We provide unbiased cryptocurrency data for the community, whether to help you make an investment decision or check the value of your crypto assets. Crypto prices on an exchange are driven by market condition, influenced by factors like liquidity, trading pairs, offerings, and economic conditions. As exchanges may sometimes show abnormal prices, the crypto community relies on CoinGecko to track prices accurately. A scalable technology can efficiently handle a growing number of users and transactions.
As a result, Ethereum has established itself as one of the strongest cryptocurrencies after Bitcoin and reached an all-time high of around US$4,900 in 2021. As of June 2025, its market capitalisation stands at approximately US$331,000,000,000. Thanks to its strong development team and active community, Ethereum ranks second in the list of top cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation. At the same time, there are many altcoins built on Bitcoin’s blockchain or also primarily designed as a store of value. In addition, they often offer new consensus mechanisms or blockchain technologies.
What are the different types of altcoins?
The word is shorthand for “alternate coin.” The term is appropriately used to refer to any cryptocurrency except Bitcoin. Some https://orbifina.com/ of the most well-known altcoins are Litecoin and the Japanese original Monacoin. Beyond USD-denominated prices, you may also track prices in your local currency and your local language.
Crypto Market Insights and Analytics
Learn more about coins and tokens in our beginner-friendly course “Introduction to cryptocurrencies”. When capital starts to flow away at an accelerated pace from Bitcoin to the alternative coins on the market, we can suggest that altcoin season is starting. This reduces fragmentation in the crypto space and allows different cryptocurrencies and blockchain applications to work seamlessly together. Interoperability refers to the ability of different blockchains to communicate with each other. Expanding interoperability supports the exchange and interaction between blockchain networks, enabling solutions such as Layer 2.
DIME Diversifies Your Altcoin Exposure
Bitcoin is well off the all-time high of $126,000 it reached earlier this month and is now trading at around $111,000. An altcoin is a term used to refer to any cryptocurrency that is not Bitcoin. Altcoin is a portmanteau of “alternative” and “coin.” It refers to cryptocurrencies (value records) other than Bitcoin.
- Altcoins are cryptocurrencies created by crypto developers to help craft new decentralized finance (DeFi) systems or enhance ongoing projects.
- Solana’s price drop alongside higher trading volume points to risk rotation rather than renewed interest.
- One of the first altcoins was Litecoin (LTC), launched in 2011, just three years after the publication of the Bitcoin white paper.
- The first altcoins thus emerged shortly after Bitcoin (BTC) was introduced.
How do altcoins differ from Bitcoin (BTC)
If you want to invest in altcoins, you’ll need a basic understanding of market trends in the crypto space. The prices of many cryptocurrencies, including altcoins, often follow Bitcoin’s movements. So in addition to metrics like your altcoin’s market capitalisation, you should also keep an eye on Bitcoin forecasts and trends. In 2013, Dogecoin (DOGE) was launched by Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer. The network is based on the Litecoin protocol and was originally created as a humorous project. The cryptocurrency aimed to build on Bitcoin’s success and attract a broader audience through its playful reference to the internet meme “Doge”.
Altcoins have higher volatility and risk compared to Bitcoin, as many are less established. The large number of altcoins makes selection and evaluation more difficult and increases the risk of fraud or failure. Low liquidity can also present challenges when buying or selling. Their success often depends heavily on the adoption and development of the underlying technology. These technologies enable automated, transparent and secure transactions and asset transfers without intermediaries.
If Bitcoin loses nearby support, defense takes priority, and rallies often fade at prior intraday highs. A session that holds above its own volume-weighted benchmark with declining realized volatility offers cleaner entries than a chase into expanding ranges. BNB price slipped while volume expanded, a pattern that often represents larger orders executed into resting demand. Reports point to funding turning negative on several venues and basis compressing, two markers of forced positioning rather than steady accumulation. At time of writing in mid-April 2021, Bitcoin dominance has fallen to 53%, a two-year low. Altcoins began gaining sharply against BTC in early February 2017, with Bitcoin dominance declining from a peak of 86.5% to 38% by mid-June 2017.
We provide the most comprehensive and most accurate data for thousands of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin & Ethereum, and thousands of NFT collections. That’s why altcoin season will last much longer this time around. It’s not just the odd private investor investigating which cryptos could break into our current crop of top 10 cryptoassets by market cap. It’s entire investment bank trading desks, teams of analysts and vast swathes of new investors buoyed by the Coinbase bombshell listing to plunge feet first into crypto. The development team of an altcoin project plays a key role in its success.
