Which is the best of the alternative coins?

[lovebit]

I think litecoin seems to be the strongest of the alts.

[lleibowitz]

I agree, litecoin seems to be the strongest of the alt coins. But to be honest, I don't think any of the alternative coins can compete with bitcoin at all...

[Aahzman]

ShagCoin. An alt-coin destined for only one purpose: buying sex.

[Nova!]

Depends on your definition of best.
If you're talking most liquid (i.e. you can spend it), then BTC is the only game going.
If you're talking most potential in the long run, my opinion is that LTC and any coin using SCrypt has the most potential since there is no way to make an ASIC (affordably), that can run that algo in HW.  However to the best of my knowledge no one is actually shipping bitcoin ASIC's either and shipping dates just keep on slipping into the future.

So yeah, the answer depends on your definition of best.

[Aahzman]

Depends on your definition of best.
If you're talking most liquid (i.e. you can spend it), then BTC is the only game going.
If you're talking most potential in the long run, my opinion is that LTC and any coin using SCrypt has the most potential since there is no way to make an ASIC (affordably), that can run that algo in HW.  However to the best of my knowledge no one is actually shipping bitcoin ASIC's either and shipping dates just keep on slipping into the future.

So yeah, the answer depends on your definition of best.

Your knowledge is out of date. Avalon shipped some ASIC miners last month, supposedly.  At least, people are reporting seeing them on the network.

 They are gearing up to ship batch#2 and have orders in place for many more...

[Nova!]

Depends on your definition of best.
If you're talking most liquid (i.e. you can spend it), then BTC is the only game going.
If you're talking most potential in the long run, my opinion is that LTC and any coin using SCrypt has the most potential since there is no way to make an ASIC (affordably), that can run that algo in HW.  However to the best of my knowledge no one is actually shipping bitcoin ASIC's either and shipping dates just keep on slipping into the future.

So yeah, the answer depends on your definition of best.

Your knowledge is out of date. Avalon shipped some ASIC miners last month, supposedly.  At least, people are reporting seeing them on the network.

 They are gearing up to ship batch#2 and have orders in place for many more...

Really out of date, I've never heard of Avalon.  Sorry been away like 6 months.

[dust]

Depends on your definition of best.
If you're talking most liquid (i.e. you can spend it), then BTC is the only game going.
If you're talking most potential in the long run, my opinion is that LTC and any coin using SCrypt has the most potential since there is no way to make an ASIC (affordably), that can run that algo in HW.

It isn't worth it to make scrypt asics yet because of the low value of LTC.  Creating an scrypt ASIC is a bit more complicated than creating a SHA-256 ASIC, but it is certainly possible.

In addition to this, there is no reason to believe that the availability of ASICs makes a coin worse.  If anything, it is better for the coin, as the "good guys" (miners) have access to the best type of mining technology.

However to the best of my knowledge no one is actually shipping bitcoin ASIC's either and shipping dates just keep on slipping into the future.

Avalon has shipped bitcoin ASICs.  ASICMINER has also deployed ASICs.

In my opinion, the only innovative altcoins are Namecoin and PPCoin.  Unfortunately, Namecoin failed to gain much adoption.  PPCoin offers real benefits over bitcoin (lowering the cost of network security), but its design and security are not nearly as audited and understood as they are for Bitcoin.

[Walter Rothbard]

IMO, Terracoin is the best of the altcoins, because it is the most like bitcoin.  Most of the changes made by the other coins are not improvements, IMO.  But I believe there is definitely need for an altcoin or two.

[steeldog803]

I just bought my first LTC last night after someone posted a fake tweet from Bill Gates talking it up. ;/

[FirstCitizen]

Pick up $20 of each of them and come out on top no matter what!

[Neo2k]

I think litecoin seems to be the strongest of the alts.

me too

[coinandable]

I exchanged 20% of my Bitcoins to Litecoins recently because I think they have the most potential to be #2 of the cryptocoins. At the moment Litecoins are more established than all the other ones. There is even a SR alternative called Atlantis where goods are traded for LTC since last week, which could help to increase their value and use.

This may change in the futurre but right now I think the answer to your question is: Litecoins

 

[Keldel]

Ripple's XRP will probably be strongest alternative coins.

[warpio]

There's a Litecoin version of Silkroad now, so I think LTC has a lot of promise.

[cassini]

In my opinion, the only innovative altcoins are Namecoin and PPCoin.  Unfortunately, Namecoin failed to gain much adoption.

Only the domain name registration feature of Namecoin has failed. There are a few new ideas for NMC I've heard of recently, such as a decentralized ideas/patents registration system, a microcredit registration system, and Bitmessage for Namecoin.

I think this is why the NMC/USD rate hit its all-time high last week (like the LTC/USD rate).
Having said that, it could also be that NMC, LTC, PPC and TRC have been used as backup currencies during last week's Bitcoin fork problem.

[Bitcoinm]

Litecoin is slightly clever... but no where near as clever as Bitcoin.

[Artyom]

Definetely litecoin

[bitcoiner32]

What's the difference between bitcoin and litecoin? Or the other alt coins?

Is litecoin harder/easier to encrypt and prevent theft? Faster trade confirmations?

[drutism]

My vote is for LTC even thought the price is currently wobbly.

[Frankie Delaney]

Which was the altcoin where the creator pre-mined millions of coins, and had a killswitch built in.

Definitely that one.