Library · Crypto, word by word · Tokens and supply
What is an altcoin?
An altcoin is any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. The name joins "alternative" and "coin", because Bitcoin came first and everything after it was an alternative to it. In everyday use it also covers tokens built on other chains, such as ERC-20 tokens.
What it means for you
The word covers everything from the second-largest network to a token made last week, so being an altcoin says nothing about size, use or risk. Each one has to be judged on its own: what it does, who controls it and whether it can be sold.
How it works
Binance Academy defines an altcoin as any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin, the name combining "alternative" and "coin". It notes the term is used broadly for assets that are technically tokens rather than coins, such as ERC-20 tokens on Ethereum, and that stablecoins, which are designed to hold a stable value pegged to a currency such as the US dollar, are counted as one kind of altcoin.
Source: Binance Academy: Altcoin · checked 5 October 2026
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Educational content, not financial advice. Written by hand and checked against the source named above. Something wrong? Tell us and we reply within two business days.