Altcoins - what are they and which ones are at the top for 2025?

Imagine… Bitcoin is just the first page. After its emergence in 2009, thousands of other digital currencies have risen. We call them “altcoins”. The name is simple — “alternative coins”. 🚀

Currently, there are more than 16,500 currencies living in the crypto jungle. Each with its own character. Its own goals. BTC occupies about half of the market. The other half? Altcoins. They seem to be becoming more and more important.

How do altcoins differ from Bitcoin?

“Coin” operates on its own blockchain. Bitcoin has its own, and Ethereum has its own.

“Altcoin” is everything that is not Bitcoin. Some consider altcoins to be everything except BTC and ETH. A controversial point.

“Token” lives on someone else's blockchain. Many squeeze into the Ethereum network.

Most altcoins are trying to improve something. Speed. Energy consumption. Privacy. Expand application. 💡

Types of altcoins — a whole zoo

Stablecoins

Tied to stable assets. Dollar. Gold. USDC, USDT, DAI — from this family.

Utility tokens

They provide access to services. XRP helps with payments. MATIC pays fees on Polygon.

Payment Tokens

Fast. Cheap. Designed for payments.

Governance Tokens

You can vote with them. MKR is a typical example.

Tokens-securities

Like stocks, but on the blockchain.

Meme coins

Started as a joke. DOGE. SHIB. Funny, but they took off. 🐶

Gaming tokens

Play to earn. Axie Infinity has mastered this.

Top 10 altcoins of 2025 🔥

1. Ethereum (ETH)

The king of altcoins. $440 billion capitalization. Smart contracts. DeFi. NFT. Everything on it.

2. XRP

The brainchild of Ripple Labs. Fast transfers between countries. Banks love it. Or will love it.

3. Solana (SOL)

Fast. Very fast. Thousands of transactions per second. Pennies for fees.

4. Cardano (ADA)

Scientific approach. Security above all. Proof-of-Stake from the very beginning.

5. Litecoin (LTC)

Veteran since 2011. Faster than Bitcoin. Different algorithm. Good for purchases.

6. Dogecoin (DOGE)

A joke that has become a classic. Cheap. Boundless. Elon loves it, it seems.

7. Tether (USDT)

Stablecoin No. 1. Pegged to the dollar. Each USDT is backed by a real dollar. That's what they say.

8. USD Coin (USDC)

Regulated stablecoin. Rises. Circle and Coinbase are monitoring it. It undergoes audits.

9. Shiba Inu (SHIB)

Born in 2020. “Doge killer”. Created an entire ecosystem. For pennies, you can become a millionaire. Tokens, not dollars. 🌕

10. Uniswap (UNI)

Changed trading. Automatic market making. Billions in turnover daily.

September 2025 — the altcoin market is recovering. Not quite confidently. The Altcoin Season Index is stuck in the 40s. 75 is needed for a real breakthrough. The market capitalization has risen to $1.4 trillion. Not bad. Analysts are whispering about a new wave of liquidity by the end of the year.

Investing in altcoins? A balance is needed. Proven projects and newcomers. Technology, team, tokenomics — the three pillars of success. However, no one knows for sure what will take off tomorrow. 🚀