The most popular cryptocurrencies are Bitcoin and Ethereum. Their market capitalizations account for more than 60% of the $1 trillion crypto market. The other top cryptocurrencies are Dogecoin, Ripple, EOS, Stellar, Litecoin, Tether and Cardano.
Bitcoin (BTC) was the first cryptocurrency and remains by far the most popular, despite thousands of imitators and alternatives that have sprung up since 2009. It was created by a mysterious person or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto on Halloween in 2008. The blockchain-based peer-to-peer system revolutionized how people think about money.
Understanding the Technology Behind Ripple (XRP)
Ethereum (ETH) was the second cryptocurrency to break into the top 10 and it offers a much more flexible platform for decentralized applications (DApps). The blockchain-based system also allows developers to create smart contracts, which are automated programs that execute when certain conditions are met.
These two have held onto their positions in the top 10 for much of the past year as the rest of the crypto world has matured. Many of the top cryptos now offer features that were unheard of just five years ago, such as blockchain scalability, fast transaction speeds and the ability to host non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
There are also now stablecoins like Tether (USDT) that aim to reduce price volatility by pegging their value to a currency or other reference asset. Then there are projects that connect different blockchains, like Polkadot (DOT) and Chainlink (LINK), which allow users to access them more easily. Be sure to stay informed about new cryptocurrencies by reading trustworthy news sources that have no financial interest in the coins they cover.