Did you know that as of October 4, 2022, there are over 20,268 digital currencies in existence? However, of that list, there are roughly 10,363 active cryptocurrencies (almost 8000 are inactive or dead). And if you’re like me, you’re probably wondering which are the top 20 cryptocurrencies to invest in.
Ok so let’s, dive right in.
What are Cryptocurrencies?
Cryptocurrency is an alternative to fiat currency. Its digital money can be created through mining and used as tokens or coin money. Although cryptocurrencies are being accessed through credit or other projects, mainly cryptocurrencies remain entirely inaccessible. Moreover, cryptos are complicated algorithms that allow the creation of digital currencies and their transaction across decentralized finance platforms. Brokerage services or exchanges facilitate the storage, and exchange of the cryptocurrencies that they support.
Why Are Top Cryptocurrencies Important?
Blockchain technology allows people to participate in peer-to-peer banking transactions and contracts with each other. In neither instance is it necessary for any reputable third party to be involved. The evolution could disrupt current financial systems and restructure finances in general. In the last decade, cryptocurrency has seen exponential growth while innovations develop.
Top 20 Cryptocurrencies
1). Bitcoin
Bitcoin’s price is one of the most followed in the mainstream media. And it’s for a good reason! Bitcoin is considered blue chip crypto as it’s one of the most popular and the oldest digital currencies in the digital currencies – it’s the one I first learned about! Bitcoin was originally created in 2009, towards the end of the financial crisis, and as of today, its seen tremendous growth. Today, its market cap is nearly 450 Billion US Dollars. It’s also the de-facto digital currency for most investors, and as such, it’s now the number one coin globally by market cap. In 2021, bitcoin was up 57% and had a high of $67566 on Aug 11, before making a dramatic pullback. Today, Bitcoin trades for
$19,966.05.
Fun fact: Bitcoin is one of the most popular cryptocurrencies to gift during the December global holidays!
2). Ethereum (ETH)
The following top cryptocurrency on the list is Ethereum. Digital currency other than Bitcoin is known as altcoins, and Ethereum is one of the best altcoins to invest. Now, Ethereum may appear to be a relatively new coin in the market. However, crypto investors know it’s done well thanks to its ability to create intelligent or smart contracts.
Ethereum represents one of several kinds of cryptocurrency: The company uses its network as a cryptocurrency and provides developers with an open-source crypto environment. Furthermore, similar to smartphone applications that allow downloading applications from third-party sites, Ethereum lets developers create Ethereum applications that connect to a network. Also, investors can buy Ethereum as easily as they can buy Bitcoin if they hope that this is a more profitable asset. Ethereum’s programable network can be used with more customized options. For example, this year, the NFT token created by people outside cryptocurrency attracted many outside the cryptocurrency community.
Ethereum was launched in July 2015, and today, it trades for
$1,349.81 and has a market cap of
$382,725,578,628.90 USD. Indeed, broad consensus says its ability to process transactions on its blockchain has been a game-changer.
3). XRP
Next on the list is XRP, a cryptocurrency built for payments. Indeed, it is the native digital asset on the XRP Ledger—an open-source, decentralized blockchain technology that can complete transactions in seconds. XRP can be sent directly without needing a central intermediary, making it a convenient instrument for bridging two different currencies quickly and efficiently. XRP launched in 2012, and today, XRP trades for
$0.47 and its market cap is
$46,794,985,957.04 USD. Ripple Labs is responsible for maintaining the digital currency, and today, investors see it as one of the best altcoins to buy and as crypto with the most potential in 2022.
4). Stellar (XLM)
Stellar is the next top cryptocurrency on the list and is popular as it offers investors low-cost transactions on cross-border transactions. According to stellar.org, Stellar makes it possible to create, send, and trade digital representations of all forms of money: dollars, pesos, bitcoin, and pretty much anything else. Stellar helps the world’s financial systems can work together on a single network. Launched in 2014, Stellar’s price is currently
$0.12 and it’s market cap is now
$5,935,212,184.59 USD. And last year, in 2021, XLM doubled in price, which made long-term investors quite happy.
5). Cardano (ADA)
The next worthy digital coin to invest in includes Cardano, a third-generation digital currency.
The co-founder of Ethereum, Charles Hoskinson, launched Cardano in 2017. Fast forward to today, crypto investors see Cardano as one of the top altcoins to invest in as they see plenty of upside. Cardano’s market cap is now
$14,531,592,678.47 USD and trades for
$0.43. And In 2021, Cardano shot up a whopping 700 percent.
According to Wikipedia, Cardano is a public blockchain platform. Moreover, it is open-source and decentralized, with consensus achieved using proof of stake, and It can facilitate peer-to-peer transactions with its internal cryptocurrency, Ada.
6). Dogecoin (DOGE)
Next on the list of top 20 cryptocurrencies, we have dogecoin. Dogecoin was created in 2013 by Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer, who decided to create a payment system as a “joke”, making fun of the wild speculation in cryptocurrencies at the time. To be sure, it was a way to poke fun at other cryptocurrencies that had plans to seemingly take over the world.
Dogecoin also became popular as the first internet meme digital currency. Dogecoin’s market capitalization is now
$8,278,662,339.62 US Dollars, and its all-time high was reached on May 7, 2021, with a price of $0.6848. Today, dogecoin trades for
$0.06.
7). Polkadot (DOT)
Created by Dr. Gavin Wood, another co-founder of Ethereum, Polkadot is among one of the more promising third-generation digital currencies to consider. Today, Polkadot trades for
$6.44 and has a market capitalization of
$7,972,714,777.80 – impressive considering its launch was in May of 2020.
According to the Polkadot website, Polkadot improves interoperable functionality between other blockchain systems. The protocols aim to connect unauthorized and authorized blockchains with oracle, enabling system integration under one roof. Polkadot’s most important part has a relay chain that facilitates interoperable and varying networks. The software can also provide parallel blockchain and parallel chains for specific applications.
For example, Polkadot can transfer data across public, open, permissionless blockchains and private, permissioned ones. So, it becomes possible to build applications that get permissioned data from a private blockchain and use it on a public blockchain. For instance, a school’s private, permissioned academic records chain could send proof to a degree-verification smart contract on a public chain.
Polkadot differs from Ethereum because it allows developers to create their own blockchains without worrying about any dApp on Polkadot.
8). Neo
Originally known as Antshares, Neo was created in 2014 and is also often referred to as the “Ethereum of China” as it is very similar in that it’s a blockchain-based platform that supports its own cryptocurrency and enables the development of digital assets and smart contracts.
At
$8.82 a coin, Neo has a market capitalization of
$882,000,000.00. Also, it was up 77% in 2021. However, it’s down considerably from its high of $122 as the Chinese government recently cracked down on cryptocurrencies. Also, the recent crypto winter hasn’t helped much either. So, it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Neo soon.
9). Celsius (CEL)
The next digital coin on the list is Celsius, which has a market cap of
$922,747,584.07 US Dollars. Founded in 2017, Celsius is a relative newcomer to the cryptocurrency market and trades for
$1.33
The Celsius Network is a regulated, SEC-compliant lending platform. Indeed, the platform allows users to receive interest on cryptocurrency deposits or even take out crypto loans. Moreover, Celsius hopes to attract investors by offering high yields on deposits. And For existing crypto investors wishing to take out a loan, Celsius provides an opportunity to receive dollars without cashing out of their cryptocurrency holdings.
On June 13, 2022, Celcius announced published crypto news: “Due to extreme market conditions, today we are announcing that Celsius is pausing all withdrawals, Swap, and transfers between accounts.“
On July 13, 2022, Celius filed for bankruptcy. We will have to see if investors get to see their money.
10). Nano
The next worthy cryptocurrency investors are buying up is Nano. Nano currently trades for
$0.80 and has a market capitalization of
$106,305,485.76 US dollars.
Nano is famous for being the “digital money for the modern world.” Further, Nano is a cryptocurrency that enables secure, practically instant payments without fees and improves upon legacy financial infrastructure and other modern cryptocurrencies.
Launched in 2015 under the name RaiBlocks (through a public faucet), it allowed users to claim small amounts of XRB after completing a captcha challenge. At that time, anyone with access to a computer or phone would solve captchas and earn RaiBlocks. In 2018, the name changed to Nano, reflecting the speed at which transactions complete.
11). Tether (USDT)
The next cryptocurrency on the list is Tether. However, investors know it as its ticker, USDT. Tether’s current market cap is
$67,949,424,437.86 US Dollars. Now, Tether is a Stablecoin, pegged to the value of the US Dollar (aka USD coin) – so its price is usually $1.00, give or take a few hundredths of a cent. Looking back to 2016, the highest trading price I could find was $1.03 back in 2017. Also, investors can buy USDT, which works on the Ethereum, EOS, Tron, Algorand, and OMG blockchains.
12). Dash (DASH)
Next on the list of top cryptocurrencies in October 2022, is Dash. We first heard about Dash in 2014 when it was called Xcoin. And then, it became DarkCoin, and later in 2015, it got the current name Dash – which means digital cash.
Dash currently trades for
$42.06, after going up an impressive 51% in 2021, and currently boasts a market capitalization of
$460,472,555.26 US dollars.
There is currently more than 10 million Dash in circulation, out of a maximum of 18.9 million. Consumers can use Dash for purchases with retailers through its DashDirect app. Moreover, investors can trade it on cryptocurrency exchanges, including Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken.
13). TRON (TRX)
Next on the list of top cryptocurrencies we have TRON. Tron is best described as a decentralized platform focused on content sharing and entertainment — and one of its most significant acquisitions was the file-sharing service BitTorrent back in 2018.
The major benefit is that it can handle 2000 transactions per second, allowing daily use.
Today, TRON tokens trade for
$0.06 and have a collective market capitalization of
$5,672,376,302.33 US dollars.
14). Zcash (ZEC)
Next, we have Zcash. Zcash started in 2016 and is a cryptocurrency based initially on Bitcoin that focuses on anonymity. Zcash uses technology that allows transactions to be verified without revealing sensitive information about those transactions.
Now, you might think, aren’t all other cryptocurrency transactions private? Well, not so much. Most cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), are not anonymous but rather pseudonymous. In other words, while they do not explicitly reveal the identities of their users, each user has their own public address. And through forensics, the authorities can eventually trace the public address back to the original owner.
Zcash transactions, on the other hand, do not reveal the sending and receiving addresses or the transaction amount. At least not by default. However, there is an option to reveal the data for auditing or regulatory compliance. Today, Zcash trades for
$57.11 USD and has a market capitalization of
$735,588,106.94.
15). NEM (XEM)
Next on the list of digital coins, we have NEM. NEM is an acronym for the new economy movement and is a collection of technologies that use blockchain and cryptography to provide solutions for end-users and businesses.
Investors can buy and sell NEM on popular platforms such as Zaif, Binance, and Cointiger.
With a current price of
$0.04 and a market capitalization of
$372,149,999.96 US dollars, this coin went down about 45% in 2021. So, is now the right time to invest in NEM? Let me know in the comments below what you think.
16). Binance Coin (BNB)
The next worthy cryptocurrency on the list is Binance Coin, often known as BNC.
Binance is a utility cryptocurrency created in July 2017, and today, they are the biggest cryptocurrency exchange globally by daily trading volume. Investors can use Binance to transfer money from the Binance Exchange to trade. Its market capitalization surpassed the average with a market capitalization of 1.6 billion worth of BNBs held in investment accounts.
The tokens may be traded at reduced rates by the exchange holders. Similarly, the Binance coins blockchain operates in decentralized exchanges using its decentralized system BinanceCoins.
Changpeng Zhao is the founder of the Binance exchange. Today, it’s the biggest exchange worldwide based on trading volume. Binance Coin is a token with an initial value of ETH20 and operates on Ethereum blockchains. Then the main website became available. The PoS consensus framework powers the system.
Since launching the Binance Coin, Binance, the exchange has benefited from increased investor interest in its coin.
And this was evident in 2021 when BNB started the year trading at $37.90, and ended the year at over $511. That’s a 13x return for those invested for the entire 2021.
Today, BNC trades for
$291.38 and its market cap is
$47,575,644,867.69 US dollars, and I think it’s one to watch.
17). Bitcoin SV (BSV)
Next, we have Bitcoin SV or BSV for short.
BSV was created after a hard fork of Bitcoin Cash back in 2018, which had, in turn, forked from the BTC blockchain a year earlier.
BSV’s current market cap is
$940,564,283.98 US dollars and trades for
$49.02. However, that’s down significantly from its 52-week high of $491.
One of the biggest selling points of BSV is its circulating supply ability; it can process over 100,000 transactions per second. However, we will have to see how folks like you and me will adopt it in the future.
18). EOS Coin (EOS)
EOS is a platform that allows developers to build decentralized apps – or DApps for short.
The project’s goal is to make it as easy as possible for programmers to develop blockchain technology. As a result, its tools and educational resources support developers who want to quickly build blockchain-related apps quickly and efficiently.
EOS’s current market cap is
$1,278,225,550.40 US dollars and trades for
$1.20.
19). VeChain (VET)
VeChain or VET is the next cryptocurrency on the list. Indeed, VeChain is an enterprise-grade smart contract platform that got its start in 2015.
VeChain is best known for its work in the supply chain industry – one that hasn’t changed much over the last few decades. Today, VeChain provides a decentralized trust layer for multi-party ecosystems and has already seen some major successes with high-profile clients, including governments.
Interestingly, VeChain currently trades for
$0.02 and has a market cap of
$2,049,883,381.66. Also, in 2021, it shot up a whopping 400%.
20). Dai (DAI)
Last but not least on the list is Dai. Like Tether or USDT, Dai is also a stablecoin (aka USD coin) as it’s soft pegged to the US dollar.
In 2020, DAI faced extreme volatility due to the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, and as a result, DAI reached a peak of $1.09 (in real-world currencies) before returning to a dollar. Today, Dai has a market cap of
$6,327,460,792.12 and trades for
$1.00.
Wrapping up
Of late, the crypto space has become a popular choice for investors all across the globe to earn good returns. Thanks to the number of features attached to it, traditional money does not offer. The above are some of the top 20 cryptocurrencies to invest in in the current market. If you are looking for options in digital coins, the above list can serve you a decent amount of options. Get the right one with intelligent and unique strategies; you never know you can gain huge out of your investment. Good Luck!
*Disclaimer: Pricing data accurate as of October 4, 2022. As everyones’ personal circumstances will differ, always seek qualified investment advice (unbiased information from a qualified professional) to assess your own risk before buying anything. Finally, opinions expressed in this article are for informational purposes only, and past performance is no indicator of future performance.
This article Top 20 Cryptocurrencies To Invest In October 2022 originally appeared on Rick Orford – Invest, Earn More Income & Save Money.