Mostly every crypto enthusiast is mad behind the glamour of Bitcoins. There is no doubt the success of Bitcoin as an alternative to fiat currency is incredible, getting introduced to the world in 2009 by the pseudonym identity of Satoshi Nakamoto. The world of cryptocurrency has grown, and now today, more than 18,000 cryptocurrencies are there. For a decade, bitcode-prime.me has seen all ups and downs, but not a single cryptocurrency has been able to touch the mark that bitcoin has made of market capitalization. Now the cryptovocabulary of laymen includes litecoin, altcoin, Ethereum, tether, etc., other than just bitcoin.
Have you heard about Altcoins? If not, then this article is going to be a perfect and convenient guide for the introduction to Altcoins. So let’s start from the basic quarry, what altcoins? In general terms, Altcoins can be considered as alternative cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin. Altcoins are the blanket term for all the cryptocurrencies launched after Bitcoin.
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BITCOINS AND ALTCOINS
As the definition mentioned above reads, Altcoins are alternative digital assets or cryptocurrencies. All the cryptocurrencies were launched after the market giant Bitcoin iscreated. There are Altcoins based upon Bitcoins. So what are the similarities between Altcoins and Bitcoins?
- Similarities between Bitcoin and Altcoins
The whole world of cryptocurrency is decentralized in nature. Altcoins are also cryptocurrencies. So, they share many similarities.
- Both Bitcoin and Altcoins operate on Blockchain technology. Here, blockchain act as the public ledger, where the details of all the transactions are recorded and available to all. All the transactions are recorded and verified and attached to the respective blockchain as blocks.
- Altcoins and Bitcoins both are meant to facilitate the transfer and exchanges with peer-to-peer technology with no third party as intermediaries.
- Differences between Bitcoins and Altcoins
All the digital currencies launched after Bitcoins come under the category of Altcoins. All the Altcoins are designed for the purpose, which makes them different from Bitcoins. Altcoins such as Ethereum, stellar, Dodgecoins, etc. are designed for specific blockchains and use different consensus mechanisms.
Bitcoin was specifically introduced as an alternative currency to facilitate the transfer and exchanges without third-party interference. So, it is used as a payment network and investment asset.
On the other end, Altcoins, such as Ethereum, Stellar, etc., have much more to offer. They can be used to facilitate transfers and exchanges but also are meant for something called smart contracts and Decentralised systems, or Dapps. Other coins have the purpose of collecting funds for projects.
TYPES OF ALTCOINS
Most of the Altcoins are forked from Bitcoin, but at the same time, the consensus mechanisms used or programing algorithms used are different. For example, Litecoin uses the consensus mechanism of Scrypt, which is different from the consensus mechanism of Bitcoin. Scrypt consumes less energy and is more quicked than Bitcoin. Thus, the various altcoins are-
- Payment tokes
- Stablecoins
- Security tokens
- Utility tokens
- Meme coins
- Governance tokens
Payment tokens:
These Altcoins are designed to use as currency. The main of these coins is to facilitate the exchange of values.
Stablecoins:
Cryptocurrencies are generally volatile. But, as the name stablecoin suggests, these Altcoins are meant to reduce such vulnerable volatility. Famous stablecoins such as Tether, MarkerDao’S DAI, etc. aim to reduce the volatility by incorporating themselves in the basket of goods for fiat currencies and other cryptocurrencies.
Security tokens:
These security tokens are used as token assets in the stock markets. Its value is converted into tokens. Security tokens are regulated by Securities and exchange commissions.
Utility tokens:
All of these tokens are used to provide the service of a networked blockchain. Ether or ETH or Ethereum, Filecoin, etc., are perfect examples of Utility tokens. They are gathered to create funds for making a specific blockchain work.
Meme coins:
As the name suggests, these Altcoins are basically a joke, mostly hyped up by influencers and greedy investors looking for amassive gain in a short period.
The Bottom Line These are the important facts aboutAltcoins. Do your research properly before entering the world of crypto trading. It is wise to invest in crypto as it is surely the future of trade and finance. If you are looking for trading assets other than cryptocurrencies, make sure to check out the Oil profit trading appfor the demanded oil trading.
