What are Altcoins: What do they offer to the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem?

Altcoins were born with the firm intention of diversifying and improving the crypto ecosystem with options beyond Bitcoin. Let’s get to know some of these altcoins and how they have enriched the cryptographic ecosystem today.

His first complete cryptocurrency, as we understand it today, is Bitcoin. Satoshi Nakamoto proposed it in 2009. Nobody could at that time imagine what would end up generating the idea of ​​creating a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency. A currency where transactions will be store on a blockchain auditable by anyone and without the need to trust a third party.

An altcoin refers to any cryptocurrency that is not Bitcoin and includes cryptocurrencies and tokens under the same term. It is usually a simple term use to highlight that other cryptocurrencies are supported/supporte in addition to bitcoin. The current number of altcoins is tough to know due to the number of tokens created each month to finance different projects.

The development of altcoins is relatively easy because bitcoin is open source, and many of the cryptocurrencies on the market are as well. So it’s easy to get your code and make changes to fit a new idea or a slightly different take on the project.

What some cryptocurrencies like Ethereum offer us is the simplicity of being able to develop tokens without the need to create a new blockchain network. Through a Smart Contract, we can create the bases of a recent receipt, thus reducing development costs and making project financing more straightforward.

What do Alternative Cryptocurrencies or Altcoins Offer?

Innovation

Bitcoin was the forerunner of manufacturing that has remained evolving and presented alternative models that offer different solutions to current problems, provide new uses for blockchain technology, and improve essential aspects of Bitcoin technology.

Utility

Altcoins seek to offer solutions for both the different industries and for users. They also seek to make manufacturing procedures or the lives of users easier. Some projects work on food traceability, freight transport, electoral systems, or intelligent energy management and control.

Decentralization

It is sought that there is no dominant system that contains or manages the data and processes. It is something alive and that anyone can help the network by contributing to their team, being reward for the contribution.

Transparency

One of the biggest challenges remains to end data opacity in specific industries. It is possible thanks to the blockchain, which allows anyone to audit the information contained in the blocks and verify the veracity of the data. As the tablets are impossible to alter, the data is guarante to be correct.

What do Altcoins Contribute to the Bitcoin Ecosystem?

Innovation remains achieved with the competition. It has reached its maximum theoretical potential. If no one questions a product or a model, it is being taken as the best offer, and no improvement is sought.

There are so many cryptocurrencies, and so many projects only benefit each other. We must bear in mind that many do not add value. They are simply a simple copy of the code and the idea of applying decorative elements. It is where the most significant contribution of altcoins to the Bitcoin and crypto ecosystem, in general, is found.

Advantages of Altcoins

The advantages of altcoins are mainly:

Decentralization: These currencies do not depend on some fiscal authority that controls their issuance or circulation. Thus, they remove dominant banks from the process and decentralize every conceivable aspect of real life.

Utility: Each altcoin remains designed for a different purpose or theme, thus trying to add value.

Innovation: Each new altcoin aims to include or provide technical details that Bitcoin did not initially incorporate. Therefore, they try to improve its functionalities.

Conclusion

Altcoin is shorthand for “alternative coins” and means cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin. After Bitcoin, the nine most popular cryptocurrencies are as follows: Ethereum.