# Other Altcoins

Whilst the likes of Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana are great investments, they are *already* established cryptocurrencies, and the days of gaining the dreamy 5-10x+ **short term** returns from them are over. Thus, we arrive at *altcoins,* which are smaller coins with larger growth potential. Of course, this in turn comes with greater risk, both nothing great comes without risk!

> An *altcoin* is simply any coin other than Bitcoin. Ethereum and Solana are examples of such.

It is crucial to allow for large losses in your altcoin portfolio, as these coins are highly volatile and can often go to zero. By keeping your altcoin portfolio relatively small, you can fall back on your Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana if your altcoins drop.

***

It can be hard to know what coins are up next for a big run, so it is crucial to do **a lot** of research into your altcoin investments. The best way to pick your altcoins is to first pick your *narratives* which you think have the most growth potential. Some good narratives in todays market include:

* Artificial Intelligence

  It’s no secret AI is the future. What might be less known is how large the crossover between AI and crypto is. Many AI startups integrate coins into their ecosystem. Some leading AI altcoins include

  * $RNDR - Render
  * $FET - [Fetch.ai](http://Fetch.ai)
  * $TAO - Bittensor

  For a larger list of AI projects, click [here.](https://cryptoslate.com/cryptos/ai/)

* Decentralised Finance (DeFi)

  Decentralised Finance refers to financial services that are built *on-chain.* To put it simply, your account for these services is created, verified and operated through your crypto wallet, as opposed to your government ID. For example, if you want to trade on Binance, you will set up an account using your passport, address etc. On a decentralised exchange, you will simply link your crypto wallet, which is set up without any government verification, and you can begin trading. Some leading DeFi coins are:

  * $JUP - Jupiter
  * $LINK - Chainlink
  * $UNI - Uniswap

  For more on DeFi projects, click [here.](https://www.tastycrypto.com/blog/best-defi-projects/)

* GameFi

  Many crypto investors are excited for the future of GameFi, a decentralised approach to video gaming. GameFi leverages blockchain technology to create new opportunities for players to earn rewards, trade assets, and engage with virtual economies. Some leading GameFi projects are:

  * $IMX
  * $GALA
  * $BEAM

  For more on GameFi projects, click [here](https://crypto.com/price/gamefi).

* GambleFi

  You may have heard of [stake.com](http://stake.com), a popular online crypto casino, with many large influencers, such as Drake, often promoting it. The future of gambling truly lies in these crypto casinos, as they provide greater anonymity for users, faster transactions and withdrawals and lower fees. Although [stake.com](http://stake.com) does not have a native token, many of their competitors do. Two of their largest competitors are:

  * $SHFL - Shuffle (which is still in an airdrop phase, click [here ](/the-crypto-bible/airdrops/shuffle.md)to learn more)
  * $RLB - Rollbit

  For more of GambleFi, click [here](https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/65a9320caa742375e48ea62f/).

* Decentralised Science (DeSci)

  DeSci, short for Decentralized Science, refers to the application of blockchain technology in scientific research to ensure transparency, immutability, and integrity of data and findings, fostering collaboration and trust within the scientific community. It aims to revolutionize how research is conducted and validated by providing a decentralized platform for peer review, data sharing, and incentivizing contributions. Some DeSci projects include:

  * $TRAC - OriginTrail
  * $HPO - Hippocrat
  * $RSC - ResearchCoin

  For more on DeSci projects, click [here](https://flagship.fyi/outposts/dapps/decentralized-science-desci-top-projects/).

Once you have picked the *narratives* that you think have the **most** growth potential in the future, start looking for projects within each sector to invest in. Note that not all projects will have their own coin, and many will produce a coin just for the sake of it. Although it is somewhat true that owning a project’s coin is like owning a company’s stock, you should aim to find coins that have genuine utility and purpose within the project. You should also avoid a “spray and pray” mentality. Pick a few coins which you are well researched on, as opposed to just picking lots of random coins.


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