Market Data API

What Are Altcoins? Top 25 Examples

Some time ago we presented an article about Meme Coins. Since so many people read it and liked it, we decided to bring you some more insights. This time will tell you more about another type of cryptocurrency - altcoins.

What are Altcoins?

Altcoins are all cryptocurrencies that are not Bitcoin. The term is a combination of the words “alt”, meaning alternative, and “coin”. The name explains their goal - an alternative to Bitcoin. Altcoins’ goal is to improve Bitcoin’s original features or bring new functions to the table e.g. faster transactions, better privacy, or different consensus methods.

Different Types of Altcoins

There are different types of altcoins which have different functions and goals.

Stablecoins: Coins connected to fiat currency (e.g., USDT, USDC).
Utility Tokens: Used in specific ecosystems of services or products (e.g., Ether on Ethereum).
Governance Tokens: Allow holders to vote on project decisions (e.g., UNI for Uniswap).
Privacy Coins: The goal is to have anonymous transactions (e.g., Monero, Zcash).
Meme Coins: Fun, meme-based, or community-driven tokens (e.g., Dogecoin).

💡Check out our blog post on Top 25 Meme Coins!

1. Ethereum | ETH

Launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin, its native token is the most well-known altcoin in the world - Ether. Ethereum is the first blockchain supporting smart contracts. Its ERC-20 token standard allows devs to create tokens for various uses.

A breakthrough moment for ETH was in September 2022 with “The Merge” - which moved Ethereum from a Proof-of-Work (PoW) to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) system. That change cut blockchain’s energy consumption by 99% and reduced new ETH creation time.

2. Tether | USDT

Tether (USDT) is not only the first stablecoin on this list but also the first ever created. Launched in 2014 is currently the largest stablecoin by market value. Connected to the US dollar keeps the value at ~ $1. In theory, every single 1 USDT is backed by the US dollar reserve kept by Tether Ltd.

Tether works on a few blockchains - Ethereum, Bitcoin, Tron, Algorand and more. It makes it easy to access and use. At the moment USDT is a key part of the cryptocurrency market in many cases used as a main trading pair on crypto exchanges (instead of USD price some exchanges show it in USDT).

3. Solana | SOL

Solana is a unique altcoin launched in March 2020. Its uniqueness comes from the use of both Proof-of-Stake (PoS) mechanisms and Proof-of-History (PoH). Its protocols allow for quick verification and keep the costs low. As a Layer 1 blockchain, Solana supports smart contracts and is a host for many dApps.

Solana isn’t perfect though. In September 2021 it faced a big outage, with over 17-hour long downtime. The team has made significant improvements since then, such as the implementation of new data transfer protocols and stake-weighted Quality-of-Service measures.

4. BNB | BNB

BNB, also known as Binance Coin is the main coin for the Binance exchange’s ecosystem. It was launched in July 2017 together with the Binance exchange. BNB was first an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain, but in 2019 was moved to Binance’s Chain. Its main function is to lower trading fees on the Binance Exchange and to join new token launches on the Binance platform.

BNB is deflationary - the supply goes down over time through token burning. Binance burns it every quarter, to save only 100 million of the 200 million BNB tokens. BNB has been a useful token for Binance’s founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao and co-founder He Yi who grew it from a regular crypto exchange to a whole blockchain ecosystem.

5. XRP | XRP

XRP is a coin used on a decentralized blockchain platform called XRP Ledger (XRPL). It’s designed to allow fast and cheap payments. XRP has a limited supply of 100 billion tokens.

It’s different from the previously discussed altcoins because it uses a system called the Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm. The XRPL uses validators who verify transactions. This system allows the processing of about 1.5k transactions per second and costs as low as $0.0002 per transaction.

6. Dogecoin | DOGE

Famous Dogecoin (DOGE) is an altcoin and a memecoin - based on the popular Doge meme. Dogecoin is a fork of Litecoin and uses proof-of-work consensus. Unlike some other coins, it doesn’t have a maximum supply limit - more than 5 billion new coins are produced each year. This coin has quick block times and low transaction fees compared to other crypto.

Fun fact - Dogecoin became popular on Reddit and Twitter as a donate method. People would reward others for good content. The moment of fame came for Doge in 2021 when Elon Musk started mentioning and supporting it on Twitter. It grew its price and made it super-popular.

7. USDC | USDC

The second stablecoin on the list is USDC - a currency created to keep a steady value equal to the USD (as the name suggests). Launched in 2018 by Centre Consortium (Circle & Coinbase), the coin is backed by dollars held in reserve by the companies. USDC is an ERC-20 token built on the Ethereum blockchain and one of the most transparent and regulation-following stablecoins.

In recent years, USDC has gained more interest from big financial institutions:

In 2022 BlackRock partnered with Circle to develop new ways of using the USDC
BNY Mellon, an American bank became the primary custodian of USDC’s backing assets

8. Cardano | ADA

In 2017 the co-founder of Ethereum, Charles Hoskinson created Cardano - a blockchain platform that uses Proof-of-Stake (PoS) called Ouroboros. Cardano tests new features through peer reviews, because of that it’s safer, clearer, and more sustainable than others.

Cardano as a native token has many functions in its ecosystem:

As a payment for transaction fees
Staking to keep the network secure
In the future, to vote on network decisions

The total supply of ADA is 45 billion with 36 billion circulating supply at the moment. Cardano is following a previously published roadmap with a simple goal - a sustainable system where token holders make decisions and make Cardano even more decentralized.

9. TRON | TRX

TRON is a blockchain-based operating system, that similar to some of the previous altcoins started as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum. Later it was moved to its network. TRON’s goal is to create a decentralized internet, especially when it comes to content sharing and entertainment. Thanks to TRON creators can connect directly to the audience and get paid fairly for their work.

TRX, TRON’s native token has a total supply of ~100 billion tokens with 86 billion in circulation at the moment. TRX as a token allows holders to create and use dApps, manage the network, and access the network’s features.

10. Shiba Inu | SHIB

Shiba Inu is a memecoin started in August 2020 by someone named “Ryoshi” whose identity is unknown. In 2021 he stepped down from managing the coin and is since managed by the community.

SHIB ecosystem is dynamically evolving - it now includes ShibaSwap (a DEX), and there is a stablecoin in development called SHI. In 2022 Shiba Inu entered the metaverse where people were allowed to buy land using SHIB tokens. The Shiba Inu has recently added new tokens to its network e.g. LEASH and BONE. A project that started as a simple meme token grew into a complete blockchain platform with many applications and possibilities.

11. Avalanche | AVAX

Created by Ava Labs, the Avalanche platform launched in 2020. Its goal is simple - solve the blockchain trilemma - meaning to achieve optimal decentralization, security, and scalability.

Avalanche is different from other platforms because of its 3 blockchain setup:

The Exchange Chain (X-Chain) - Creating and trading assets
The Contract Chain (C-Chain) - Smart contracts and dApps management
The Platform Chain (P-Chain) - Validators coordination and subnet creation

AVAX, the native token has a 720 million token limit, and it serves several uses:

Staking
Transaction fees payment
Creating subnets

Avalanche competes with Ethereum by offering compatibility with the EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) and supporting DeFi apps. Thanks to the subnet feature people can create networks specific to apps while still having the main network’s security.

12. Toncoin | TON

Toncoin is the main coin of the Open Network - a platform started on Telegram’s blockchain project. TON blockchain is different because of its structure that uses sharding, and as a result, allows many transactions at once without slowing down. The network is easily scalable and is using Proof-of-Stake, with smart contracts on the TVM (TON Virtual Machine) validating transactions.

Toncoin has a max supply of 5 billion tokens, with ~3.5 billion in circulation. The token main goal is to pay for transaction fees, staking rewards, and network services payment.

13. Sui | SUI

Sui is a relatively new layer-1 blockchain platform created by Mysten Labs. It stands out because of the special object-focused data model and its security. Its structure allows to process many transactions at once and do it quickly. Some of the transactions can skip the whole consensus process and complete it in under half a second.

SUI the token, has a maximum supply of 10 billion and has 4 main roles in the ecosystem:

Securing the network
Paying transaction and data storage fees
Supporting dApps
Voting and governance

14. Chainlink | LINK

Chainlink, founded in 2017 is a system connecting blockchain with real-world data. It’s an oracle network that allows smart contracts to access reliable information from outside of the blockchain. What’s interesting is that Chainlink is a partner with non-crypto-related companies like AccuWeather, FedEx, and Associated Press for real-world data verification.

The LINK token is powering the whole Chainlink network. Node operators earn LINK for their services. The token acts as a collateral as well. The total supply of LINK is 1 billion with 63% currently in circulation.

15. Polkadot | DOT

Polkadot is an open-source platform that helps diverse blockchains interact and share information safely. Polkadot uses a Nominated Proof-of-Stake (NPoS) system for a consensus mechanism. In this version, nominators work with validators to keep the blockchain as safe as possible. Validators confirm transactions from parachains. Nominators support validators with tokens.

The Polkadot, as a platform, has four main parts:

Relay Chain - Main network responsible for security and consensus
Parachains - Independent chains made for specific tasks
Parathreads - Similar to the above but with a PAYG option
Bridges - Connection to the outside blockchains

The native token of the Polkadot blockchain is DOT. As a token it serves some important functions: governing the network, staking of tokens, and bonds with parachains. The total supply of DOT is 1 billion tokens with an ATH price of $54.98 in 2021.

16. Bitcoin Cash | BCH

Bitcoin Cash was created in 2017 due to a disagreement in the Bitcoin community on how to handle more transactions. BCH’s goal is to make digital money easier to use by allowing faster and cheaper transfers. The difference between BCH and BTC is the size of the blocks. Bitcoin has a limit of 1MB for each block while BCH had 8MB and then moved it up to 32MB in 2018. Similarly to BTC, Bitcoin Cash has a total supply of 21 million coins and is using the Proof-of-Work validation method.

Since 2017 and its launch BTC has had some ups and downs. In 2018 it had an inner split that created Bitcoin SV (BSV) and then 2 years later it split again, leading to Bitcoin Cash ABS (BCHA). Bitcoin Cash reached its ATH of $3785.82 in December 2017 and has not gotten any higher since.

17. Pepe | PEPE

Pepe is a memecoin on the Ethereum blockchain created in 2023. Inspired by the meme “Pepe the Frog” is an ERC-20 token, which runs on Proof-of-Stake and has a limited total supply of 420.69 😉 trillion tokens. Pepe stands out because it has no utility - it’s purely a meme(coin). The creators’ goal is to create the biggest memecoin on the market.

Despite starting as a joke, PEPE is now one of the most well-known coins and is listed on all major crypto exchanges next to Dogecoin and Shiba Inu. The token is reaching new ATH with each month and doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

18. UNUS SED LEO | LEO

UNUS SED LEO (which stands for “one, but a lion” in Latin) is a utility token supporting the iFinex ecosystem (Bitfinex exchange). Launched with an initial supply of 1 billion tokens, sold for $1 each, raising exactly 1 billion USD.

LEO has a unique deflationary model in which iFinex promises to buy back, and then burn (worth at minimum 27% of its monthly earnings) tokens each month until all tokens are burned. In 2024 LEO saw a big increase in its price, reaching ATH in November ($8.97). The current circulating supply is ~920 million tokens.

19. Stellar | XLM

Stellar - created in 2014 blockchain connected to the world’s financial systems. Its main focus is to bring fast and low-cost cross-border transactions. XLM (known as Lumen) token is a bridge for transactions and covers all network fees. Each transaction costs just 0.00001 XLM making it cheap and easy for money transfers. The whole process is quite simple. Convert your money into XLM, then XLM into the desired crypto.

When Stellar launched there were 100 billion, later in 2019 50 billion had been burned. In 2024 there were 30 billion XLM tokens available. Stellar has introduced a “crypto-to-cash” service, which allows users to easily exchange crypto-to-fiat, and fiat-to-crypto using USDC as the main trading pair.

20. NEAR Protocol | NEAR

NEAR Protocol is a layer-one blockchain that aims to fix the most common blockchain issues: fast transactions, better interoperability, and improved UX. Thanks to its Nightshade sharding technology the network can make 100k transactions per second with low fees and high speed. NEAR is using an interesting consensus mechanism - Doomslug, which is a version of the proof-of-stake mechanism. It allows for quick transactions, because of a two-round consensus process. What’s interesting is that NEAR is using easy-to-read account names instead of wallet addresses to improve the overall experience.

NEAR is the native token of the NEAR Protocol. With a total supply of 1 billion tokens (and a 5% yearly increase). The main functions of the token are:

Paying transaction fees
Staking for validators
Voting & decision-making

In 2024 NEAR had about 1.2 billion tokens in circulating supply, but its highest value was reached 2 years prior ($20.44 in Jan 2022).

21. Aptos | APT

Aptos - a blockchain created in October 2022 by former Facebook employees after Meta stopped the Diem project in 2022. Aptos uses Move programming language and a new execution engine Block-STM. All of it helps Aptos to process multiple transactions simultaneously - over 150k transactions can be performed per second. Aptos’ goal is to make Web3 more accessible and improve the overall UX, and network scalability.

Blockchain’s native token is APT with about 530 million tokens in circulating supply and the total supply is twice as big. The token reached its peak price of $19.92 in January 2023.

22. Litecoin | LTC

Litecoin was created in 2011 by Charlie Lee - ex-Google and Coinbase engineering director. LTC is known as the “lite” version of Bitcoin - faster, more secure, cheaper to use, and 4 times the supply of BTC. In 2022, Litecoin introduced the MimbleWimble Extension Block (MWEB) upgrade, which caused regulatory issues in Asian countries, and as a result, LTC was removed from some exchanges for some time.

Litecoin is useful for everyday transactions, because of its low trading fees. When launched in 2011 it cost only $0.30, and its price grew to ATH of $410.26 in May 2021. Litecoin network is using Proof-of-Work (PoW) to ensure security and will reach its max supply of around 2140.

23. Uniswap | UNI

Uniswap is a well-known decentralized exchange (DEX) created in 2018. Created by Ethereum developer Hayden Adams and one of its founders — Vitalik Buterin. As an exchange, it uses the Automated Market Maker (AMM) system, which helps to trade crypto without order books. Uniswap has had many upgrades, and as result, Uniswap V3 was launched in May 2021. The new version brought changes and upgrades in capital efficiency and trade execution.

UNI as a utility token was created in September 2020 and is limited to 1 billion tokens. The main function of the UNI token is that its holders vote on the changes to the platform and finance distribution.

24. Dai | DAI

DAI is the last stablecoin on this list. Based on the Ethereum network it was launched in 2019 as Multi-Collateral DAI with a simple goal of maintaining value close to 1 USD. It’s using smart contracts and other cryptocurrencies as collateral. To create DAI, you can deposit supported crypto as collateral into Maker Vault.

DAI has no limit on total supply, it’s adjusted based on collateral in vaults. It is an ERC-20 token, so it’s compatible with DeFI. Backed by crypto was able to keep its value during the 2022 crisis on the stablecoin market.

25. Cronos | Cro

Created in 2018, Cronos is the main coin of the Cronos Chain created by Crypto.com. Cronos is compatible with Ethereum and connects to the Cosmos network using the Inter Blockchain Communications (IBC) protocol.

The Cronos coin has a fixed max supply of 30 billion tokens. In 2021 70 billion have been burned to keep the price up. Its main functions are: staking, cashback rewards, and transaction fee payments.

Altcoins and crypto data

We’ve only mentioned 25 altcoins out of +11k existing. The cryptocurrency world grows super fast and the only way to keep track of the changes, upgrades, new coins, etc. is to use the best cryptocurrency market data.

CoinAPI's Market Data API gives out the best cryptocurrency data access. Both live and historical, available through multiple API protocols serve all the info you’ll ever need.