Ruby Le, a 31-year-old software engineer, remembers the thrill—and the anxiety—of buying her first altcoin. “It was Litecoin in 2018,” she says. “I didn’t know much, but I was curious about alternatives to Bitcoin.”
Today, Ruby manages a diverse crypto portfolio, with about 40% allocated to altcoins. Altcoins, or “alternative coins,” refer to cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin—like Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, and newer tokens in decentralized finance (DeFi).
“Altcoins can offer big returns, but they’re also highly volatile,” Ruby says. “That’s why I never invest more than I can afford to lose.”
Ruby credits her cautious approach to hours spent researching. She follows news on Coin Telegraph and dives into each project’s whitepaper and use case before investing. “I want to know if it solves a real-world problem or if it’s just hype.”
To manage risk, she spreads her investments across various categories: smart contract platforms, stablecoins, and DeFi tokens. She also uses cold wallets for security and avoids low-cap coins with suspicious marketing.
“I made mistakes early on—like buying into a pump-and-dump coin. But that taught me to do my homework,” she explains.
Ruby uses technical indicators to help with timing but sticks to a long-term mindset. “Altcoins can spike fast and crash just as quickly. I try not to panic.”
Her biggest piece of advice? “Stay informed, stay skeptical, and never invest just because everyone else is.”
