An altcoin (short for alternative coin) refers to any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. The term emerged early in the crypto space to qualify projects attempting to bring improvements or alternatives to the workings of Bitcoin, whether in terms of speed, privacy, consensus, or features.

Altcoins are extremely varied. In particular, we distinguish:

• general-purpose blockchain tokens (e.g.: Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche),

• privacy-focused coins (e.g.: Monero, Zcash),

• meme coins (e.g.: Dogecoin, Shiba Inu),

• utility or governance tokens associated with DeFi protocols or dApps.

Some altcoins are designed as alternative digital currencies, while others serve as utility assets within decentralized ecosystems. They can offer investment opportunities but also present high risks due to their volatility and the sometimes purely speculative nature of certain projects.