Ever since Bitcoin hit the headlines in the latter half of 2017, cryptocurrencies have been gaining more and more momentum as a currency that truly does hold potential for the future. However, while they may be gaining recognition, can the same be said for their worth? While Bitcoin is up there as the most valuable cryptocurrency on the market, do the alternatives hold the same potential worth for investing and spending alike? We’re taking a look at the 10 most valuable cryptocurrencies that could quickly catch up, below.
Bitcoin
We couldn’t start this list without the big leader itself – Bitcoin. Not only did BTC sit as the first cryptocurrency on the market, but also as the most valuable available to date. While its worth has been tumbling since its all-time high of around $20,000 in December 2017, it’s still sitting pretty at an average of about $6,500-$7,500. The market cap, on the other hand, is a whopping $121,393,013,639 (at the time of writing).
Bitcoin Cash
Bitcoin Cash may have originally been a part of the more widely-known counterpart, but after being created through a split of the original bitcoin currency, BCH has since gone on to hold its own fairly well in the crypto world. It may be worth a more modest $707.76 (at time of writing) but with a market cap of $12,229,724,762, it certainly isn’t something to be ignored.
Ethereum
Ethereum itself may be a monetary and smart contract platform, but Ether, the coin within it, is holding its own as a cryptocurrency. Worth $410.44 (at time of writing), there are 1001,172,984 ETH circulating and, while just as volatile as Bitcoin, is holding a little steadier than its predecessor. With a market cap of $41,525,223,843, it sits comfortably as one of the most valuable to date.
Ripple
Ripple, or XRP, is another coin set to work inside a network, but it is also one of the most popular to date amongst bigger financial institutions. There are a whopping 39,299,874,590 XRP circulating at the time of writing, and while they may be worth less than $1, it’s also proving to be one of the most accessible cryptocurrencies available on the market today.
Litecoin
Litecoin is perhaps Bitcoin’s biggest rival in terms of technology, with faster transaction times and more coins available for mining but despite these apparent improvements, it still sits fairly far below its predecessor. However, at $74.79 it could arguably be much more accessible than Bitcoin. The market cap isn’t to be overlooked either at $4,318,804,386 and with 57,742,182 LTC currently circulating, it’s still providing to be a valuable cryptocurrency.
Cardano
Cardano is one of the much lesser known cryptocurrencies but with a market cap of $3,363,163,614, it’s worth paying attention to. These coins may be worth less than a US dollar, but with 25,927,070,538 ADA currently circulating, it holds a lot of potential for market growth and potentially, a battle worth fighting with other cryptocurrencies.
EOS
ES is another cryptocurrency with a high market cap and thankfully, an individual coin worth that’s a little higher than the >$1 counterparts. In fact, the market cap is at $6,417,487,008 with 906,245,118 EOS currently in circulation so paying attention and giving these coins a chance could be a great way to get involved with a promising cryptocurrency.
Stellar
Stellar has unfortunately seen quite the fall lately but still sits fairly comfortably as one of the most valuable cryptocurrencies on the market. With a cap of £4,503,279,202 at time of writing, there’s plenty of room for these coins to grow and with a whopping 18,770,588,937 XLM in circulation and more that could become available soon, it’s a market you may want to keep an eye on.
Tether
Tether is a relatively new addition to the top 10, but with its $1 worth and $2,437,348,039 worth, it could certainly prove itself in the coming months. Of course, it’s been fluctuating somewhat as of late but at a relatively steady pace so, through indicators and other tools, investors could benefit from this fairly new crypto entry.
IOTA
IOTA is another coin worth less than $1, but it’s the market cap that once again helps drive this coin to one of the top 10 spots. At $2,190.992,218, it’s easy to see why. With 2,779,530,283 coins also in circulation, the potential for IOTA, just like some of the other coins in this list, is huge.
With coins constantly changing their worth and day-to-day trading activity, keeping up can prove difficult. However, there are plenty of promising coins out there. Which will you try?