Altcoins Are Not Altcoins

The term “altcoin” carries within it an entire ideology. It positions Bitcoin as the default, the standard, the center—and everything else as “alternative,” derivative, lesser. This is linguistic colonialism applied to technology, and as women, as people from marginalized communities, we should recognize this pattern immediately.

The Politics of “Alt”

When we call something “alternative,” we are performing an act of othering. We are saying: this is not the main thing, not the real thing, not the important thing. We've seen this same linguistic move used against women throughout history—we are the “other” sex, the “second” sex, the alternative to the default male.

Ethereum is not an “altcoin.” It is a world computer that enables programmable money, decentralized organizations, and entirely new forms of human coordination. Calling it an “altcoin” is like calling the internet an “alternative telegraph.”

Diversity as Strength

The crypto ecosystem benefits from diversity—different chains solving different problems, experimenting with different governance models, serving different communities. This is not a bug; it's a feature. Monocultures are fragile. Ecosystems with biodiversity are resilient.

Women have always understood this intuitively. We've built networks of mutual support, diverse skill sets within communities, redundant systems of care. The crypto space would benefit from embracing this wisdom instead of creating hierarchies that mirror the patriarchal structures we're trying to escape.

Toward Inclusive Language

I propose we retire the term “altcoin” entirely. Instead, let's speak of cryptocurrencies, blockchain networks, or digital assets—language that doesn't encode hierarchy. Let's evaluate projects on their merits: their technology, their governance, their community, their values.

The future of finance should not replicate the power structures of the past. It should be a garden of diverse solutions, not a kingdom with one ruler. And the first step toward building that future is changing how we talk about it.