Since Bitcoin emerged in 2009, interest in cryptocurrency has grown, and the variety on offer has exploded. There are now over 10,000 different crypto coins and tokens circulating, and every day, it seems there’s a new not-to-be-missed investment opportunity.
Sadly, most of these are nothing but pump and dump schemes used by scammers to dupe the uneducated. However, along with Bitcoin, some cryptos have gained respect and recognition.
So, what are the best cryptocurrencies to look out for in the second half of 2021?
It’s still unchartered territory, and when it comes to crypto investing, there are no guarantees, but the following seven top crypto picks are hot tickets in 2021.
Read on to discover what’s to like about these crypto favorites.
Check out our handy ‘What Is..?’ guide to cryptocurrency
Bitcoin ($BTC)
Bitcoin is the mother of all cryptocurrencies. It was invented by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto and has garnered cult status and a place in the history books for eternity.
Bitcoin runs on a blockchain, which is a digital ledger advocating transparency and accountability. Transactions can take place anywhere in the world, creating a 24/7 network decentralized from the control of any single government or nation.
Whenever a BTC is bought or sold, the transaction is verified on the blockchain by solving a cryptographic puzzle. This process is known as proof of work and is designed to be a safe and secure way of transacting.
At the time of writing, the following is correct:
Bitcoin Price: $46,155
Market cap: $868bn
24hr Volume: $31bn
Circulating supply: 18.7m
Six-month performance:
It seems the world is divided into bitcoin bulls and bears. In fact, it has a group of staunch supporters that believe Bitcoin is the future of money.
#Bitcoin is the Future of Money. https://t.co/3jzdlgZcdm
— Michael Saylor⚡️ (@michael_saylor) August 13, 2021
Michael Saylor believes #Bitcoin is the Future of Money.
Over the past six months, Bitcoin has been on a roller-coaster ride and is down 2.7% in this time. During this period, it has seen a high of $64,863 on April 14 and a low of $28,893 in July. This illustrates its volatile nature and why crypto trading is a risky endeavor.
Ethereum ($ETH)
Ethereum is a close competitor of Bitcoin despite being much newer. It was invented by Vitalik Buterin in 2013 and went live in 2015.
Ethereum is a cross between a cryptocurrency and a blockchain platform on which other developers can run applications. These include smart contracts and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), aka digital art.
At the time of writing, the following is correct:
Ethereum Price: $3,211
Market cap: $376bn
24hr Volume: $24bn
Circulating supply: 117m
Six-month performance:
Just as some believe Bitcoin is the future of money, another group sees Ethereum as the superior crypto set to flip its status as the number one digital coin.
Indeed, it’s been fuelled by momentum in recent weeks and has been on an upward trajectory since July 20.
Like Bitcoin, the price of Ethereum has been extremely volatile over the past six months. It reached an all-time high of $4,362 in May and a low of $1,361 in February.
Cardano ($ADA)
The Cardano platform was designed to be a highly scalable and interoperable blockchain. It has embraced proof-of-stake validation, which has the added benefits of decreasing energy usage and environmental impact thanks to eliminating competitive transaction processing – something that Bitcoin currently does through mining.
Like Ethereum, Cardano also enables smart contracts by using ADA as its native coin for all transactions on the network.
At the time of writing, the following is correct:
Cardano Price: $1.97
Market cap: $63bn
24hr Volume: $6.1bn
Circulating supply: 32bn
Six-month performance:
The Cardano price has fluctuated over the past six months but slightly less so than Bitcoin and Ethereum. It’s up 132% during this period and reached an all-time high of $2.46 in May.
The ADA token made a triumphant return to the $2 mark on Friday 13 August as weekly gains topped 50%. Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed ADA/USD quickly shooting higher on Friday after overcoming heavy resistance. At the time of writing, the pair circled $2.08 and was continuing to climb, gaining an impressive 25 cents overnight for its highest price since May when China’s mining shakeout began.
Ripple ($XRP)
XRP was founded by the same team that created digital technology and payment processing company, Ripple. The team wanted to create an alternative currency that could be used around the world. With speed as one of its main priorities for users worldwide, it is no surprise this new cryptocurrency has grown exponentially in price since launching at $0.006 on January 1st, 2017!
XRP’s all-time high came four years ago in the crypto mania of early 2018 when it hit $3.84.
At the time of writing, the following is correct:
Ripple Price: $1.04
Market cap: $48m
24hr Volume: $6.7bn
Circulating supply: 46bn
Six-month performance:
In the past six months, XRP has risen 66% in value. It rallied to a high of $1.96 in April, only to plummet 73% by July. But since then, it has risen and is among the top-performing cryptos of the month, with a 63% price rise.
Ripple Labs Inc. has not slowed down in its quest to succeed. That’s despite being involved in a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), claiming that Ripple Lab’s sale of XRP as unregistered security violated investor-protection laws. Recently, GME Remittance announced it had joined RippleNet, one of many recent deals helping this company be on top once again!
Dogecoin ($DOGE)
In an era of digital asset investment, Dogecoin has been one of the most interesting and fun developments. This Shibu Inu branded cryptocurrency began as a joke in 2013. But it rapidly rose to prominence thanks to its dedicated community that spread creative Dogecoin memes like wildfire.
While Bitcoin limits coin supply at 21m coins per reward halving event, Dogecoin supply has no limit. This leaves the cryptocurrency susceptible to devaluation over time if more coins are brought into circulation without any corresponding increase in value or demand.
Thanks mainly to investors looking for something “fun” after experiencing volatility with bitcoin prices dropping below $10K last year (in December), Dogecoin saw an insane 159,900% price growth by June 2021 from $0.0002 four years prior in 2017.
At the time of writing, the following is correct:
Dogecoin Price: $0.27
Market cap: $36bn
24hr Volume: $3.8bn
Circulating supply: 130bn
Six-month performance:
Thanks to celebrity CEO Elon Musk pumping the coin, its value rose to an all-time high of $0.73 in May. Since then its fallen 63%, but it has been climbing again and is up 58% from the end of July. Dogecoin is very much a speculative asset because it has no real-world use.
Tether ($USDT)
Tether is a cryptocurrency created to serve as an alternative to fiat currencies like US dollars and Euros, but instead of more volatile cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.
USDT gives investors a level of confidence when trading on exchanges to avoid some degree of volatility during trades because it’s backed by the US dollar rather than relying on other factors like supply and demand.
At the time of writing, the following is correct:
Tether Price: $1
Market cap: $62bn
24hr Volume: $74bn
Circulating supply: 62.9bn
Six-month performance:
As its price is pegged to the dollar, it shouldn’t fluctuate as other crypto’s do. Therefore Tether has remained steady over the past six months.
Binance Coin ($BNB)
The Binance Coin is a form of cryptocurrency that you can use to trade and pay fees on its namesake Binance, one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world.
Since its launch, Binance Coin has expanded past simply facilitating trades for trading, payment processing, or even booking travel arrangements.
It’s now possible to exchange this coin with other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum or Bitcoin. And because there are only 200m Binance Coins available, demand continues growing as they become scarce.
The price at inception was $0.10, but it’s since risen 403,899% to $404 per token!
At the time of writing, the following is correct:
Binance Coin Price: $404
Market cap: $67bn
24hr Volume: $1.7bn
Circulating supply: 168m
Six-month performance:
Binance Coin reached an all-time high of $690 in May; it has since slipped 41%.
Unfortunately, Binance is under increasing pressure from regulatory institutions and authorities. Binance’s major global exchange, Binance.com, has faced intense scrutiny this year from regulators in the UK, Germany, Japan, and Hong Kong over concerns around lax consumer protection and anti-money laundering practices.
In response to these concerns, they have changed their business model to include improving procedures. It seeks to become a regulated financial institution and plans to set up several regional headquarters worldwide, seeking licenses wherever they are available.
Company officials are confident that the new regulation changes will be a significant step forward for crypto markets which so far haven’t been able to legitimize themselves as an alternative investment option. This is partly due to fraud-related incidents such as Mt Gox and hacks, which are increasingly prevalent.
Crypto goes mainstream
The world of cryptocurrency can be a toxic one. There’s lots of rivalry and differing opinions between the various currencies and between crypto and fiat supporters. This view of the landscape taints its credibility and repels individuals from investing.
However, it has become a force to be reckoned with and is likely to be here to stay in some shape or form. Many established companies and institutions have boarded the crypto train in the past six months, and this is likely to continue.
However, there’s also increasing pressure on governments to regulate the industry. President Biden’s recent infrastructure bill seeks to bring more transparency to crypto trading in a bid to raise more taxes.
Being so new, these various crypto investments make for an exciting investment opportunity. But investors need to be aware of the pitfalls and the tax implications in their region.
Alternatively, investors can buy shares in a crypto exchange such as Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) or a crypto mining firm like Riot Blockchain (NASDAQ: RIOT).
Then there are mainstream companies like Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Square (NYSE: SQ), which have put Bitcoin on their balance sheets giving shareholders a round-about way of owning crypto too.