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Altcoins & Tokens

What the biggest altcoins and tokens do, how their supply works and what can go wrong, plus a checklist for judging any new coin.

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Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow to evaluate Monero activity: nodes, explorers, view keysMonero hides sender, receiver and amount, so evaluate activity with a node, a block explorer or your wallet's view key. A view key audits payments.

Vahe Hakobyan3 min readRead guide

All Altcoins & Tokens guides

Every guide in this topic, labelled by level.

A glowing bridge links two platforms of blank coins, showing how XRP moves value between currencies.

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat is XRP? A plain guide to the cryptocurrencyXRP is a digital asset for payments on the XRP Ledger. A 2023 ruling said the XRP token is not a security, and SEC approved spot XRP ETFs in 2025.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat is Monero cryptocurrency? Privacy explainedMonero is a cryptocurrency that hides the sender, receiver and amount of every payment by default. Anonymous developers launched it in 2014 via CryptoNote.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat is Dogecoin cryptocurrency and how does it work?Dogecoin is a joke coin turned payment network, run by miners on its own chain. Launched on December 6, 2013, it stays popular for tips and payments.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat is Solana cryptocurrency? SOL and the networkSolana is a public blockchain that runs apps, and SOL is its coin for fees and staking. Proof of history stamps transactions so validators agree on order.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat is TRON cryptocurrency and how does TRX work?TRON is a smart-contract blockchain whose native coin TRX pays for operations and staking. Justin Sun founded it in 2017, and it left Ethereum in 2018.2 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow to evaluate demand for XRP: a beginner’s guideXRP demand comes from ledger payments and exchange orders, not price talk. Record each figure with its date and the page you used, then compare over time.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerUSDT token supply: how minting and burning workUSDT supply grows when Tether mints tokens for approved customers and shrinks when they redeem. Tether publishes quarterly attestations by BDO Italia.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow to evaluate demand for USDTJudge USDT demand by comparing market cap, volume, peg price, minting, on-chain activity, and exchange reserves. Record each signal with source and date.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow Solana processes a transaction: submission to confirmationSolana sends your signed transaction to a validator, which executes and confirms it. A wallet with SOL pays the fee, and an explorer shows status.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat are the main risks of using Solana?Solana's main risks are network outages, validator concentration, smart-contract exploits, scams, and US legal uncertainty about SOL in 2023 lawsuits.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow to evaluate activity on SolanaYou can evaluate Solana activity in a block explorer by reading a transaction's signature, status, and token transfers, with no wallet needed.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow to compare Solana with other blockchainsCompare Solana with other blockchains by matching speed, costs, reliability, decentralization and apps to your use case, then check dated data on explorers.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat is USDC and what is its role in crypto?USDC is a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar that Circle issues for payments and trading. It briefly lost its peg in March 2023 after the bank failure.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow USDC token supply works: minting and burningUSDC supply grows when Circle mints tokens for dollars and shrinks when it burns redemptions. Circle says reserves cover each token under its terms.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow to evaluate demand for USDC: supply and flowsUSDC demand shows in supply, transfers, and redemptions, not its peg. Check chain explorers and Circle's reports, and record each page and date.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerCardano and ADA: what the network doesCardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain. ADA is its coin for fees and staking. It uses Ouroboros, an extended UTXO model and on-chain governance in 2024.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow Cardano processes transactions: a step by step guideCardano processes a transaction by consuming eUTXO outputs, checking signatures and balance, then adding it to a block. Your wallet signs before nodes relay.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerCardano risks: wallets, staking, dApps and US taxCardano runs on proof-of-stake, and its main dangers are lost keys, weak stake pools, buggy dApps and US tax rules. The IRS treats crypto as property.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow to evaluate activity on Cardano: metrics and fakesCardano activity metrics cover transactions, active addresses and value moved; read public explorers and dashboards, then compare trends over time.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow to compare Cardano with other blockchainsCardano stacks up differently for payments, smart contracts and tokens, so judge every chain by the same six criteria and dated tracker figures.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat are the main risks of holding DAI?DAI can lose its dollar peg, be hacked, or face USDC issuer risk. Sky governance can change rules or trigger a shutdown that leaves holders exposed.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow to evaluate demand for DAI: supply, volume, and useYou can evaluate demand for DAI by tracking supply, market cap, volume, and use in DeFi apps, not price, and by recording each figure with its date.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat is Avalanche? AVAX, subnets and how it worksAVAX is the token of Avalanche, a smart contract blockchain used for fees, staking and governance. Ava Labs launched the network in September 2020.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Avalanche guide cover with the title over dark glass blocks linked by red glowing lines on a navy background.

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow Avalanche processes transactions: wallet to finalityAvalanche processes a transaction when validators agree on its order and finalize it. You sign it in a wallet, broadcast it, then confirm finality.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Avalanche guide cover with the title over a dark navy background of glowing red hexagonal blocks and light lines.

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat are the main risks of using Avalanche?Using Avalanche means trusting code, bridges and subnets, where a bug or a weak validator set can drain funds. The SEC named AVAX in a 2023 case.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow to evaluate activity on AvalancheCheck Avalanche activity with a block explorer and analytics dashboards for the chain you mean, and read DeFi, stablecoin and validator data.2 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow to compare Avalanche with other blockchainsCompare Avalanche by matching its consensus, finality and validator rules to your use case, then note each source and the date you checked it.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat is Chainlink and what is its role?Chainlink is oracle software, not a blockchain: it carries outside data to smart contracts, and the LINK token pays the node operators who fetch it.2 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerHow Chainlink token supply works and how to check itLINK has a fixed maximum supply, so no new tokens are mined. Total and circulating supply differ; check the official contract and a block explorer.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat are the main risks of holding Chainlink (LINK)?Holding LINK carries oracle, smart contract, and regulatory risks. Node operators can fail or collude, and holders have no claim on Chainlink Labs profits.3 min read · Updated Oct 6, 2026

Questions

Short answers to what people ask most.

Any cryptocurrency other than bitcoin. The term covers layer 1 coins such as Solana and Cardano, DeFi tokens, stablecoins and memecoins.

An asset issued by a smart contract on an existing blockchain, such as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum. A coin is the native asset of its own chain.

How a token's supply works: maximum and circulating supply, how new tokens are issued, who received the allocations and when locked tokens are released.

Before the price chart, check what the network or app is used for, its real activity, token supply and release schedule, the team and governance, and how much trades on exchanges.

Altcoins usually swing more than bitcoin, thin trading can make them hard to sell, large token releases add supply, and many projects fail or are abandoned.