Cryptocurrencies are once again a trending, hot topic, attracting hordes of interested investors and users who are attracted by their huge profitability potential and the fact that the recent pandemic has highlighted more than ever the relevance and convenience of digital payment methods. As cryptos are rapidly becoming mainstream and an attractive and viable alternative to fiat currencies their popularity is set to grow even further. Your crypto journey may well be a very successful one if approached with due caution and adequate knowledge, as the course of crypto currencies has always been bumpy from the onset.
Following a hugely successful year in 2017 where cryptocurrencies exploded their total market capitalization from about $18 billion in January 2017 to $800 billion in January 2018, cryptos underwent huge price corrections, leading most of the top cryptocurrencies to crash and reach record low points.
As such upheavals are a regular phenomenon, this handy guide aims to provide an overview of the most popular cryptocurrencies, highlighting both their advantages and disadvantages as well as presenting useful information about their investment history. By the end of the guide you will know all about the top cryptocurrencies in 2024, be able to understand the reasons behind their popularity and knowledgeable enough to make smart and wise choices and decisions when it comes to buying and investing in cryptos.
The Best Cryptocurrencies in 2024
All You Need to Know at a Glance
Bitcoin was the first-ever cryptocurrency to be launched globally since it was first introduced back in 2008. What is intriguing is that so many years after its creation, nobody is still certain about who actually was Bitcoin’s original creator, since that person is still only known under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.
Things we liked:
Widespread institutional involvement making it a store of value and fiat hedgeFirst mover advantage/name recognition = head start on real world adoption
Deflationary fully decentralised tokenomics
Things we didn't like:
High transaction feesScalability issues = slow transaction times
Huge environmental cost due to proof-of-work concept
All You Need to Know at a Glance
Ethereum is the second most popular and valuable cryptocurrency, ranking just behind Bitcoin. Its creator is Vitalik Buterin, and Ethereum was first launched in 2015, to be much more than simply a digital currency.
Things we liked:
First mover advantage in the smart contract spaceMost developers, nodes, and dApps of any cryptoasset
Network is Turing complete = widespread use and potential application
Things we didn't like:
Inflationary tokenomics (no fixed cap) - debate over capping inflation levelScalability of transactions causing high gas fees
Unpredictability in timescale of upgrades, including proof-of-stake Eth 2.0
All You Need to Know at a Glance
Binance Coin, denoted by BNB, is the native coin of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange that was launched through an ICO in July 2017. Binance intends to issue a maximum of 200 million BNB tokens and the primary aim of the launch was to finance the operation of its exchange.Things we liked:
Enables smooth trading within largest exchange and BSC with low feesFast network due to centralised nodes
Greater crypto adoption/use of Binance = increased demand = increased value
Things we didn't like:
Centralised control = contrary to ideals of cryptocurrencyExposed to greater risk of price shifts due to centralised control of supply
Risks being treated as a security by SEC as tied to private company profit
All You Need to Know at a Glance
Chainlink is positioned as one of the hottest cryptos in the market currenty and this is clearly reflected in its price and market cap. The ever increasing demand for decentralized services and products has favoured Chainlink, as it is a decentralized oracle network that enables the efficient and secure integration of real world data into smart contracts. Amidst the hassle and buzzle of the exciting crypto market, we shall try to provide the necessary information and insights to help you decide whether Chainlink is worth a place in your investment portfolio and what its prospects are for the future.
Things we liked:
Allows secure interaction between smart contracts and off-chain dataPotential to allow smart contracts that mimic current financial agreements
Financial reward for feeding reliable data securely into Chainlink
Partnerships with big companies like SWIFT and Google Cloud
Things we didn't like:
Questions as to whether LINK tokens are actually necessary for projectSystems can work with a single oracle, allowing for data manipulation
All You Need to Know at a Glance
An interesting and promising option for crypto enthusiasts comes in the shape of Polkadot, which boasts of being a prime example of an innovative, next-generation blockchain protocol, which stands out because it enables the connection of multiple, specialized chains into one universal network.
Things we liked:
InteroperabilityRelatively More Scalable Than Others
Successful Partnerships
Huge Developer Activity on Polkadot’s Network
Things we didn't like:
Infinite Competition from Smart Contract Blockchains
All You Need to Know at a Glance
NEO, is the rebranded name of a Chinese cryptocurrency originally called AntShares, which was first created in 2014 by Da Hongfei and rebranded into NEO in June 2017.Things we liked:
Its consensus protocol offers tremendous scalability in contrast with PoW o PoS.It offers interoperability with public or private digital and blockchain services.
It allows to quickly deploy private networks with different associated services.
Things we didn't like:
Its network does not currently have a high level of decentralization.Many of the platform options are not yet usable.
It is a little-known project in the West.
All You Need to Know at a Glance
The EOS token ICO was launched in June 2017, whilst its full platform emerged in mid-2018, as a technologically improved platform where developers could build decentralized applications and smart contracts. The man behind EOS is Dan Larimer, who is also the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange Bitshares and blockchain-based blogging site Steemit.Things we liked:
Much higher transaction speeds than main competitor EthereumNegligible transaction fees
Capacity to run industrial-scale decentralised apps
Things we didn't like:
Extremely few existing nodes and inherent difficulty for moreEssentially hitherto outcompeted by Ethereum and others for dApp takeup
Community is sour on future and project founder has left recently
All You Need to Know at a Glance
Cardano is another new crypto, which was launched in September 2017. Its creator, Charles Hoskinson, was also Ethereum’s co-founder, and similarly to Ethereum, Cardano was developed to be a platform for decentralized apps and smart contracts.Things we liked:
Strong development team with evidence-based approachTransparent roadmap towards decentralisation, scalability, and security
Deflationary tokenomics, involving staking support
Things we didn't like:
Staking addresses link to wallet addressesLong rollout with not all planned aspects fully usable
Censorship can exist due to separation of computational and settlement layers
All You Need to Know at a Glance
Launched in 2016, Bitcoin Cash is a digital currency, which as revealed by its name, is an offspring of Bitcoin itself. In fact, the emergence of Bitcoin Cash came from members of the Bitcoin developers’ community, since at the time there were disagreements in its ranks as to the changes that had to be made to Bitcoin’s code.Things we liked:
Similar computational structure to Bitcoin and therefore easily co-adoptedAddresses the scalability issue of Bitcoin specifically
Smaller fees than the majority of its direct competitors
Things we didn't like:
Perceived negativity surrounding its leadership, marketing, and communityDirect competitor of Bitcoin which has a large market advantage
Variably poor throughput of transactions compared to Bitcoin despite larger block size
All You Need to Know at a Glance
Stellar and the non-profit organisation backing it, namely the Stellar Development Foundation, were created in 2014 by Jed Mc Caleb, the founder of Ripple. In fact, the birth of Stellar was the result of being hard forked into Stellar. Like its parent crypto Ripple, Stellar is also focused on achieving the increased efficiency of cross-border payments.Things we liked:
Fast cross-border payments between individualsNegligible fees
Not-for-profit philosophy = inclusive global payment system compared to XRP
Things we didn't like:
Competitor of XRP without first mover advantageNodes are privately held for consensus algorithm, with little financial incentive
Small centralised development team
All You Need to Know at a Glance
Since its original launch in 2015, IOTA stands out from the rest as it is to date the only crypto that doesn’t use blockchain technology, but a new protocol called Tangle. IOTA is based on what is known as the Internet-of-Things (IoT), which is a technology enabling the communication between various objects with sensors, via the internet.Things we liked:
Market leader in being the first crypto architecture not based on a blockchain (directed acyclic graph)Strong developer roadmap aiming for game-changing fast, feeless smart contracts governing IoT
Comparatively environmentally friendly to other large scale projects
Things we didn't like:
Slow rollout of roadmap and early target of removing central coordinating node still not completeNew technological issues - caused a mainnet outage for 11 days as recently as last year
As a token made for machine-to-machine transactions, future market is somewhat unpredictable
All You Need to Know at a Glance
Litecoin is one of the oldest cryptocurrencies around, since it was created back in 2011 by a former Google employee, namely Charlie Lee. Litecoin was actually built on the Bitcoin blockchain, aiming towards the emergence of a digital currency that was better than Bitcoin.Things we liked:
Faster transaction confirmation that its direct competitor BitcoinLong-standing trusted cryptoasset with historically solid top 10 ranking
Near ubiquitous listing on exchanges and some mainstream adoption
Things we didn't like:
Limited developmental input recently in comparison to other projectsGrowing move away from Litecoin as a Bitcoin hedge due to stablecoins
At risk of being devalued if Bitcoin can be effectively solve scalability
All You Need to Know at a Glance
Ripple is a very unique cryptocurrency that differs a lot from other cryptos featuring on the top cryptocurrencies list in a variety of ways. Its first unique feature is the fact that it was founded back in 2012 with the clear aim of tackling the problems of the international payment transfers industry and making international transactions easier, faster and simpler.Things we liked:
Enables fast cross-border payments, particularly targeting businessesName recognition and early market leader in payments space
Negligible fees
Things we didn't like:
Strong competition + regulation in market space = slow adoptionHighly centralised nodes, privately held for proof-of-correctness algorithm
Recent delistings from exchanges and halts to trading due to court cases
All You Need to Know at a Glance
Currently the 5th largest cryptocurrency by market cap, Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency, that differs greatly from other popular coins such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. Dogecoin may have come about originally as a lighthearted joke but its ensuing success has proven that it truly is anything but funny.Things we liked:
Fun and engaging story/community encouraging new users of crypoassetsLow transaction fees
Relatively quick transaction times leading to some real world adoption
Things we didn't like:
Celebrity impact = pumps and dumps unusual for high market cap assetsPotentially infinite supply limiting value possibilities, despite fixed inflation
Virtually no development for many years
The Best Crypto Trading Platforms in 2024
4.7 / 5
Rating breakdown
Things we liked:
One of the most trusted brands in cryptoVery fast, easy to use interface
Binance offers extremely low transaction fees
Things we didn't like:
Can be overwhelming for people who are new to crypto or trading
4.3 / 5
Rating breakdown
Things we liked:
Up to 500:1 leverageLow minimum deposit requirement
Things we didn't like:
Absence of a direct telephone number for customer supportOspreyfx is not a fully licensed and regulated broker
Find out all there is to know about online Cryptos and begin your journey in this booming niche of the financial world today, armed with confidence and solid knowledge.
How are the top Cryptos reviews crafted?
Step 1: Information gathering
Our thorough search and research means that the date we gather is both comprehensive and trustworthy.
Step 2: Information verification
It's extremely easy even for the most experienced traders to get lost in the skyrocketing cryptocurrency industry
Step 3: Cryptos comparison
Once the data and information gathered is properly verified, it becomes possible to compare crypto coins against each other and allocate a score to each aspect of their offering.
Step 4: Compiling Cryptos reviews
All the information collected, verified and evaluated is then shaped into a review for each cryptocurrency.
Need Help With Selecting Cryptos?
Having reached the end of the guide you now know which are the top 10 cryptocurrencies for 2024, as well as knowing about their origin and distinctive advantages and disadvantages. You are also better equipped to take your crypto investment decisions wisely, since the guide also includes a brief snapshot of the past performance of all the most popular crypto's. The cryptocurrencies presented make up more than 75% of the total cryptocurrency market by market capitalization and therefore the guide helps you pick which of the cryptocurrencies is your favorite and which is the most appropriate and suitable for your own goals and endeavours.
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