Altcoins are one corner of crypto where Kevin O’Leary has very little patience. He has made it clear in past interviews that he sees most of them as speculative fluff rather than serious investments.
Why Kevin O’Leary Says Most Altcoins Miss the Mark
The Shark Tank star has been openly critical of the space, brushing off many altcoins with language that leaves little room for interpretation.
That stance came up again this week in a conversation with MarketWatch. Instead of softening his view, O’Leary reinforced it. His message was straightforward. In a crowded crypto market, he believes most altcoins offer more noise than value, and he is not shy about saying so.
Altcoins slid hard late in 2025. Bitcoin and Ether dropped, too. Short-term moves explain part of it, but the wider trend stands out more.
Figures from CryptoQuant show that in early 2024, the total value of all altcoins was roughly on par with bitcoin, both sitting around $830 billion.
Since then, the gap has opened fast. Bitcoin’s market value has climbed to about $1.8 trillion according to current market estimates, leaving it roughly $600 billion ahead of every altcoin combined. The balance of power in the market has clearly shifted.
Kevin O’Leary’s Bitcoin and Ether Strategy
Kevin O’Leary keeps his crypto playbook pretty tight. He says that if you want exposure to the space at all, Bitcoin and Ether are the logical place to start. They make up most of the market and have proven they are not going away anytime soon. Ether alone sits at roughly a $360 billion market cap, based on figures from CryptoQuant.
Everything outside that core does not impress him. O’Leary has been blunt about it. He said he dumped more than two dozen altcoin holdings back in October, deciding they were not worth the attention. In his mind, crypto investing works best when it stays focused, not scattered across tokens he sees as speculative noise.
Kevin O’Leary Calls Altcoins Poo Poo Coins
Kevin O’Leary says his blunt language of calling altcoins “poo poo” is not meant as a jab. He frames it as a practical take on how crypto investing actually works if the goal is returns, not loyalty.
In a conversation with MarketWatch, he said he does not get attached to individual tokens. He follows the data and nothing else, describing himself as someone who thinks in terms of broad exposure rather than personal favorites.
That is why he keeps circling back to the same conclusion. Bitcoin and ether dominate the market by such a wide margin that, in his view, the numbers speak for themselves. His message is not about opinion or taste. As he put it, the issue is not who is saying it, but what the data shows. Everything outside those two, he argues, simply does not measure up.
Why Kevin O’Leary Sees No Comeback for Altcoins
Kevin O’Leary has little confidence that most altcoins will ever regain their footing. In comments he shared with CoinDesk earlier this month, he said many of these tokens are still deep in the red, down anywhere from 60% to 90%.
In his view, that damage is permanent. He does not expect a comeback and sees those losses as a sign that much of the altcoin market has already run its course.
Where Crypto Leaders Disagree on Altcoins
Not everyone in the crypto world agrees with O’Leary’s hard line on altcoins.
Chris Kline, co-founder and COO of BitcoinIRA, says writing off the entire category goes too far. In his view, while plenty of tokens are weak or poorly designed, some offer real utility, especially for specific financial uses. Lumping them all together misses those differences.
O’Leary is not swayed. He argues that most altcoins lack broad recognition and would need massive marketing budgets just to stay relevant. Speaking to Fox Business, he said many would require tens of millions in promotion to have any shot at scale.
Porter Stowell, CEO of Web3 platform W3.io, takes a more measured position. He agrees that altcoins can be risky for mainstream investors, even if a handful eventually prove their worth. Without serious research, he warns, the odds are not in your favor.
Kevin O’Leary on the Long Term Value of Crypto Infrastructure
Beyond choosing which coins to hold, O’Leary is also positioning himself around crypto’s physical backbone.
Mr. Wonderful’s crypto strategy also includes investing in infrastructure, like land that could support future mining operations. He sees that side of the industry as a more durable long-term play.
