Every time cryptocurrencies are the topic of conversation, Bitcoin quickly appears as a reference. However, despite being the largest and most relevant project in this universe, it is far from the only one, contrary to what it might seem in a first conversation.
There are literally thousands of alternatives beyond Bitcoin, and these projects are known as altcoins.
In a consultation with the list of cryptocurrencies on the Coinmarketcap site, we have this very explicit preponderance of Bitcoin, along with Ethereum - both basically represent 70% of the total market:
However, of this total capitalization, there are various other options.
Looking at this Binance listing, we find at least 10 projects with a capitalization of more than $10 billion, at least 70 cryptocurrencies with a market value of more than $1 billion, and there are at least 400 options in this class of assets with a capitalization of more than $100 million. There are many cryptocurrencies with a market value higher than the companies available on the Ibovespa, for example.
With so many existing projects, curiosity arises: Will any surpass Bitcoin in 2024? We've separated six so you're up to date!
Important, before continuing: data has been taken from 2024 until 04/18; In this period, Bitcoin had a valuation of almost 50%:
Oh, another important addendum: the increase in 2024 will not necessarily be greater than that of Bitcoin, but we will address the real potential for this to happen until the end of this year.
It will be easy as you read, come with us!
Dogecoin: the biggest meme in the world
This altcoin is somewhat controversial: It has skyrocketed a few times due to posts on a social network (which was even bought by the person who made said posts, but that's another story) and, in the eyes of those who don't look more carefully, it is just a meme.
But those who think this way are deceived: in addition to having a capitalization of more than US$20 billion (that is, it is one of the ten largest cryptocurrencies that exist), in 2024 alone it has already grown more than 60%
There is also a third factor to take into account in addition to the market value and the rise of the altcoin in 2024: according to a report by the consulting firm Santiment at the end of last year, Dogecoin is the cryptocurrency most present in digital wallets, with the only exception of Bitcoin and Ethereum.
That's right, it is the most expensive and present meme that exists.
Stacks: from the ribs of Bitcoin to optimize it
Running on the same original Bitcoin network, Stacks is a project that was born to optimize the transactions carried out there. This altcoin was valued by almost 70% in 2024:
The biggest difference about Stacks, and what justifies all the attention it has received, is the fact that it promotes integration between the use of Bitcoin for financial transactions and functions such as smart contracts and decentralized applications (DApps).
In practice, this means that, simultaneously, this altcoin takes advantage of the best of the two largest cryptocurrencies that exist: the reliability of the transactional value of Bitcoin and the versatility of uses of Ethereum.
This being the case, it probably still has a lot of room to grow!
BNB: moving forward with Binance
An interesting phenomenon that the crypto universe has brought is the possibility of following the growth of a project when it is associated with a company, almost as if it were buying a share.
When you buy a stock, you are buying a part of a company, but the limitation is that you can only do so in certain markets. If you buy a share on Ibovespa, it will only "work" in the Brazilian market, or with adaptations (BDRs) in other markets. On the other hand, a native altcoin from some company does not depend on where it operates: buying a unit is almost like buying an "unrestricted global stock."
This is the case of BNB, which is Binance's native altcoin and in 2024 it almost doubled its value:
The biggest advantage of BNB lies in the fact that Binance is the largest cryptocurrency exchange on the planet and, taking into account its expansion potential still ongoing, whoever has this token in their portfolio will continue this growth!
Solana: a network that is growing at high speed
Started as a project in 2017 and launched on the market as an altcoin in 2020, this initiative is somewhat more recent than Bitcoin and Ethereum, but stands out notably for its scalability, speed and low transaction fees, in addition to the various opportunities in DeFi and decentralized applications. (DApps).
In fact, from the moment it was tokenized, this project has even been known as the “Ethereum Killer.”
Through the Proof of History (PoH) consensus mechanism, Solana can carry out up to 65 thousand transactions per second, making the project one of the most capable in this aspect among all existing cryptocurrencies.
In 2024, Solana has already appreciated by 43%:
In a market with high volatility, it is almost not noticeable that Solana has grown less than Bitcoin, since the difference is quite subtle. Even with slightly lower growth, the market value is already over $60 billion, making this altcoin one of the most valuable among all projects.
Litecoin: house silver can rise
One of the most traditional altcoins, dating back to 2011 and also born from the ribs of Bitcoin, works on the blockchain of the original project. The difference is that Litecoin seeks to optimize, at a transactional level, the capacity of Bitcoin.
In practical terms, this feature makes the coin a widely accepted altcoin. As for the "what can I buy with Litecoin?" aspect, we have an interesting alternative that you've probably already seen as a means of payment out there.
Its growth in 2024 was not so great, remaining below 10%:
However, like other projects that have a connection with Bitcoin, the arrival of the halving could benefit it. And since this is a widely accepted project, you could take advantage of this increase.
Ethereum: the eternal war with the original project
We call Bitcoin the original project not because it was the first existing digital currency, but because it represented the opening of doors to this broad, complex universe with a notable market value, in addition to being, of course, to date the cryptocurrency with the highest capitalization. .
However, the second place occupied by Ethereum is not problematic, taking into account that the blockchain network is the basis of countless projects and represents a relevant part of decentralized finance (DeFi).
In 2024, Ethereum has already seen its price grow by more than 30%:
Again, we see a smaller percentage growth when compared to Bitcoin. In any case, what motivates keeping an eye on Ethereum as an altcoin with growth potential that can surpass Bitcoin in 2024 is the fact that, as the second largest cryptocurrency in existence, it has a multitude of projects in its network and is a piece fundamental of the DeFi ecosystem.
In this gold rush, we could have a big shovel seller in Ethereum.
And you, what other projects do you think can surpass Bitcoin in 2024?
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Image by myriammira on Freepik
