Top 10 Most Popular Cryptocurrencies in 2022 So Far

The most popular are usually the ones with the highest market cap. Of course, people already know about them, and that’s why they’re in them. This market cap is usually over $10 billion. That’s how much capital investors have pumped into the crypto asset in the market. You can get the market cap by multiplying the unit price of the coin now by its supply in circulation. But this is not a math class. And before I bore you with all the statistical details, let’s dive right into the top 10 most popular cryptocurrencies in 2022.

1. Bitcoin (BTC)

If we’re going by market cap, you can already guess that Bitcoin comes on top of our list. Even besides that, Bitcoin owes a lot of its popularity to the fact that it was the first cryptocurrency. It was created in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto as the first money without any central authority. The first fully decentralised system and the first successful application of blockchain technology. Sounds like a superstar to me. And indeed, it is.

A total supply of 21 million has been programmed for circulation, but 18.9 million is now in circulation. Today, one Bitcoin is worth $42,557.00. It has a market cap of $801.7 billion with a trading volume of $29.1 billion. A similar asset to Bitcoin is Litecoin.

2. Ethereum (ETH)

 The second most popular cryptocurrency so far is Ether (ETH). If Bitcoin was the first payment blockchain, Ethereum was the first smart contract network. It was launched in July 2019 to support decentralised applications and smart contracts. Although it runs on a proof-of-work algorithm now, the Eth2 upgrade will feature a proof-of-stake mining model.

 ETH fuels the blockchain asides from serving as a currency. Today, ETH costs $3,301.70 and has a market cap of $394.4 billion. It has an uncapped supply with around 119.2 million ethers in circulation now. It is listed on most exchanges.

3. Binance Coin (BNB)

 The third most popular coin is the native token of the Binance exchange. It was created using the ERC-20 standard. BNB is a utility token for settling trading, listing, exchange, and other fees on the Binance ecosystem.

 BNB was introduced in July 2017 with an ICO that lasted for a month. Out of the 200 million total supply, 31.8 million has been burnt as a deflationary mechanism. BNB costs $483.43 right now. It has a market cap of $80.9 billion.

4. Tether (USDT)

 Tether is the first and one of the most popular stablecoins. It has a market cap of $78.7 billion, with a trading volume of $56.4 billion. In July 2018, it peaked at $1.32. It is worth $1.00 right now.

 It was launched in 2014 as RealCoin and started trading in February 2015. Tether is not highly volatile like most cryptocurrencies as it is pegged to USD. Also, it eliminates transaction costs and makes trade execution fast. It is listed on numerous exchanges.

5. Solana (SOL)

 The „Ethereum Killer“ was developed by Anatoly Yakovenko in 2017 as a fast, scalable, and secure platform. It can support the creation of decentralised applications, NFT marketplaces, DeFi, and the likes. The blockchain operates on proof-of-stake and proof-of-history consensus algorithms. Its native coin (SOL) has a market cap of $46.06 billion.

 SOL reached an ATH of $259.96 in November 2021. Today, it is trading at $146.10 per SOL. 313.5 million sols are in circulation right now. It is used as a governance token to settle transaction costs and staking.

 It is listed on Huobi Global, KuCoin, Coinbase Exchange, and Binance.

6. USD Coin (USDC)

 USD Coin is the second most popular stablecoin after USDT. It was launched in 2018 by CENTRE and is pegged to USD also. Initially, it was an ERC-20 token but is now on Algorand ASA, Solana SPL, and Stellar. It can be traded, held, or used in dApps and DeFi.

 It is worth $1.00 right now, but it peaked at $1.17 in May 2019. It has a market cap of $45.1 billion and a trading volume of $2.7 billion. There are 45.1 billion available in circulation currently. It is on DEXs and CEXs.

7. Cardano (ADA)

 Cardano’s native coin (ADA) is the 7th most popular coin with a market cap of $40.56 billion today. It costs $1.27 now after dropping by 59% from an ATH of $3.09 in September 2021. ADA allows users of the Cardano blockchain to perform transactions and participate in governance on the network. It can also be staked.

 Cardano is the first blockchain to use the Ouroboros consensus algorithm. It was developed in 2017 by Charles Hoskinson and Jeremy Wood. It supports the development of dApps with its ledger and smart contracts. The blockchain has two cores, the settlement and computational layers, which aid its operations.

8. Ripple (XRP)

 Like BTC, XRP was created for settling payments. It is the native token of the XRP Ledger and other services by the Ripple Labs. Unlike most blockchains, validation is somewhat centralised on Ripple. It has a list of nodes where users can validate their transactions.

 XRP is used to run trades on the XRP Ledger. It is worth $0.77 today, with a market cap of $36.9 billion now. It reached an ATH of $3.40 in January 2018. There are 47.6 billion of the pre-mined 100 billion in circulation right now.

9. Polkadot (DOT)

 Polkadot was created in 2016 and launched in May 2020 by Robert Habermeier, Peter Czaban, and Gavin Wood. It boasts of security, scalability, and decentralisation. It operates on a Nominated-Proof-of-Stake (NPoS) consensus mechanism.

 DOT is its native cryptocurrency. It can be traded, staked, and used as a governance token. The price of DOT is $26.28 right now but reached an ATH of $54.98 in November 2021. It has a market cap of $29.4 billion.

10. Terra (LUNA)

Terra is a blockchain that supports the creation of stablecoins. They can be traded and exchanged on the ecosystem or various exchanges. Terraform Labs created it. It runs on Tendermint Delegated-Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) consensus algorithm.

 The ecosystem consists of CHAI, Anchor Protocol, Terra Bridge, and Mirror Protocol. LUNA is its native token for making stablecoins stable. The total supply of LUNA is less than a billion. LUNA costs $80.47 as of today and has a market cap of $28.9 billion.

 If you are looking for stable cryptocurrencies to invest in, these ten coins are your best bet. They have high market caps and more security benefits. However, don’t take my word for it. Make sure to do in-depth research and average your spending before investing in any cryptocurrency.

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The best Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solutions to buy right now

Ethereum (ETH) is the biggest blockchain in the world. However, it faces massive scaling challenges that have made it slower and more expensive to use. Because of this, layer 2 scaling solutions for Ethereum have been created in a bid to enhance efficiency and speed on the Ethereum chain. Although some like Polygon (MATIC) and Loopring (LRC) are quite popular, others are relatively unknown. But why are these solutions important:

  • Layer 2 scaling solutions for Ethereum are designed to address some of the inefficiencies associated with the Ethereum chain.

  • Over the last few years, these solutions have reported incredible growth in their own right.

  • Innovations around scaling for Ethereum are going to become huge as Ethereum expands as the leading blockchain.

Well, if you are thinking of investing in some of these solutions, here are a few relatively unknown projects that you can check out.

Cartesi (CTSI)

Cartesi (CTSI) touts itself as the first Operating System on the blockchain. It is a layer 2 solution designed to help developers take advantage of standard programming languages like Linux inside the blockchain ecosystem. 

Data source: Tradingview.com 

Cartesi (CTSI) offers rich software tools and services to help create innovative and highly scalable smart contracts. At the time of writing, the token was trading at $0.6231 with a market cap of $275 million.

OMG Network (OMG)

OMG Network (OMG) is a layer 2 optimistic roll upscaling solution designed to enhance efficiency and reduce fees for users. The platform enhances smart contract capabilities too and is known to offer users the chance to transfer ETH and ERC20 tokens faster and more efficiently compared to Ethereum. 

OMG Network is one of the most promising layer 2 scaling solutions for the Ethereum chain. At the time of writing, OMG, its native token, was trading at $6.11. The project has a market cap of around $857 million.

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Dusk Network (DUSK) Surges Over 70% In the Last 7 Days – Time to Buy?

Dusk Network (DUSK) has been one of the best crypto performers over the last week or so. The token has seen massive surges and is expected to maintain some of this momentum in the coming days. But is DUSK a worthy buy in the long run? Is this the perfect time to get in? The analysis is below but first some highlights:

  • The Dusk Network (DUSK) has seen gains of nearly 70% over the last 7 days, making it one of the best performers in crypto right now.

  • At the time of reporting, the token was trading at around $1.05, up about 8% in 24 hours

  • DUSK also saw surges in its trading volume, increasing by over 60% in 24 hours.

Data Source: Tradingview

Dusk Network (DUSK) – price prediction and analysis

It’s been a superb 7 days for Dusk Network (DUSK). After falling behind for the most part of January, the token is rebounding sharply, earning nearly 70% in value over the last week. DUSK has also managed to surge past the crucial psychological threshold of $1. 

At the time of writing, the coin was trading at $1.05, up about 8% in intraday trading. DUSK also has a reported market cap of about $404 million. There is therefore quite some potential for it to grow further albeit it is still outside the top 100 cryptos.

Is it a good time to buy Dusk Network (DUSK)?

Dusk Network is a programmable blockchain for confidential securities. It is designed to offer privacy and speed for financial applications, making it a very unique protocol in the DeFi space.

DUSK also has a scalable public infrastructure and offers the highest levels of privacy. With these incredible features, it is expected to be big no doubt. If you have not bought into it already, it’s time to get in albeit the price is quite high at the moment.

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Moonbeam (GLMR) loses nearly 15% in 24 hours despite launching on Polkadot – Should you buy it?

Moonbeam (GLMR) launch on Polkadot (DOT) was a much-publicised affair. In fact, the project was one of the key beneficiaries of Polkadot’s parachain auction. Moonbeam (GLMR) also became the first fully operational parachain running successfully on the Polkadot ecosystem. But despite this, the news did not reflect on the price and here is why:

  • At the time of writing, Moonbeam (GLMR) was trading at $10.42, down nearly 13% in 24-hour intraday trading.

  • The launch on Polkadot is seen as a crucial move in accelerating Moonbeam (GLMR) and its growth.

  • But so far, it seems investors are still jittery as wider sentiment in the crypto market remains sluggish.

Data Source: Coinmarketcap.com 

Moonbeam (GLMR) – Price action and prediction

Moonbeam (GLMR) has seen some volatility in the last few days. The token has oscillated between slumps of 10% and 15% over the last 24 hours. This comes as a huge surprise since the launch on Polkadot was a big deal.

However, Moonbeam (GLMR) could be feeling the pressure as a result of broader headwinds in the market. At the time of writing, the token was trading at around $10.38 with daily lows of $9.75. 

Moonbeam (GLMR) also had a market capitalization of around $790 million. It is unlikely that this downtrend is long term. We expect the GLMR price to turn the corner in the coming days.

Should you buy Moonbeam (GLMR)?

Moonbeam (GLMR) is a smart contracts platform that runs on Polkadot. It is in fact the main smart contract parachain in the ecosystem. In December last year, Moonbeam raised nearly $950 million for a parachain slot on the Polkadot ecosystem. 

The money was raised through crowdfunding, suggesting there is a lot of confidence in the project among crypto investors. So, for folks looking for long term coins with decent underlying fundamentals, this is it.

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Fantom (FTM) hits new all-time highs – Is it the right time to buy?

Fantom (FTM) has been surging over the last few days. The Ethereum competitor in fact managed to cross above $3.4, hitting an all-time high in the process. But is it the right time to buy Fantom? How far can this uptrend momentum go in the near and long term? Here are some highlights:

  • Fantom (FTM) has outperformed almost all major cryptos, gaining a whopping 35% over the past week.

  • The token did fall slightly from its all-time high and was trading at $3.22 at the time of writing.

  • Total Value locked on Fantom (FTM) has surged to $7.75 billion, a 26% jump over 7 days.

Data Source: Tradingview.com 

Fantom (FTM) – Price action and prediction

Fantom (FTM) has often been described as an underrated project that is going to surprise many. Despite a slow start in 2022, the altcoin has held steady and is now charting an upward trajectory. 

Weekly gains stand at 35%, the best in the entire market. But it is the total value locked or TVL that is attracting a lot of interest. Last week, Fantom’s TVL rose to $7.7 billion, a 26% increase over 7 days. This was one of the key drivers of the price action this week. 

We expect Fantom (FTM) to maintain this trajectory. Although the token has slightly fallen from its $3.4 all-time high, it will retest that threshold in the coming days.

Should you buy Fantom (FTM)

For the last months, Fantom (FTM) has ranked as one of the fastest-growing crypto assets in the market. If you are looking for a decent Ethereum alternative with superb underlying fundamentals, then Fantom (FTM) is a decent option. 

As for folks who want a short term play, maybe ride the bullish uptrend. In fact, over the last few days, people who have tried to bet against FTM have been burned, so it may not be a good idea.

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