How often do you regret wishing you had bought bitcoin a decade ago? This regret influenced creators and traders to search for the next bitcoin. The growth of bitcoin led many other crypto coins to join the market. All these crypto coins, excluding bitcoin, are known as altcoins.
The altcoins are connected with the trend of bitcoins. The rise and dip of bitcoins are directly proportional to the trend of altcoins. But altcoins are more volatile than bitcoins. Experts also picked some altcoins with outstanding past performance and future predictions.
The end of 2021 showed some drastic changes in the values of crypto coins. Bitcoin achieved 93% growth, and on the other hand, altcoin like Ethereum gained a massive 510% rise. Experts picked such top coins, which are potent enough to show consistent growth. Let’s get into the details.
What Are Altcoins?
Bitcoin is the first thing that comes into our minds when discussing cryptocurrency. After the launch of bitcoin, the term cryptocurrency only belongs to this particular coin. As bitcoin gained popularity and growth, several new coins arrived.
A new term was coined to differentiate all these coins, Bitcoin alternatives. They are known as Altcoins. The first altcoin was launched in the year 2011 as Namecoin. After a short gap, many names were listed under altcoins. A report presented by Investopedia claimed to have more than, 14000 altcoins by the end of 2021.
The technicalities of both Bitcoin and altcoin are comparable. They both have computer-processed transactions and data systems. They also have the involvement of a peer-to-peer model.
Many altcoins used the PoS consensus method, which is more efficient in energy conservation and takes less time, unlike PoW. Altcoins take impressive steps to provide tough competition for bitcoins. They are successful in identifying the shortcomings of bitcoin and finding better solutions.
The altcoin family has varieties according to their functionalities and utility. They are stablecoins, security tokens, utility tokens, mining-based coins, and meme coins. The number of altcoins is doubling year after year.
Altcoins diversify the crypto market with a pocket full of instability. Every new coin comes with the hope of enormous profit, but very few can achieve the height like Ethereum. Many incidents of the past are connected to verify this fact.
How To Buy Altcoins?
Altcoins are getting saturated in the market. The increasing number of coins also makes it difficult for new traders to select and buy them. One should follow specific steps to end with a smooth and satisfying purchase. Following are the steps:
1. Select an altcoin
Out of a vast set of altcoins, you have selected a coin showing good performance from the past couple of times. One can do some research to know the future predictions made by experts over certain coins. Deciding on a currency is the first and foremost step.
2. Select an exchange platform
It is the most crucial step, where you have selected a platform to make your purchase. One has to look over the crypto exchange platform which listed the desired altcoin. The platform must be secure and safe in crypto environments. Currency pair is also an essential factor that allows buying altcoins in exchange for other crypto coins or fiat money. You can check all these facts before registering into a platform.
3. Final purchase
Initially, you have to recharge your wallet to start the purchase. Buying altcoins with fiat money is relatively easier than exchanging it with other crypto coins. But you can perform any mode you like to purchase the coins. Some crypto exchanges have minute variations in their buying methods, but they also provide buying guides for reference.
Top 7 Altcoins You Should Buy
Ethereum (ETH)
Holding its place among the top well-known altcoins, Ethereum has experienced massive growth in its value since its launch in 2015. Experts predict that there are higher chances of Ethereum increasing its value by about 400% in 2022.
The advantages of investing in Ethereum are:
- Ethereum network is a gateway to countless virtual opportunities.
- Due to the massive growth and the explosion of trading platforms and online exchanges, Ethereum turns out to be among the list of most liquid investment assets.
- The inflation plan of Ethereum is transparent, as it doesn’t cover any government regulations. Moreover, due to the endless blockchain system, deflation risks are pretty minimal.
- Ethereum is paving the path to new developments connecting individuals and businesses globally. The immense popularity of Ethereum is due to its “smart contracts.”
- Ethereum is decentralized, which promises future success.
- The technology and aim behind the launch of Ethereum are much different. Unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum has other uses, such as smart contracts.
- The supply of Ethereum isn’t capped.
However, there are downsides to investing in Ethereum too. The cons of buying Ethereum among all altcoins are:
- Ethereum serves to be a ledger, thus having various functions. Its multiple functionalities increase the chances of hacks, bugs, and other vulnerabilities.
- Ethereum has its programming language, i.e., Solidity, which is complicated and barely has any beginner-friendly tutorials.
- As the supply of Ethereum is not capped, the devaluation of old Ethereum upon mining of the old ones is high.
- The transactions are limited and come with gas fees, which may be frustrating for some investors.
Solana (SOL)
Solana (SOL), also famous as an Ethereum-killer, is another innovative contract blockchain, with SOL as its native token. The technology of Solana is cheaper and relatively faster in comparison to that of Ethereum. Experts predict that there are higher chances of Solana increasing its value by about 115% in 2022.
The advantages of investing in Solana are:
- Solana solves scalability problems by increasing its number of possible transactions to 50,000 tsp.
- Solana is censorship-resistant and has no centralized control, which lets the users make global transactions within no time. Moreover, there are no chances of blocking and confiscation of transactions.
- Solana has its own NFT marketplace, Solanart, which promises faster transactions with significantly low fees.
- Solana, unlike Bitcoin, has POS (Proof of stake). Due to the POS and consensus mechanisms, Solana doesn’t have the requirements of any mining. It makes it a greener alternative to Bitcoin.
- Users can stake Solana and grab exciting rewards.
- Users don’t need to worry about layer-2 systems and numerous shards with Solana.
The cons of buying Solana among all altcoins are:
- As Solana is relatively new, it has only 350 projects, about 10% of Ethereum.
- The network of Solana comprises 1,000 validators, which suggest that it’s not too decentralized.
SushiSwap (SUSHI)
SushiSwap, launched in 2020, is an AMM cryptocurrency platform and a centralized exchange. It’s designed to promote centralization, which makes it more flexible. The ecosystem of SushiSwap is food-themed, with Sushi as its native token. Sushi is predicted to touch the $130 mark by the end of 2026.
The advantages of investing in Sushi are:
- SushiSwap returns most of its fees and profits to the community, thereby letting liquidity providers grab huge rewards.
- As Sushi aims towards uplifting centralization, it’s less likely to get hacked.
- SushiSwap has about, 1146 trading pairs and a community of 150k people within less than two years.
- SushiSwap promotes many opportunities for passive income.
- Sushi is a utility token and the fifth-largest DEX in trade volume.
- The platform has a token vault and intelligent contract named BentoBox, wherein users can deposit tokens and earn more tokens.
- Sushi provides a unique and secure model and a robust earning opportunity, which is why you should invest in it.
The cons of buying Sushi among all altcoins are:
- Sushi has higher price volatility, which creates enormous gains and risks of heavy losses simultaneously.
Binance Coin (BNB)
Binance Coin (BNB), launched in 2017, is a digital currency created to reduce the commissions charged on operations carried out on the platform. It’s an ERC-20 token running within an Ethereum blockchain. As it is one of the most successful cryptocurrencies, investors should invest in it. However, long-term investment is beneficial because the coin is prone to volatility.
The advantages of investing in Binance Coin are:
- Binance Coin is the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange brainchild, thus ensuring reliability and immense reputation.
- The coin has its utility on most other cryptocurrency exchanges and, thus, can be used in trading.
- The transactions are quick, with the fees set at 0.1 percent for all users.
- The coin has a unique burn down policy that helps Binance regulate the coin’s stability, thereby promising continuous growth.
- Binance Coin serves as a perfect utility token. Besides transactions, users can even invest in it and make other online purchases.
- The fees charged in the coin are relatively low, making it ideal for the construction of systems in the absence of central control.
The cons of buying Binance Coin among all altcoins are:
- As the coin has been developed recently, some experts question its permanent existence and stability.
- As Binance creates it, the coin has no reputation of its own. Thus, without Binance, the currency’s value, popularity, and importance would diminish drastically.
- Owing to its immense reputation, it becomes more prone to cyber-attacks.
Chainlink (LINK)
Chainlink, launched in 2017, is a decentralized oracle network that was created to improve the interconnection between intelligent contracts. The native token of Chainlink is the LINK token that users can use during transactions with node operators.
The advantages of investing in Chainlink are:
- Besides being an innovative contract platform, Chainlink is also a blockchain system.
- Chainlink allows and promotes the further development of the blockchain world.
- Since its launch, Chainlink’s growth has been immensely appreciated by investors, thereby assuring better future performance.
- Chainlink facilitates interaction between off-chain data and smart contracts. The exchange is even secure and safe.
- Chainlink also has partnerships with other 150 reputed companies such as Google Cloud.
- Just like current financial agreements, Chainlink offers more advanced smart contracts.
- Chainlink offers the unique service of being a bridge between off-chain and on-chain systems.
- As the total supply of LINK tokens is limited to 1 billion, its value will increase with passing the time.
The cons of buying Chainlink among all altcoins are:
- The network of oracles is still limited, with 60% of supplies with the parent company, thus making it more decentralized.
- As the LINK token becomes useful only while dealing with oracle operators, experts question whether it’s a vital ecosystem component.
Shiba Inu (SHIB)
Shiba Inu, created in 2020, resembles Dogecoin and is a decentralized cryptocurrency. It’s also known to be among the top skyrocketing altcoins.
The advantages of investing in Shiba Inu are:
- Shiba Inu is a member of the Shiba ecosystem and has a decentralized exchange, i.e., ShibaSwap, wherein users get rewards on staking crypto.
- As SHIB is reasonably cost-effective, investors predict that its time will double like other big cryptos in less time.
- Shiba Inu has its own ShibaSwap and DEX, which facilitate its functioning, thus letting users earn rewards.
- The native token of Shiba Inu, SHIB, refers to an ERC 20 token running on the Ethereum blockchain. It differentiates SHIB from its other competitor, dog-themed coins.
- As Shiba Inu has a vast loyal community, its supporters demand its presence on Robinhood, a popular trading application.
The cons of buying Shiba Inu among all altcoins are:
- Shiba Inu is highly volatile, and its value may rise and fall instantly.
- Shiba Inu has no utility for investors of the natural world and is accepted for payments only by 100 vendors.
- The supply of SHIB is one quadrillion coins, reducing the possible chances of price appreciation.
- Shiba Inu is not owned by Elon Musk, for which investors may step back.
Polygon (MATIC)
Polygon (MATIC), also famous as Matic Network, is a well-organized and structured second layer solution to Ethereum. With the advanced technology of the Plasma framework, users can quickly run decentralized applications and work for infrastructural development too.
The advantages of investing in Shiba Inu are:
- The framework of Polygon is quite innovative, unique, and flexible, thus letting developers evolve their scaling solutions without any developmental challenges.
- Polygon offers high speeds despite being decentralized, making it preferable to applications based on Ethereum.
- Polygon has low gas fees and quicker block time. It’s why most projects are adopting it.
- Polygon has a ‘security service wherein users can quickly develop independent networks and protocols.
- Polygon is developer-friendly, which is one of its top advantages.
The cons of buying Shiba Inu among all altcoins are:
- The ecosystem of Polygon is dependent on Ethereum.
- Some scaling solutions of Polygon are still under development.
Final Takeaway
Undoubtedly, the saturation of altcoins creates difficulty for the new investors. It is hard which coin one should select and trust. However, many altcoins show consistent growth with stable portfolios. Coins like Ethereum build a significant trust among altcoins.
One can select altcoin according to their types. For example, meme coins get hyped rapidly. But these coins fall easily once they lose popularity. It is not the case with stablecoins and utility tokens. After studying the detailed analysis of long past track records, one should invest in crypto.
It is impressive to see the attempts of altcoins to bring changes in them. They study the drawbacks of big coins and come up with better alternatives. This competition will bring good changes to the crypto trading experience. It will be interesting to see the futuristic approach of all altcoins and what they will achieve after a decade.