What's an altcoin exactly? It's basically any cryptocurrency that isn't Bitcoin—think of it as the alternative coins category. You've probably heard of the big names: Solana crushing it with speed, Dogecoin with its meme magic still kicking around, Ethereum running all those smart contracts and DeFi protocols, and Litecoin doing its thing as a reliable payment option. These are all altcoins, each with their own vibe and use cases in the crypto space.