Are Related to Altcoins?

The fork is a concept that refers to a diversion, change, or update that takes place in the decentralized network protocol. Remember the fact that the decentralized network depends on a consensus mechanism that requires that at least %51 miners agree on the rules and functioning of the network. The developers need to come together and create a fork of the network to make any change. If this fork contains a minor change that could adapt to the previous rules and functioning of the network, a soft fork occurs. That is, there will be no major changes to the network or the network’s cryptocurrency. What happens is just an update. But if the change that the developers want to make is not compatible with the previous version of the protocol, then a new chain is created. Hard Fork is a new blockchain network that emerged while the old chain continued to exist with its own currency. This new network actually creates a new altcoin. Bitcoin Cash, for example, is an altcoin that emerged from the hard fork of Bitcoin.

So, the relationship between altcoins and forks is this: New rules are great opportunities to generate a new cryptocurrency from the same network. Even Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, and many more cryptocurrencies have been forked on the Bitcoin network.

Do you know how many forks have been seen on the Bitcoin network so far?

Let’s guess.

Yeap, more than 100, including 22 different altcoin fork projects.

Explore more about the fork in a blockchain network.

Pros and Cons of Investing in Altcoins

Altcoins, whose number exceeds 10,000 as of November 2021, continue to make up the bulk of the transaction volume in the market. Many investors who want to catch and hold a cryptocurrency before it reaches peak levels are turning to altcoins. The advantages and disadvantages of investing in altcoins are as follows.

6 Main Advantages of Investing in Altcoins

The advantages of investing in altcoins include their advanced technologies, less risky alternatives such as stablecoins, and their use by some official institutions. Details are in the table below.

Risks & Disadvantages of Investing in Altcoins

Let’s talk about the disadvantages and possible risks of choosing altcoins for cryptocurrency investments with a clear and clear picture. Here are all the details:

What to Consider Before Buying Altcoin? – First Buyer Guide

As a fresh-blood entrant to the world of cryptocurrencies, let’s say you realize that Bitcoin has exceeded your investment limits and decide to find a reliable, promising altcoin. In this case, what questions should you ask when making a choice?

Here are the key questions our professional editors have identified:

1. What kind of technologies is the altcoin being launched by offering or finding a solution to what problem in the industry? In short, what exactly is the “altcoin project”?
2. Is the cryptocurrency you are about to choose a stablecoin? Then you need to determine how and for what purpose you will use it. You can decide more easily by examining the project details of the coins and the exchanges where they are listed.
3. Does the token you plan to invest in have a real-world application that serves certain purposes? Many tokens are released to support an offered app, web-based service, or ecosystem. If there is an additional service technology that the token supports, it is important to know that.
4. Was the token created as a result of a fork? If so, take a look at the reasons why this fork was created and decide what position you want to take on this new technology.
5. What about the last month, two weeks, and 24-hours statistics of the relevant token? Do the project owners make announcements about the good news to be given in the upcoming periods? All of these will help you make the right ideas about the future of your investment.

Where to Invest in Altcoins?

When investing in altcoins, it may be a good idea to use a reliable and popular crypto exchange platform that offers high trading volumes and makes your transactions as fast as possible. The most popular exchange platforms of recent times are as follows:

• Coinbase
• Kraken
• Binance US
• EXMO
• CEX.IO
• Gemini
• FTX
• Bitfinex
• Binance
• FTX US

Type of Altcoins: Native Ones, Tokens, Stablecoins, and Forks

It is possible to examine altcoins in four different categories based on their functions, formation, and usage processes. These categories can be listed as follows:

1. Native cryptocurrencies
2. Tokens
3. Stablecoins
4. Forks

Let’s explore each one together!

First thing first, let us state that when we say cryptocurrency, crypto, token, or coin throughout the content, we will always mean the same thing: altcoins. The features of these altcoins will vary according to certain situations.

 Note that an altcoin can be considered in more than one subcategory.

Altcoins as Native Cryptocurrencies: ETH, BNB, HBAR, SOL, FTM, and More

The most prominent feature of local currencies is that they are created to work on a specific blockchain network.

Here is a fact: Even if a cryptocurrency is the native coin of the respective blockchain network, that network may also host other cryptocurrencies.

1. Ether, the most popular and highly valued altcoin in the market, stands out as a cryptocurrency launched for use on the Ethereum network. Ethereum is one of the blockchain networks that host the most dApps today and contributes to the widespread use of DeFi (decentralized finance).
2. Another native coin is BNB. This coin, which was launched by Binance to support the platform and has increased its popularity recently, is used on the Binance Smart Chain for different purposes such as making transactions, enabling staking, yield farming, etc. Binance, which we can call the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, is trying to encourage the use with an extra advantageous transaction fee it offers to those who hold BNB.
3. Another native coin is HBAR. This altcoin was launched to be used on the Hedera Hasgraph network and to finance technologies. HBAR, which is only in the first year of its five-year partnership agreement with Google, continues to attract attention.
4. SOL is the native cryptocurrency of the Solana network. Users pay the transfer fees with SOL while transacting within the network. In addition, while liquidity mining or staking is done in the network, the native currency is also used. Standing out for its completely decentralized nature, the Solana network is a layer-1 blockchain and targets transactions that occur very quickly with low transaction fees. Solana is one of the richest networks today, especially when it comes to crypto-based games.
5. FTM is known as the native utility token of the Phantom network. Aiming to create a very fast and low transaction fee ecosystem, especially for dApp development, Fantom is one of the preferred networks for staking. FTM token can be used for staking, governance, payments, and fees within the network. There are also token forms such as fUSD, fSwap, fLend to support different functions within the network.

It is possible to say that such cryptocurrencies are directly associated with the blockchain protocol on which it runs, and the related blockchain is described as its own currency.

Altcoins as Tokens: LINK, UNI, CAKE, and More

Tokens are assets created to run on one of the already existing blockchains, rather than cryptocurrencies built on new blockchain technology. You can buy tokens by exchanging your fiat currencies on an exchange that has listed the relevant tokens. These tokens, on the other hand, offer you economic freedom of movement within the framework of their intended use and the platforms on which they are accepted. You can use the tokens for investment purposes, to store value, or to make purchases.

Is it time to give an example?

Chainlink as an Ethereum-Based Token

For instance, Chainlink (LINK) is a crypto token created for use on the Ethereum blockchain. The purpose of the currency’s launch is to digitize real-world data through smart contracts. Thanks to Chainlink, real-world data becomes readable on the Ethereum chain.

Therefore, Chainlink attracts the attention of investors who believe in a future where even traditional assets can be digitized through smart contracts. These investors can purchase as many Chainlink tokens as they want with their fiat currencies using crypto exchange platforms. As the demand for LINK increases, so will the price of the token.

Uniswap as an Ethereum-Based DEX Token

As a DEX (decentralized exchange) used on the Ethereum blockchain, Uniswap is used by a large number of investors around the world. Many people who do not want to give their personal information to centralized exchanges, who want to easily buy and sell many coins that are not listed by centralized exchanges, and who want to transact peer-to-peer without the tedious registration process, prefer the liberating space of decentralized exchanges.

Uniswap has launched a token for use in the exchange for staking, yield farming, transactions, and fees, which we know in the markets as UNI. Users with UNI can participate in decision-making processes and vote in Uniswap just as if they were shareholders. The token serves the ideal of decentralized money management.

PancakeSwap (CAKE) as a Binance Smart Chain-Based DEX Token

The fact that its block creation speed is much higher than Ethereum and promises lower transaction fees makes Binance Smart Chain an advantageous ecosystem for dApp development. Pancake also serves on the BNB network as a DEX platform. CAKE is one of the tokens that can provide high income to users with particularly advantageous staking programs.

Altcoins as Stablecoins: USDT, BUSD, DAI, and More

Stablecoins, which contribute significantly to maintaining the liquidity balance in the crypto money world, is also a type of altcoin that appeals to those who say “I want to store my money decentralized, but I am also afraid of volatility”. The values ​​of stablecoins are stabilized by being tied to valuable fiat currencies or commodities such as USD or gold. Platforms that offer this service may follow different strategies in order to fix their coins to a certain value.

Of course, the fact that the value is not increasing is also bad news for investors who want to gain investment through volatility. The purpose of stablecoins is not to increase the value with an increasing volume every day. The purpose of these coins is to make it easier and more secure for you to hold funds on a particular cryptocurrency exchange. It can also be a good idea to use stablecoins for purchases and money transfers, as their values ​​are not volatile.

Tether (USDT): The Market Leading Stablecoin

Tether, works both in Bitcoin and Ethereum networks, the stablecoin with the highest market capitalization, has a price pegged to the US Dollar. Today, Binance, Kraken, and Gemini are traded in most of the exchanges, and users who want to keep their crypto money in the Dollar for a while convert it to USDT. Tether, which is pegged at $1 and showing almost 0 volatility, is a source of confidence for investors.

DAI: MakerDAO for a Smarter Blockchain

DAI generated on the Ethereum network is a stablecoin pegged to 1 USD. In the MakerDAO project, DAI is considered part of a vision that has developed over 400 dApps in its ecosystem. In the MakerDAO project, where DAI is used as a stablecoin in payment and lending processes, the MKR token is also used for users to obtain governance rights and make transactions.

BinanceUSD (BUSD): The Best Safe Place for Binance Users

Binance USD is stablecoin generated on the BSC network. The coin can be used to trade on DEX platforms, to gain interest rates, participate in projects such as staking, yield farming, show collateral when borrowing from DeFi platforms, or keep your crypto in a volatility-free crypto asset.

DeFi: Most Common Usage Area of Stablecoins

Defi, which means decentralized finance, is the general name given to all money borrowing and loan processes that take place on the Ethereum network and are usually completed peer-to-peer. Users were generally able to borrow money and earn interest without the need for an intermediary such as a bank or credit institution by making use of stablecoins.

Other Popular Stablecoins

So what are the other popular stable coins?

Generally, cryptocurrency exchanges care about offering their own stablecoins to users. This means that it becomes easier to hold funds on the relevant exchange. Binance USD (BUSD) is also a stablecoin released by the world’s number one crypto exchange platform.

USD Coin (USDC), Terrausd (UST), TrueUSD (TUSD), Neutrino USD (USDN), Fei USD (FEI), Tribe (TRIBE), PaxDollar (USDP), Liquity USD (LUSD) can be listed as other popular stablecoins.

Altcoins Made by Forks: BCH, DOGE, and More

Radical changes that occur in a blockchain network that force previous versions of the chain to be updated with it are called hard forks. Forks are innovations made by cryptocurrency developers on the basis of consensus. When a group of developers see a problematic situation in the existing blockchain and reach a consensus that they want to change it, they fork. If this generated update is a “hard fork”, it allows a new currency to be created on the same chain.

• For example, Bitcoin Cash was created as a result of a fork in the Bitcoin blockchain.
• Dogecoin is a fork taking place on the Luckycoin network.

Of course, forks do not always have to cause a new altcoin to be created. For example, soft forks create an update requirement in the network, but this does not result in the generation of a cryptocurrency. Check here now to learn more about Forks.

Mining-Based Altcoins: LITE, XMR, ZEC, and More

When you look at cryptocurrencies, you will notice that some of them are tokens that continue to be produced by mining. Miners make use of high-tech computers adept at solving advanced problems to create a new block in the chain to which the corresponding altcoin belongs. This system, which we can summarize as problem-solving-oriented block formation and which allows new tokens to circulate in the market, is called the Proof-of-Work protocol and is often used as PoW. Today, the mining process of many cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, is still continuing. Miners will continue digging with their computers until they reach the amount of supply determined at the beginning, and they will create blocks in the depths of the internet world. By the end of the new coins to be produced, only the coins in circulation will remain.

The most famous among mining altcoins are Litecoin, Monero, and ZCash. Of course, the star cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, is also a mining-based token.

So, if these tokens are mined, how exactly do non-mining-based tokens work?

Let’s say right away: Some altcoins are not produced by miners through a certain algorithm. Instead, the number of coins offered is already known and distributed to investors through ICOs before they are listed on cryptocurrency exchanges. Project owners may choose not to distribute the entire supply at once and to present it to the market at certain milestones. These include Ripple (XRP), Hedera (HBAR).

Explore more about Crypto Mining by reading related article.

Meme Coins: ELON, SAMO, HOGE, MONA, and More

Not every token is released as a result of a promising decentralized project. There are many coins that are usually released to create a stir in the market, to perpetuate a joke between friends (remember the case of DOGE), or just to try it out. The worst thing is that a lot of scams are made over these coins.

Meme coins offer only short-term earnings promises, unlike well-known coins that partner with certain institutions and are constantly evolving within the framework of the roadmap they publish.

So, how does the price of these coins rise?

To be frank, it all depends on luck. A single tweet by some cryptocurrency phenomena can cause a meme coin to reach its peak in its history. For example, Elon Musk, who has been closely affecting the fluctuations in the world of meme coins recently, caused both Shibacoin and Dogecoin to rise (and then crash). The tweets of popular people like Elon Musk or the movements of whales in the cryptocurrency world determine whether you will profit from meme coins or risk losing all of your money.

So what are the other projects that can be described as meme coin?

Currently, the meme coins with the highest market volume include Dogelon Mars (ELON), Samoyedcoin (SAMO), Hoge Finance (HOGE), MonaCoin (MONA).

Utility Tokens: FUN, BAT, BBK, TMC, SRN, and More

Get to know the utility tokens that you probably come across extensively while following the ICOs of cryptocurrency projects. These tokens are a type of coupon that will allow you to purchase products and services sold within the coin’s own network. If you want to buy a service that is not related to the coin in a different ecosystem, your utility token is useless, you have to exchange it. These tokens are often used to pay the fees of the network / dApp in which they are used.

Cryptocurrency projects often offer utility tokens to users who invest during the ICO. Investors can exchange them at any time or store them as utility tokens for a while if they believe the coin will come. It is possible to say that the most popular assets currently called utility tokens are Funfair (FUN), Basic Attention Token (BAT), Brickblock (BBK), Timicoin (TMC), and Sirin Labs Token (SRN).

Security Tokens: TZEROP, TBD, INX, BCAP, OSTKO, and More

Technological devices that authorize access to an electronically restricted resource are called security tokens. In addition to the passwords that users use to enter authorization, wireless keycards can be given as an example of security tokens used. They aim to provide data security as tokens that can be shown by their owners when identification is required during access to locks that can be opened with limited authority. Generally, in order to prevent identity fraud, some of these tokens can also store encryption keys that can create a digital signature or biometric data that only the person may have.

Advanced waterproof materials are used to prevent any hardware damage to security tokens, which are physically used and can have structures such as chips and cards. Technologies such as USB, NFC, radio frequency identification or Bluetooth can be used to make the tokens readable.

It is possible to say that security tokens, which often contain various risks such as loss, theft or breach of codes, are very popular in the new generation access control world.

The most popular security tokens are Lottery.com (LBD), tZERO (TZEROP), Blockchain Capital (BCAP), Overstock Token (OSTKO), Exodus (EXOD).

Future of Altcoins: What Is Expected by the Market?

With cryptocurrencies capturing almost 60 percent of the overall market volume as of November 2021, most investors are wondering what the future holds for them. The accessible and highly reproducible nature of altcoins prevents all of them from being considered “safe investments” as a group. Because each altcoin is in the market for a different purpose and sets a different audience in the market as its target.

Many analyzes reveal that despite the large number of altcoins dying, more than 1800 altcoins consolidated with a certain investor base will continue to exist. Of course, it is impossible to say for sure whether they will reach the values ​​they aim for. Still, it can be safely said that the market is dynamic enough to generate demand for much more than Bitcoin.

Metaverse and Altcoins

After Facebook’s name was changed to Meta, all the faces in the market turned to Metaverse projects, and tokens were launched to finance these projects. These tokens could be forming the future of altcoins.

Many projects such as Axie Infinity (AXS), Decentraland (MANA), Enjin Coin (ENJ), The Sandbox (SAND), and Radio Caca (RACA) are creating ecosystems with NFTs at the center and tokens launched to back the platform. These ecosystems not only enable those who trust the project to participate in the management process by purchasing tokens but can also be used for some purchases or passive income models on the platform.

At this point, it may be useful to examine the place of NFTs, ie non-fungible tokens, in the Metaverse.

Top Altcoins of 2022 in Terms of Market Value

More than one parameter can be used when listing the most popular altcoins of recent times. Market capitalization is important, but upcoming announcements about the project, current circulating supply or market trends are also important when estimating the price. However, to give you a general idea, we wanted to share with you the 10 most popular altcoins in terms of market cap.

1. Ethereum (ETH)
2. Tether (USDT)
3. BNB (BNB)
4. USD Coin (USDC)
5. Ripple (XRP)
6. Solana (SOL)
7. Cardano (ADA)
8. Terra (LUNA)
9. Avalanche (AVAX)
10. Dogecoin (DOGE)