While Bitcoin remains one of the best-recognized cryptocurrencies in modern finance, other crypto projects are emerging, and taking over more market share. Web3 is still the big unknown, with new concepts (e.g., DAO) emerging and gaining popularity. No matter if you are looking for an investment opportunity or want to learn about prospective digital assets, in this post, you will find comprehensive, first-hand information that will guide you through the most prominent crypto coins.
The best crypto projects on the market
The crypto market offers vast opportunities, and according to CNBC, as of June 2022, there were more than 19 000 cryptocurrencies in existence. Given the dynamics of the Web 3.0 world, new crypto coins are likely to appear at a swift pace. If you compare this with a ‘fiat world’ with around 180 currencies available, it’s easy to conclude that the difference is already enormous.
At the same time, not every crypto project will succeed. Only a small portion of crypto assets can yield sustainable profits for their investors.
In the paragraphs to follow we’ll learn more about the coins that have already achieved a solid position on the market and are among the top cryptocurrencies circulating in the modern virtual environment.
Ethereum (ETH)
“A foundation for our digital future”, says the official Ethereum site headline. Ethereum is far more than a crypto asset. It is the technology for building apps and organizations, holding assets, transacting, and communicating without a central authority. Ethereum has its native cryptocurrency (ETH) used for certain activities on the Ethereum network.
Ethereum was launched in 2015 and built on Bitcoin’s innovation, with some significant improvements. Ethereum is programmable and serves for building and deploying decentralized applications on its network. It’s like a marketplace for financial services, games, social networks, and other apps with two underlying principles: respect for your privacy and protection from censorship.
Ethereum facts*
Market cap: $193.4 billion (15% of the crypto market)
Volume: $19.6 billion
Circulating supply: 122.2 million
Solana (SOL)
Solana is the brainchild of Anatoly Yakovenko, a software developer, and was created in 2017. Solana comes with the promise of being the fastest-growing ecosystem in crypto and the fastest blockchain in the world. It is designed to facilitate smart contracts and decentralized application creation.
Solana supports various Web 3 projects, including:
- Defi Projects (i.e., Orca, Saber, Serum, Dirt Protocol),
- Lending Protocols (Solend, Port Finance, Apricot Finance),
- Web 3 Apps (i.e. Phantasia, AuidUs, Panzer Dogs).
- NFT Projects
Controversies
There are new events that raise questions about the project’s future. For example, on August 2, 7767 Solana wallets were affected, losing millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency. Solana was exposed to similar threats in the past.
Solana facts
Market cap: $11.4 billion
Volume: $834.2 million
Circulating supply: 349.5 million
Cardano (ADA)
A blockchain platform for changemakers, innovators, and visionaries – those are the core values of Cardano. The project has five principles: people, purpose, technology, research, and opportunity. ADA aims to create a platform for a sustainable future, building global solutions to global problems. Cardano is a decentralized community of scientists, engineers, and thought leaders.
Cardano uses a decentralized proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. It gives rewards for work to participants in the stake pool.
Cardano facts
Market cap: $15.4 billion
Volume: $531.6 million
Circulating supply: 33.7 billion (75% of total supply)
Polkadot (DOT)
Polkadot’s goal is to enable an entirely decentralized web. Complete control lies in the hands of users without a central authority being involved. The project supports the creation of decentralized applications, services, and institutions.
Polka dot is the flagship project of Web3 Foundation – a Swiss organization founded to facilitate a fully functional and user-friendly decentralized web.
Polkadot facts
Market cap: $8.0 billion
Volume: $294.2 million
Circulating supply: 1.1 billion
Ripple (XRP)
Ripple is the company behind the XRP currency. It utilizes blockchain technology to create breakthrough crypto solutions dedicated to a world without economic borders. Ripple targets global financial institutions, businesses, governments, and developers to unlock more significant economic opportunities. The Ripple team hires more than five hundred employees in over 50 countries.
XRP runs on the XRP Ledger, which can be used for crypto investments, to exchange crypto for other cryptocurrencies, or to finance transactions on the Ripple Network.
Ripple uses their unique Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm, which is different from the Proof of Stake (PoS) and Proof of Work (PoW) used by other cryptocurrencies (i.e., Ethereum, Bitcoin). As a result, Ripple’s unique solution is, to some extent, centralized. Still, in return, it takes less than five seconds to validate transactions effectively (while for other cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, it can take many minutes or hours).
Ripple facts
Market cap: $16.9 billion
Volume: $889 million
Circulating supply: 50 billion
Don’t forget about the Bitcoin
While discussing digital currencies, crypto investors often seek information related to new opportunities that would yield new perspectives. However, in this post, we cannot omit the classy Bitcoin.
Bitcoin (BTC)
Bitcoin was first described in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto, whose identity remains unknown until today (Satoshi Nakamoto could likely be a pseudonym used by a group of people who created BTC). Nakamoto implemented the Bitcoin software as an open source code and released it in January 2009 under the MIT license.
Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that uses peer-to-peer technology to operate without the involvement of a central authority. According to its official wiki, Bitcoin has all the properties required by a money-like good, which includes:
- portability,
- durability,
- divisibility,
- recognizability,
- fungibility,
- scarcity,
- and is also difficult to counterfeit.
Bitcoin facts
Market cap: $377.4 billion (31% of the crypto market)
Volume: $27.9 billion
Circulating supply: 19 million (91% of the total supply)
Which crypto project is the best?
Which crypto project is the best, a controversial Bitcoin, promising Ethereum or emerging Ripple, Cardano, Solana, and Polkadot-? This question does not have a plain answer. It takes hours of research to decide which project is worth your support.
That’s why in the upcoming series of blog posts, we will focus on the value of particular coins and describe them in more detail.
You will learn about the ‘big coins’ that share the majority of the crypto market and discover the value of different types of stablecoins together with real-world examples. We will present you with new crypto projects that will likely change the Web3 market, as we know it! So stay tuned and observe our blog!
* Facts based on Coinbase data of 30/31 Aug 22, and 5th of Sept 22
Sources:
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/03/crypto-firms-say-thousands-of-digital-currencies-will-collapse.html
https://ethereum.org/en/what-is-ethereum/
https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/08/04/solana-attack-once-again-has-critics-questioning-i/
