Bitcoin needs altcoins because ...

[hv_]

because bitcoin will fail in the real world

bitcoin is associate with scam to the general public

...so was the internet in the beginning. so what?

[sportis]

Even though all of us we know that if anyone wants to get into the world of alt coins must cross the bitcoin ecosystem we cannot close the eyes where there are some alts with some very interesting inherent features. One of them is monero and answering the @OPs question today I read an article where bitfinex offers a bounty to anyone helps to recover the entire hacked sum. Moreover, is willing to pay the bounty not only in btc but in any currency like monero if anyone wants the bounty to be untraceable https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/bitfinexs-hacked-bitcoins-move-5-recovery-bounty-offered/. 

[dhampir-D]

Bitcoin needs Altcoin to sustain the demand pressure, most Altcoins trade on most exchanges are against BTC and not fiat, also some ICOs like ICONOMI and Chronobank allowed fiat deposit but this was converted into BTC

But we all know that these BTC will be converted sooner or later,  And the way you stated it, it was the other way around.  It is the altcoin that needed BTC because these altcoins are traded mostly in BTC.  And some ICO needs BTC for them to crowdfund the project. 

This is a risk that the investor must be aware of, almost always people who make profits with altcoins return back to BTC, this is one reason why most of the altcoins can not keep up for a long time with a high market cap. There are some exceptions like Ethereum, but every day it seems that things seem more uncertain. There was a time when the currency had a billion dollars in market cap.

[talkbitcoin]

Bitcoin needs Altcoin to sustain the demand pressure, most Altcoins trade on most exchanges are against BTC and not fiat, also some ICOs like ICONOMI and Chronobank allowed fiat deposit but this was converted into BTC

But we all know that these BTC will be converted sooner or later,  And the way you stated it, it was the other way around.  It is the altcoin that needed BTC because these altcoins are traded mostly in BTC.  And some ICO needs BTC for them to crowdfund the project. 

This is a risk that the investor must be aware of, almost always people who make profits with altcoins return back to BTC, this is one reason why most of the altcoins can not keep up for a long time with a high market cap. There are some exceptions like Ethereum, but every day it seems that things seem more uncertain. There was a time when the currency had a billion dollars in market cap.

that is correct but the reason why altcoins can not keep up their price is because there is no demand for them, people have no use for the altcoins and also they have no faith in their future either. this means they will sell it as soon as possible.
but with bitcoin you have faith in the future so you hold, and also there is real usage for bitcoin, you can use it as currency so there is always a growing demand.

[mkmdoc]

See what ever deposits they are taking at last they need to convert them in bitcoin, because the bitcoin popularity is more than altcoin. Today altcoin don't have any value without bitcoin. Now a days bitcoin are accepted in small stores where as altcoin still we are trading them in exchanges only.

[South Park]

Because, bitcoin alone cannot make the cryptocurrency good. There should be something alternative and competitive as we cannot predict one as the best without having any other similar thing!

Comparing bitcoin and an altcoin doesn't make the cryptocurrency as a whole good. It just makes bitcoin stand out. Suppose that there's no altcoin and the only crypto is bitcoin. The whole crypto thing would still be good because bitcoin is good. Actually, even if there are altcoins, the reputation of the cryptocurrency still depend on bitcoins because bitcoin is the best crypto right now. If it's a failure, then people would see crypto as a failure too unless an altcoin would rise and prove that the concept of cryptocurrency didn't go to waste.

This is why altcoins are important if bitcoin were to fail at some point then the confidence in crypto currencies will be shaken but if another coin at the same time made new inclusion to its code and improved on the code then it could take its place as the new standard for crypto.

[Fredomago]

See what ever deposits they are taking at last they need to convert them in bitcoin, because the bitcoin popularity is more than altcoin. Today altcoin don't have any value without bitcoin. Now a days bitcoin are accepted in small stores where as altcoin still we are trading them in exchanges only.

which is very profitable since many alts had been developed to be an alternative ways when some of their main intentions is to overthrown btc which can't be done until now as they keep trying to develop more advanced offer to attract investors to adopt their platform but in reality alt coins still rely with bitcoin in terms of value. and until now i can only see alt coin as a good source to earn btc in the means of trading.

[mmo_online_1981]

Because all coin exchange to BTC!
I think so 

[Pettuh4]

If there's no altcoin then more than 50% of its user will quit bitcoin because then there will be Less possibility of trading and making profit from it. Without altcoin bitcoin is nothing for traders who deal with multiple coins. And also for the market competition altcoin are needed.

Precisely Bitcoin and Altcoins need each other to go exist and the price of one influence the other. They are directly proportional to each. This forms the backbone of trading and trades tend to get more options with the cryptocurrencies as against fiats.

[choppork]

If there's no altcoin then more than 50% of its user will quit bitcoin because then there will be Less possibility of trading and making profit from it. Without altcoin bitcoin is nothing for traders who deal with multiple coins. And also for the market competition altcoin are needed.

Precisely Bitcoin and Altcoins need each other to go exist and the price of one influence the other. They are directly proportional to each. This forms the backbone of trading and trades tend to get more options with the cryptocurrencies as against fiats.

It is correct that bitcoin and altcoins complement each other that it forms the backbone of trading but they are not directly proportional to each other, at least price-wise. When the price of bitcoin is increasing, altcoin holders tend to sell their coins since they can sell their bitcoin to fiat and gain profit from it. Similar to when the price of bitcoin is decreasing, altcoin's price increases. This is mostly the case so I'd like to say that the bitcoin and altcoins are inversely proportional to each other in their prices.

[Dudeperfect]

It would diversify the dependability on any single thing i.e - bitcoin. Altcoin usually absorbs the extra force or overload of bitcoin in terms of trade volume and user base. I think Altcoin affects the price of bitcoin. It's like a class of bitcoin holders might temporary move their funds from bitcoin to altcoins in the case of panic selling so due to increasing in supply leads to decrease in price.

[Farma]

It would diversify the dependability on any single thing i.e - bitcoin. Altcoin usually absorbs the extra force or overload of bitcoin in terms of trade volume and user base. I think Altcoin affects the price of bitcoin. It's like a class of bitcoin holders might temporary move their funds from bitcoin to altcoins in the case of panic selling so due to increasing in supply leads to decrease in price.

I also think that way. altcoin may affect most of bitcoin prices, because most people who buy solely altcoin only use it for trading. altcoin buy so much, aiming to increase the number of bitcoin we have. altcoin functioning as another way to get bitcoin

[BigBoom3599]

Bitcoin needs altcoins for a lot of reasons. Primarily competition IMO. Another reason I think is for making/testing out ideas. e.g: Sharding for Ethereum, is an interesting idea which I think could solve a lot of scaling issues. Or them moving to POS, it'd be interesting to see how that works out for large blockchains, so that we can maybe later implement it on Bitcoin.

[marcuslong]

For me bitcoins need alternative coins to support it self to grow more its economy bitcoin will not grow into this if theres none token support him. But bitcoin will encounter compitition to those alternative coins. Like those classic coins who will be scammed in the end.

[Wandering Soul~]

Back then there is a thread with a topic saying that bitcoin can stand alone without alcoins which is quite right but people are forgetting that it serves as a bridge or support in bitcoin cause trading altcoins is so popular to the point that it helps the circulation of bitcoins and of course it is also a way and an opportunity for people to earn bitcoin therefore it is one of the factors that affects the price of bitcoin .

And many altcoins features surpassed bitcoin so we might see a competion between them and bitcoin in the coming future 

[BitcoinPanther]

Bitcoin needs Altcoin to sustain the demand pressure, most Altcoins trade on most exchanges are against BTC and not fiat, also some ICOs like ICONOMI and Chronobank allowed fiat deposit but this was converted into BTC

But we all know that these BTC will be converted sooner or later,  And the way you stated it, it was the other way around.  It is the altcoin that needed BTC because these altcoins are traded mostly in BTC.  And some ICO needs BTC for them to crowdfund the project. 

This is a risk that the investor must be aware of, almost always people who make profits with altcoins return back to BTC, this is one reason why most of the altcoins can not keep up for a long time with a high market cap. There are some exceptions like Ethereum, but every day it seems that things seem more uncertain. There was a time when the currency had a billion dollars in market cap.

that is correct but the reason why altcoins can not keep up their price is because there is no demand for them, people have no use for the altcoins and also they have no faith in their future either. this means they will sell it as soon as possible.
but with bitcoin you have faith in the future so you hold, and also there is real usage for bitcoin, you can use it as currency so there is always a growing demand.

I agree, altcoins are subject to pump and dump, no matter how advance their technology is.  They are around because most people wanted to repeat the history of bitcoin where the early supporter became millionaire.  A wishful thinking though some really make it to become richer from the altcoin scene but it needs a bigger fund and one must become a whale to make it happen.

[Dudeperfect]

It would diversify the dependability on any single thing i.e - bitcoin. Altcoin usually absorbs the extra force or overload of bitcoin in terms of trade volume and user base. I think Altcoin affects the price of bitcoin. It's like a class of bitcoin holders might temporary move their funds from bitcoin to altcoins in the case of panic selling so due to increasing in supply leads to decrease in price.

I also think that way. altcoin may affect most of bitcoin prices, because most people who buy solely altcoin only use it for trading. altcoin buy so much, aiming to increase the number of bitcoin we have. altcoin functioning as another way to get bitcoin

Probably because some exchanges don't have enough easy methods to deposit fiat currencies to trade altcoins. In such case trader usually, buy bitcoins and move it to that exchange and trade it with altcoin to bypass USD deposit and formalities associated with it. This method also helps the trader to remain anonymous in trading.

[mrkevio]

It is actually possible for Altcoins to make Bitcoin weaker, and not stronger! Bitcoin doesn't need them to rise and become strong, it already is right now stronger than any other one and will probably continue to be. If an Altcoin falls, either mothing happens to Bitcoin or it actually becomes stronger than if more Altcoins are going to be created.

[ASHLIUSZ]

It is actually possible for Altcoins to make Bitcoin weaker, and not stronger! Bitcoin doesn't need them to rise and become strong, it already is right now stronger than any other one and will probably continue to be. If an Altcoin falls, either mothing happens to Bitcoin or it actually becomes stronger than if more Altcoins are going to be created.

As quoted altcoins make bitcoin stronger in one perspective. In other form altcoins help to make people understand much about bitcoin. Because when comparison is there, people easily understands it more easily than just explaining things.

[EdenHazard]

It is actually possible for Altcoins to make Bitcoin weaker, and not stronger! Bitcoin doesn't need them to rise and become strong, it already is right now stronger than any other one and will probably continue to be. If an Altcoin falls, either mothing happens to Bitcoin or it actually becomes stronger than if more Altcoins are going to be created.

As quoted altcoins make bitcoin stronger in one perspective. In other form altcoins help to make people understand much about bitcoin. Because when comparison is there, people easily understands it more easily than just explaining things.

so you think bitcoin will not work if then standalone?

i personally a little bit doubt about it , as bitcoin still can be paired with fiat right? but altcoins will created nonetheless as everything , every business need a competitor . so does bitcoin too .