Introducing Altcoins
There are more than 1,600 cryptocurrencies in circulation; each one of them provides an improvement or a modification over Bitcoins. There are various online exchanges where cryptocurrencies can be exchanged amongst one another or for fiat currencies (such as USD, EUR, GBP, and so on) too, similar to a currency exchange or a stock-exchange portal. Here is a list of some popular Altcoins:
- Litecoins
- Ethereum
- Zcash
- Dash
- Ripple
- Monero
- EOS
- IOTA
- TRON
- Tether
- Ethereum Classic
- Bitcoin Cash
- Stellar
- NEO
- NEM
- Cardano
There are two broad categories of Altcoin on the basis of their blockchain, since the blockchain defines features, security, and other aspects of the coin.
It is certain that having so many cryptocurrencies in the market, along with currency exchanges, means that, now, a lot of key financial and market metrics are required to differentiate among the coins. The following are some of the key factors to consider when discussing an Altcoin:
- The total market of the coin
- The unity price of the coin when purchasing it using fiat currency
- The total number of the Altcoins in circulation
- The volume of coins that are transacted hourly as well as within a 24-hour cycle
- The change in the unit price of the coin on an hourly, a daily, and a weekly basis
- Exchanges and merchants accepting the Altcoin
- Total wallets supporting the coin
- Any recent news that could affect the price or reputation of the coin
Either an Altcoin can have its own blockchain or it can be built on top of another blockchain, usually known as tokens.