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Top 10 cryptocurrencies of 2024 and how to buy

The market has countless cryptos, but only 10 make up over 86% of the total crypto market cap.

While CoinMarketCap reports over 2.4 million cryptocurrencies as of May 2024, the top 10 cryptos account for over 86% of the total crypto market capitalization, not including non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Find out which cryptos comprise the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap — from bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) to meme coins like dogecoin (DOGE) to US dollar-pegged stablecoins like tether (USDT) and USD coin (USDC) — and the purpose they serve.

10 best cryptocurrencies to invest in by market cap

These are the top 10 cryptos by market cap. Market cap information is accurate as of April 25, 2024.

1. Bitcoin (BTC) – Market cap value: $1.24 trillion

Bitcoin (BTC) was the world’s first cryptocurrency — or digital currency to exist on a blockchain. (1) Brought to market in 2009 by the anonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin enabled users to transact peer-to-peer over the internet without requiring a third party like a bank or credit card provider.

The network is governed by a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism that requires computers to solve cryptographic puzzles to mine BTC, verify transactions and secure the network.

Fidelity considers BTC the only true monetary good in the crypto world and believes the asset is a store of value, given its supply is limited to 21 million. (2)

At the start of 2010, BTC traded for less than a cent, while it currently trades for just under $65,000. (3) No other asset in history has seen such explosive growth in such a short period.

In January 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the first 11 spot bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which boosted BTC’s price to a new all-time high. (4)

2. Ethereum (ETH) – Market cap value: $380 billion

Ethereum went live in July 2015 as a blockchain on which decentralized apps (dapps) could be built using smart contracts.

One year before the network launch, Ethereum developers pre-sold ether (ETH) — the native currency of Ethereum — for about $0.31 via an initial coin offering (ICO). (5) The price of ETH has since increased exponentially to roughly $3,100.

ETH has become more valuable as decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols like Uniswap, Compound, Aave and over 1,000 others have been built on top of it. The rise in popularity of NFTs in 2021 also increased the number of Ethereum network users and, therefore, the price of ETH.

While Ethereum was originally governed by a PoW consensus mechanism similar to Bitcoin’s, it changed to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism in which Ethereum stakers validate transactions on the network in September 2022 when it underwent what was colloquially called “The Merge.”

3. Tether (USDT) – Market cap value: $110.4 billion

Tether (USDT) is a stablecoin whose issuers aim to keep pegged to $1. The asset runs on various blockchains and is preferred by those who want to hold and use a cryptocurrency that doesn’t have the volatility inherent to most crypto assets.

It was created in July 2014 and is collateralized with actual US dollars, financial instruments and bearer assets like US Treasury Bills, bitcoin and gold. (6)(7)

While major news outlets like Bloomberg have reported that Tether may not have full reserves for USDT, Tether undergoes quarterly attestations that illustrate what’s in its treasury. (8)(9)

USDT has traded significantly off its peg at points, but these events have been fleeting, and its price has always returned to $1 throughout the token’s nine-plus years of existence. (10)

4. Binance Coin (BNB) – Market cap value: $89.6 billion

Binance Coin (BNB) came into existence in July 2017. It was first issued on Ethereum and was initially created as a utility token that investors could use to pay for trades on Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume. (11)

In September 2020, Binance launched Binance Smart Chain (BSC) — now called BNB Chain — on which BNB is used to fuel transactions and bestow voting rights regarding the blockchain’s governance. (12)

BNB sold for about $0.10 at its ICO and traded for as high as about $700 in 2021. (13) It’s since come back down to under $625.

In February 2024, a federal judge approved a plea deal by Binance, requiring the crypto exchange to pay more than $4.3 billion in fines and restitution. This comes after the company and its founder, Changpeng Zhao, pled guilty late in 2023 to breaking anti-money laundering laws and violating sanctions. (14)

5. Solana – Market cap value: $65.1 billion

Solana (SOL) was surrounded by a lot of hype in 2021, as many believed it would be an “Ethereum killer.” (15)

Like Ethereum, Solana is a smart contract platform home to many DeFi protocols and NFT communities.

The network is governed by both PoS and Proof of History (PoH) consensus mechanisms. (16)

Transactions on the network are notably cheap compared to those on Ethereum, though the network isn’t as decentralized and, therefore, as secure as Ethereum. Plus, Solana is prone to outages, which hurts the blockchain’s credibility.

SOL skyrocketed from $1.33 in December 2020 to over $250 in November 2021 before crashing down to about $9 in December 2022. It currently trades at just over $145.

6. USD Coin (USDC) – Market cap value: $33.4 billion

US Dollar Coin (USDC) is the other US dollar stablecoin in the top 10 cryptos.

Like USDT, the asset’s issuers aim to keep its peg at $1. Also, like USDT, USDC is backed by actual US dollars and financial products like US Treasury bills. It also runs on multiple blockchains.

However, USDC differs from USDT in some notable ways, though. For one, USDC’s parent company, Circle, is more transparent than USDT’s parent company, Tether. Circle goes through a monthly attestation process and a yearly audit for the assets that collateralize USDC. Tether undergoes a quarterly attestation process and doesn’t ever undergo an audit for the assets that back USDT.

Also, USDC has traded off its peg at points, but not as much as or as frequently as USDT has. (17)

7. XRP (XRP) – Market cap value: $28.8 billion

XRP came to market in June 2012. (18) Ripple, the company that created XRP, touted XRP as a better alternative to Bitcoin because it could be used to facilitate cross-border remittance payments more quickly and cheaply than Bitcoin. Ripple also believes that XRP could replace the SWIFT system. (19)

The asset became more well-known in 2017 when its price skyrocketed from less than $0.01 to over $3, an all-time high to which it has yet to return.

XRP’s price remained suppressed in part because the SEC sued its parent company, Ripple, in December 2020 for selling XRP as an unregistered security, forcing crypto exchanges in the US to delist the asset. (20)

After almost a three-year court battle between the SEC and Ripple, a US District Judge ruled in July 2023 that XRP isn’t a security when sold on secondary markets like crypto exchanges. (21) US-based crypto exchanges like Coinbase, Gemini and Kraken instantly relisted XRP, as its price soared almost 75% in the days following the ruling.

8. Dogecoin (DOGE) – Market cap value: $21.7 billion

DOGE is the one meme coin in the top 10 cryptocurrencies. It started as a joke in 2013, and, like all meme coins, it has no intrinsic value and only exists for speculative purposes. It’s easiest to think of DOGE like a gambling chip.

The price of DOGE tends to rise and fall in tandem with the number of DOGE memes that the asset’s supporters share on social media. Speaking of the DOGE supporters, Elon Musk is well-known for promoting DOGE — so much so that DOGE investors are currently suing Musk for manipulating its price. (22)

In 2013, DOGE traded for a fraction of a cent — $0.0005 — and while it currently trades at just over $0.15, its price is down from its $0.73 all-time high, which it reached three years ago.

9. Toncoin (TON) – Market cap value: $18.4 billion

Founded by Telegram founders Nikolai and Pavel Durov, Toncoin (TON) was launched in 2018 originally as a Telegram Open Network. (23) It’s the native cryptocurrency of the TON decentralized ecosystem and is used for network operations, transactions, games or collectibles built on the network.

In June 2020, Telegram settled with the SEC and agreed to pay an $18.5 million penalty and return $1.2 billion to investors to resolve charges that Telegram’s unregistered offering of digital tokens called “Grams” violated the federal securities laws. (24)

10. Cardano (ADA) – Market cap value: $16.7 billion

Cardano (ADA) was founded by Charles Hoskinson, one of the original team members behind Ethereum.

Like Ethereum, Cardano is a PoS blockchain on which dapps can be built, though developers on Cardano haven’t delivered as much product as those on Ethereum.

However, transaction fees on Cardano are cheaper than those on Ethereum, and the native wallets for Cardano, including Daedalus and Yoroi, make staking ADA quite convenient.

ADA sold for as little as $0.0024 per coin during its ICO process from 2015 to 2017. (25) It currently trades at just over $0.45.

Compare crypto exchanges

To sign up for a centralized crypto exchange like Binance, Coinbase or Kraken, you’ll need to provide legal identification such as a passport or driver’s license as well as link your bank account, debit card or credit card to your account to buy crypto with US dollars.

Compare exchanges and select Go to site to sign up for an account.

1 - 6 of 14
Name Product GXFCY Deposit methods Fiat currencies Cryptocurrencies Offer Disclaimer Go to site
OFFER
Uphold - Digital Asset Platform
Bank transfer, Credit card, Debit card, Bank transfer (SEPA), Apple Pay, Google Pay

27

252

Refer a friend to earn US$20 — $10 for you and $10 for the person you refer. T&Cs apply.
Terms apply. Cryptoassets are highly volatile. Your capital is at risk. Available in the US, CA, UK and AU
Go to site

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Finder Award
OFFER
eToro USA LLC Cryptocurrency Trading
Bank transfer, Debit card, PayPal, Wire transfer

6

105

Get $15 when you sign up and deposit $100 in your eToro account. T&Cs apply.
Disclaimer: eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro. Your capital is at risk.
Go to site

Capital at risk

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EXCLUSIVE
Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT, ACH online banking

6

261

Go to site

Capital at risk

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EXCLUSIVE
Gemini Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer (ACH), Cryptocurrency, Debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT

7

151

Get $15 in Bitcoin when you trade $100 with code Finder15
Go to site

Capital at risk

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Finder Award
Coinbase Digital Currency Exchange
Bank transfer (ACH), Debit card, PayPal, Wire transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay

23

249

Go to site

Capital at risk

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Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, P2P

71

370

Not available for US citizens
Go to site

Capital at risk

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Whether products shown are available to you is subject to individual provider sole approval and discretion in accordance with the eligibility criteria and T&Cs on the provider website.

Name Product GXFCY Deposit methods Fiat currencies Cryptocurrencies Offer Disclaimer Go to site
eToro Cryptocurrency Trading
eToro Cryptocurrency Trading
Bank transfer, Credit card, Debit card, Neteller, Skrill

18

78

Disclaimer: Cryptoasset investing is highly volatile and unregulated in the UK and some EU countries. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Go to site

Capital at risk

View details
Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users)
Bank transfer, Cryptocurrency

1

369

Go to site

Capital at risk

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KuCoin Cryptocurrency Exchange
KuCoin Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, PayPal, P2P

50

743

Not available for US citizens
Go to site

Capital at risk

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Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, P2P

73

279

Disclaimer: Highly volatile investment product. Your capital is at risk. Not available for US citizens
Go to site

Capital at risk

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Gate.io Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card

8

1607

Not available for US citizens
Go to site

Capital at risk

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Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT

8

222

Go to site

Capital at risk

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Uphold
Uphold
Bank transfer (ACH), Credit card, Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay

27

237

Capital at risk

View details
EXCLUSIVE
Paybis Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Debit card, Neteller

42

357

Finder Exclusive: Get 25% discount on all commission for 1 transaction when using promocode Finder25. There is no time limit on the validity of the promo code.
US residents: Restricted in the following states - NY, CT, NM, WA, HI, AL, VT, FL, AK, NV.
Go to site

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Finder Award
Bitstamp Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, SEPA, Faster Payments (FPS)

3

96

Capital at risk

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Coinmama Cryptocurrency Marketplace
Credit card, Fedwire, SEPA, Google Pay, SWIFT, Bank card

6

15

Capital at risk

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EXCLUSIVE
Gemini Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer (ACH), Cryptocurrency, Debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT

7

151

Get $15 in Bitcoin when you trade $100 with code Finder15
Go to site

Capital at risk

View details
Finder Award
Crypto.com App
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, PayPal, Wire transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT

31

378

Capital at risk

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Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange

Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Offers leverage and derivative trading
  • Supports EUR, GBP and CHF
  • Licensed to operate in all European countries
Go to site
Disclaimer: Highly volatile investment product. Your capital is at risk. Not available for US citizens

KuCoin Cryptocurrency Exchange

KuCoin Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Buy, sell and trade over 700 crypto assets
  • Supports 10 Asian fiat currencies
  • Offers crypto futures trading
Go to site
Not available for US citizens

Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange

Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Buy, sell and trade over 200 crypto assets
  • Licensed to operate in 17 jurisdictions in Oceania
  • Supports AUD
Go to site

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users)

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users) logo
  • Supports over 300 crypto assets
  • Binance Pay enables users spend their crypto
  • Binance P2P supports multiple African fiat currencies
Go to site

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users)

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users) logo
  • Supports over 300 crypto assets
  • Binance Pay works with Credencial Payments to support crypto payments
  • Binance P2P supports five Latin American fiat currencies
Go to site

Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange

Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Supports leverage and derivative trading
  • Supports 300 spot trading pairs
  • Low-to-non-existent trading fees
Go to site
Disclaimer: Highly volatile investment product. Your capital is at risk. Not available for US citizens

Frequently asked questions

Which crypto will boom in 2024?

We don’t know which crypto — if any — will boom in 2024. This is very difficult to predict. However, bitcoin’s rise in price in 2024 has lifted the overall market. Be careful betting on the price movements of crypto assets. They tend to lose value even more quickly than they gain it.

Which cryptocurrency is best to buy now?

When deciding which crypto is best to invest in, consider your risk tolerance. If you’re looking to invest now and are new to the market, you might start by investing in bitcoin (BTC). It is one of the least volatile crypto assets aside from stablecoins because of its large market cap. However, BTC is still incredibly volatile compared to most traditional assets, so invest carefully.

What is the next big cryptocurrency?

We don’t know what the next big cryptocurrency is. Some say that a network like Solana is an “Ethereum killer,” which means that SOL — the native asset of Solana — may be the next big cryptocurrency. However, this is far from definite, so invest carefully.

Matt Miczulski's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Matt Miczulski as part of our fact-checking process.
Frank Corva's headshot
Written by

Writer

Frank Corva is business-to-business (B2B) correspondent for Bitcoin Magazine and formerly the cryptocurrency writer and analyst for digital assets at Finder. Frank has turned his hobby of studying and writing about crypto into a career with a mission of educating the world about this burgeoning sector of finance. He worked in Ghana and Venezuela before earning a degree in applied linguistics at Teachers College, Columbia University. He also taught writing and entertainment business courses in Japan and worked with UNICEF in Namibia before returning to the US to teach at universities in New York City. Earlier in his career, he spent years working as a publicist and graphic designer for record labels like Warner Music Group and Triple Crown Records. During that time, he was also a music journalist whose writing and photography was in published in Alternative Press, Spin and other outlets. See full bio

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