1. Bitcoin (BTC)
Bitcoin is the most popular, liquid, and stable cryptocurrency with a history of growth and a payment network. It was created in 2009 by an unknown person or group using the alias Satoshi Nakamoto. The first known Bitcoin transaction was in 2010 when someone bought two pizzas for 10,000 BTC. At today’s prices, those pizzas would be worth over $200 million! By early 2013 Bitcoin had reached $20 and began receiving significant media attention. It crossed $100 by the end of 2013 and as of Aug. 1, 2023, a single Bitcoin’s price was around $28,865. That’s a growth of 5,673%.
2. Ethereum (ETH)
Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain featuring smart contract functionality. it is Launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and is the second-largest cryptocurrency platform behind Bitcoin.
Ethereum launched in July 2015 with an initial price around $0.30 per Ether token (ETH). From April 2016 to the end of August 2023, its price went from about $11 to around $1,832, increasing 16,555%.
3. Tether (USDT)
Tether (USDT) is a popular stablecoin cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to the U.S. dollar. It was launched in 2014 as RealCoin and rebranded to Tether in 2016. The goal is to provide a stable digital currency backed by dollar reserves. Tether converts cash into digital currency, so 1 USDT is always supposed to equal 1 U.S. dollar. This allows users to avoid volatility typical of cryptocurrencies. Tether has become one of the most widely used stablecoins, with a market capitalization around $70 billion as of August 2022.
4. Binance Coin (BNB)
Binance Coin (BNB) is the native cryptocurrency of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange platform. It was launched in July 2017 after one of the most successful ICOs (initial coin offerings) at the time, raising $15 million. As Binance grew quickly into the largest crypto exchange globally, BNB’s price rallied, reaching $10 by mid-2018. In February 2021, BNB hit $300 at peak. It trades around $280 as of August 2022, up over 200,000% from its ICO price. BNB hit an all-time high above $690 in May 2021 and has a market cap of over $45 billion, making it a top 10 cryptocurrency.
5. XRP (XRP)
XRP is a cryptocurrency developed by the company Ripple Labs. It was launched in 2012 with the symbol XRP and acts as a bridge currency to facilitate transactions between different fiat currencies. XRP is built for speed, able to process 1,500 transactions per second, and settles in 3-5 seconds. XRP traded below $0.01 for most of its early years up until 2017. As of August 2022, XRP trades around $0.35, up significantly from early years but far below its all-time high.
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