Bitcoin and altcoins are all part of the crypto-world, but they have some fundamental differences.

• Market Share and Age: Bitcoin paved the road in 2009 and was the first. Altcoins came later. Bitcoin continues to dominate the market due to its head start. Early 2025, Bitcoin's value represented about 62% the total crypto market. Altcoins (all combined) accounted for approximately 38%. Bitcoin's dominance often dictates the direction of crypto prices.
• Design and Purpose: Bitcoin is primarily a digital store of value/cash that can be sent from one person to another. It is a way of moving money that is secure and trustless. Altcoins are designed for different purposes. Many altcoins add features that Bitcoin does not. Ethereum, an altcoin, is built specifically to run "smart contracts" and decentralized applications on its blockchain. Solana was designed for ultra-fast, cheap transactions. Altcoins are often based on Bitcoin and add features.
• Technology: Bitcoin is a proof-of work system and uses an average block time of 10 minutes (new bitcoins are created every 10 mins). Many altcoins have different methods. Ethereum, for example, switched from proof-of stake to proof-of stake in 2022. This uses much less electricity. Other, such as Solana use proof-of stake variations designed to be fast. Even block times differ: Bitcoin (10 minutes per block), Ethereum (15 seconds) and Litecoin (2,5 minutes) all have different block times. This means that Ethereum can confirm transactions faster than Bitcoin. These differences in technology affect transaction speeds, fees and energy usage.