The top 100+ cryptocurrency altcoins you should know about

Bitcoin is just the tip of the iceberg. Today there are many other cryptocurrencies, sometimes known as altcoins, bringing their own value to the market.

If you’re looking for detailed reviews of some of the most popular cryptocurrencies, you’ve come to the right place.

The A-Z of altcoins

Read more about some of the most popular altcoins in one of our comprehensive guides below.

Much more than Bitcoin replicas

Altcoins began life as little more than Bitcoin copies attempting to mimic Bitcoin’s successful run, but they quickly became much more than their name suggests. At the time of writing, there are more than 4,000 altcoins available for use. While many are still struggling to break the mould set by Bitcoin, some are doing truly amazing things with the technology.

From rethinking the entire concept of what the blockchain could and should be used for (Ethereum) to building a purely anonymous and secure network for peer-to-peer transactions (Monero), more and more altcoins are addressing the shortcomings of Bitcoin every day, innovating on its basic driving technology to become market leaders themselves.

Initial Coin Offering (ICO)

Similar, even in name, to an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in which a private company’s stock first becomes public, an ICO happens when a cryptocurrency startup wants to raise funding in order to further the development of their coin. The startup releases some of their coins (often referred to as “tokens”) to investors, who purchase these tokens in the hope that the project succeeds and those coins gain value. If the predefined minimum funding is not reached, the money invested is returned to the investors.

ICOs, unlike IPOs, are unregulated and so great care should be taken before participating in one to make sure that it is not, in fact, a scam.

Find out more about ICOs and how to spot a scam.

The future of altcoins

Altcoins are the new kid on the block and they are as unpredictable as they are exciting. With the biggest altcoins vying to take the top spot from Bitcoin, they are all attempting to carve their own niches, with goals nothing short of reimagining the way we do business, how we send and receive money, and how we transfer assets like properties and cars.