1) Ripple
If you’re willing to put in some work and learn, ripple might be an option. It was created by Ryan Fugger, founder of Silk Road (the most popular dark web marketplace that got shut down by U.S. law enforcement), who wanted to develop a system where transactions were almost instant and fees weren’t all that high.
2) Ethereum
Launched in 2015, Ethereum is an open-source blockchain-based computing platform that supports smart contracts and provides a decentralized virtual machine. It allows developers to create decentralized applications on top of it, run ICOs/ITOs and help avoid data manipulation.
3) Litecoin
Litecoin is one of the oldest cryptocurrencies out there, first created and traded on October 7th, 2011. It’s based on an open-source global payment network that uses the script as a proof of work, meaning it requires memory (RAM) to solve algorithmic calculations rather than raw processing power, making it more accessible and affordable for users with less powerful computers.
4) NEO
NEO, formerly known as AntShares, is China’s first-ever open-source blockchain. Its use of smart contracts and difference from other cryptocurrencies have earned it an enthusiastic and loyal following. However, its future value will be determined by how much support it gets from developers and users alike. It also needs more apps on its platform if it wants to compete with Ethereum (the most popular cryptocurrency).
5) NEM
NEM is one of those cryptocurrencies. One of its distinct advantages is that it’s 100% Proof-of-Stake, meaning it’s entirely mineable, so you never have to worry about electricity bills or hardware costs, making it more environmentally friendly than PoW. This all adds up to a great potential return on investment, since you can mine XEM relatively cheaply and still receive at least 5% interest on your holdings.
6) Cardano
Cardano is one of these projects. It’s only been around since 2017, and it’s already got a market cap of over $5 billion—which is impressive considering that no cryptocurrency has come close to dethroning Bitcoin as king of digital assets.
7) Stellar Lumens
Stellar is an open-source, decentralized protocol for digital currency to fiat transactions. For example, you can use Stellar Lumens (XLM) tokens to transfer money from your account to another person’s account quickly and efficiently. You can also exchange Stellar Lumens with Bitcoin, EUR, or USD. Many banks are using Stellar as a bridge technology that provides low-cost access between various currencies and payment systems on either side of any transaction.
8) IOTA
IOTA is designed as an Internet of Things (IoT) cryptocurrency, with each IOTA valued at 1/1000th of a MIOTA. It’s designed to be used on smart devices that interact with one another. This is important because it makes micro-transactions possible; if it takes less than $1 to send data from one device to another, you can see how machine-to-machine commerce becomes more efficient.
9) Dash
Dash is a privacy-centric digital currency with instant transactions. It is based on the Bitcoin software, but it has a two-tier network that improves it. Dash allows you to remain anonymous while you make transactions, similar to cash.
10) Monero
First developed in 2014 and marketed as secure, private, and untraceable, Monero is an anonymous cryptocurrency with a strong focus on decentralization. Unlike some cryptocurrencies that use SHA-256d PoW (e.g., Bitcoin), Monero uses the CryptoNight Proof of Work algorithm, which makes it easier to mine on consumer-grade hardware like CPUs and GPUs.
