Discover the Top 20 Altcoins for Your Portfolio

If you're looking to diversify your cryptocurrency portfolio, you're in the right place. We've got the inside scoop on the top 20 altcoins to consider.

Polkadot, for instance, has gained significant traction with its interoperability features, allowing different blockchain networks to seamlessly interact with each other. This has made it a top contender among investors.

Cardano's focus on proof-of-stake consensus and smart contract functionality has earned it a spot among the top altcoins. Its scalability and security features make it an attractive choice for developers.

In addition to Polkadot and Cardano, other notable altcoins include Solana, Cosmos, and Binance Smart Chain. These projects have made significant strides in their respective areas of innovation.

Altcoins have come a long way since Namecoin, the flagship altcoin, which prefaced the concept of colored coins in likeness to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or one-of-a-kind digital assets that can never be replaced.

Some of the top altcoins to know include Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT), Binance (BNB), Solana (SOL), USD Coin (USDC), XRP (XRP), Dogecoin (DOGE), Toncoin (TON), Cardano (ADA), and Shiba Inu (SHIB).

Here are some of the top altcoins to consider:

Cryptocurrencies are a type of virtual or digital currency that uses cryptography to secure transactions and control the creation of new units.

There are different categories of crypto, including mining-based coins, stablecoins, memecoins, and security tokens.

Some of the most popular cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, Cardano, and more.

Here are some top altcoins to know:

These altcoins have gained popularity due to their unique features and potential for growth.

DeFi, or Decentralized Finance, is a type of financial system that removes the need for middlemen like banks and brokers, allowing peer-to-peer digital transactions of assets.

Some of the top gainers in the crypto market include CumRocket, Department Of Government Efficiency, SquidGrow, Kekius Maximus, and Shrub.

Polygon (MATIC) is a scalability solution for Ethereum that uses sidechains to process transactions and improve scalability.

Ethereum (ETH) is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts, which are programs that can be built on top of its blockchain and run exactly as programmed without any possibility of fraud or third-party interference.

Ethereum was created in 2015 and quickly rose to become the second-largest cryptocurrency, designed to serve a different purpose than Bitcoin. It is now used for a variety of interesting decentralized applications (DApps).

Ethereum's smart contracts allow for a wide range of possibilities, from games to financial applications. These contracts enable unique utilities, such as buying outfits and tools with Ether and using them in the game.

Ethereum introduced smart contract functionality at the heart of decentralized finance (DeFi), allowing for computer programs to automate transactions between two parties. This removes the need for an intermediary or transaction costs while increasing reliability.

Ethereum acts as a Layer 1 or base network that allows anyone in the general public to build off of it. This makes it the developers' blockchain of choice.

Cardano (ADA) is a smart contract platform created in 2015 by Charles Hoskinson, one of the co-founders of Ethereum. It uses a proof-of-stake consensus algorithm instead of proof-of-work, making it more energy efficient than other blockchain protocols.

Cardano is currently working on integrating a new programming language called Plutus, which will make it easier to develop smart contracts. This will likely increase its usability and adoption in the market.

At less than $1, Cardano remains one of the cheapest cryptocurrencies, with a coin price as of Sept. 17 at $0.3353. Its developers claim that the Ouroboros consensus protocol allows the Cardano network to validate transactions without high energy costs.

Cardano has processed over 20 million transactions with no downtime by late 2021, according to InvestorPlace. This impressive record has made it a popular blockchain for non-fungible token marketplaces and DeFi transaction exchanges.

Here are some key facts about Cardano (ADA):

Its energy-efficient PoS system relies on an academic process, vetting ideas among the community before granting validation, to better democratize its digital network.

Solana (SOL) is a high-speed blockchain protocol that can process thousands of transactions per second. It was created in 2017 by Anatoly Yakovenko, the former Chief Technical Officer at Qualcomm.

Solana's main selling point is its speed, making it ideal for applications that need to process a lot of transactions quickly, such as video streaming or gaming. This is because it can process transactions much faster than other protocols like Ethereum.

Solana's unique hybrid consensus mechanism uses a proof of history in tandem with a proof of stake protocol. This combination secures validation by a historical record of exchanges as well as a selected group of validators.

Solana prioritizes expedited exchange and scalability, but this approach yields relative risk to security and criticism of unfair tokenomics that favors venture capitalists.

Dogecoin (DOGE) is a cryptocurrency that started as a joke in 2013, based on the Doge meme featuring a Shiba Inu dog. It has since grown to become one of the more popular cryptocurrencies, with a low price that makes it accessible to everyone.

Dogecoin has been used for charitable causes, such as sending money to Kenya to build water wells. Its price is currently under $0.11 per coin, making it a "cheap" cryptocurrency.

The coin has a history of rising and falling based on hype and tweets by Elon Musk. It spiked in the weeks leading up to Musk's 2022 purchase of Twitter but has fallen sharply since then.

Here are some key statistics about Dogecoin (DOGE):

As of Sept. 17, the price of Dogecoin was $0.1014, a significant drop from its 52-week high of $0.2266.

Polkadot (Dot) is a "next-generation" blockchain protocol created in 2016. It's designed to be scalable, flexible, and interoperable.

Polkadot's unique feature is the use of "parachains", which are chains used for specific applications. This allows for a more customizable and efficient use of resources.

Polkadot is also working on a decentralized exchange called "Polkaswap." This will enable users to trade DOT, ETH, and other assets in a trustless manner.

The Polkadot network is highly scalable and interoperable, allowing arbitrary data to be transferred across blockchains. Users can create a bridge to Ethereum or Bitcoin while remaining connected to the blockchain-building framework.

Polkadot's flexible framework is made possible by XCM, a cross-consensus communication format that creates a common language between independent blockchains.

Tron (TRX) is a decentralized entertainment protocol founded in 2017, aiming to "decentralize the web" and create a more open internet. It has its own blockchain designed to be scalable and process transactions quickly.

With over 250 million accounts and 8.26 billion transactions, Tron is the world's fastest-growing public blockchain, processing transactions faster than Ethereum and Bitcoin. Its Tron Protocol is also highly scalable and smart-contract compatible.

Tron's market cap is around $13 billion, making it the 10th largest coin by that metric. This is a significant increase from its value in 2017, where it was worth about 7,410% more as of September 17th.

Tron allows content creators to override commissions lost to intermediaries, such as YouTube, Facebook, or Apple, and forgo frigid terms of service regulations. Users are compensated with TRX tokens for uploading intellectual property to the platform.

Core partners of Tron include Samsung, BitTorrent, and Swisscom, indicating its growing influence in the industry.

Avalanche is a platform for launching decentralized finance applications and enterprise blockchains. It's designed to be scalable, secure, and interoperable.

Avalanche uses a proof-of-stake consensus model, which means users can earn rewards for staking their tokens on the network. This model is a key part of its design.

Avalanche is a Layer 1 blockchain that functions as a platform for decentralized applications (dApps) and custom blockchain networks. It's similar to Ethereum in this regard.

Avalanche's founders, Ava Labs, aim to solve the blockchain trilemma by providing scalability. They've achieved this by running up to 6,500 transactions per second across three interoperable chains.

Litecoin (LTC) is often used as a testnet for Bitcoin, allowing developers to test new features on Litecoin before implementing them on Bitcoin.

Litecoin was created in 2011 as a "lightweight" version of Bitcoin, making it a faster and more efficient alternative.

Litecoin boasts a block time four times faster than Bitcoin's, making it ideal for transactions that require speed.

Charlie Lee, an early crypto adopter and computer scientist, created Litecoin two years after Bitcoin's genesis block debut.

Litecoin is one of the older cryptocurrencies, outside of Bitcoin, and has a large community of supporters.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a copy of Bitcoin with some changes, making it a unique altcoin.

The main change is the block size, which is eight times larger on Bitcoin Cash, allowing for more transactions to be processed per second.

This larger block size makes Bitcoin Cash more accessible to users who want to make quick transactions.

Bitcoin Cash also has a different mining algorithm than Bitcoin, which makes it more accessible to miners who don't have access to specialized equipment, giving them a chance to participate in the network.

Chainlink (LINK) is an Ethereum token that powers the Chainlink decentralized oracle network, which securely connects to external data sources, APIs, and payment systems.

This network enables real-world data and off-chain computation to expand the capabilities of smart contracts while maintaining the security and reliability guarantees of blockchain technology.

Chainlink addresses blockchain's oracle problem by connecting smart contracts directly to off-chain data, removing the need for oracles and maintaining blockchain's decentralized nature.

By providing fast and secure access to on- and off-chain data, Chainlink makes it easier to mint stablecoins, better secure transactions, and enhance the DeFi experience.

The Chainlink price has been holding its own since late last year, showing resilience in the market.

Uniswap (UNI) is a major player in the decentralized exchange space. It automates the trading of decentralized finance tokens between coin holders.

One of its key advantages is that it allows anyone who holds coins to create a liquidity pool for any token pair they choose. This is a big deal, as it makes it easier for people to trade and invest in different tokens.

Uniswap has been around for a while, and its coin price as of September 17 was $0.2769. Despite being highly volatile, it has still managed to surpass $1 trillion in total trading volume in 2023.

Decentraland (Mana) is a token behind a virtual reality game of the same name, built on the Ethereum blockchain. It's a 3D virtual world where users buy land to develop and monetize content.

Decentraland has been signed by Versus Entertainment to help develop its film adaptation of "The Infinite Machine", which tells the story of Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.

Users can buy land, develop and monetize content, buy goods and services, and visit other properties in Decentraland's metaverse.

NEAR Protocol is a layer-one blockchain designed to be a community-operated cloud computing platform with faster transaction speeds and increased interoperability compared to competing blockchains.

It lacks the maturity of some of the other blockchains on the list, but the collective tasked with updating the initial code is working to make a highly secure platform that can manage high-value assets like money and identity.

The platform uses a proof-of-stake mechanism called Doomslug to secure it without driving up costs.

Nightshade technology splits up the blockchain's transaction history to speed up processing, making it a faster and more efficient platform.

The project has the potential to reduce barriers to Web3 adoption, making it easier for everyday people to participate in the blockchain-based internet.

NEAR Protocol recently partnered with Google Cloud, which will provide technical support for NEAR Foundation grant recipients as they develop and scale their Web3 projects and decentralized applications.

Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) is Bitcoin's entryway into DeFi, allowing it to be traded across all applications on the Ethereum network. This is made possible by tokenizing Bitcoin with ERC-20 compatibility, a scripted standard used within the Ethereum blockchain.

By doing so, Bitcoin's billion-dollar liquidity pool flows to the rest of the main net market, where fully developed blockchains are deployed for public use. This opens up new opportunities for investors and traders.

WBTC holders enjoy a 15-second block time average, which is significantly faster than the 10-minute proof-of-work process used on the original Bitcoin platform.

UNUS SED LEO is a token used to power the Bitfinex exchange.

It was created in 2019 and is backed by the US dollar.

Users can earn rewards for staking their tokens on the exchange, which involves locking up tokens to improve the network's security.

Rewards are paid out in the form of LEO tokens.

A buy-back scheme commits 27 percent of Bitfinex's gross revenues to purchasing LEO tokens until none remain in commercial circulation.

The token features a finite life cycle built into its protocol and runs on both Ethereum and EOS blockchains.

Altcoins are the "better mousetrap" to Bitcoin, meaning they exist on upgraded versions of their former blockchain networks. This is because altcoins answer software bugs, inefficiencies, and vulnerabilities previously unresolved.

Altcoins provide more utility and have a better chance at survival in the long run due to their versatility. They can perform different functions in the crypto economy, which gives them adaptability unmatched by Bitcoin.

The level of Bitcoin dominance is a good indicator of where the market is and where it is heading. Historically, it has been a reliable metric for investors.

Here are some key differences between altcoins and Bitcoin:

Altcoins are considered a riskier investment due to their thin liquidity, high market saturation, and smaller market cap. However, they also offer more opportunities for growth and innovation.

Altcoins are a result of ingenuity that answers software bugs, inefficiencies and vulnerabilities previously unresolved, existing on upgraded versions of their former blockchain networks.

Altcoins provide more utility and have a better chance at survival in the long run due to their versatility. Their ability to perform different functions in the crypto economy provides adaptability unmatched by Bitcoin, better preparing them for future developments in the market.

Altcoins are considered a riskier investment due to thin liquidity, high market saturation, a smaller market cap, a lack of credibility, and susceptibility to scams.

However, altcoins can outperform Bitcoin in certain market conditions. If Bitcoin dominance decreases while its price goes up, it means that altcoins are performing better than Bitcoin in a positive market.

Here are some key differences between altcoins and Bitcoin:

Deciding whether to buy Bitcoin or altcoins depends on what you want to achieve with your investment, how much risk you can handle, and how well you understand the specific altcoin you're thinking about.

The main difference between a coin and an altcoin lies in their underlying blockchain.

The term 'altcoin' specifically refers to any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.

Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency to exist, and it has its own unique blockchain.

Altcoins, on the other hand, are created on separate blockchains from Bitcoin's.