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#1 Bitcoin (BTC) – The Crypto Gold

How much it costs to buy cryptocurrency depends on several factors, including which crypto you are buying. Many small altcoins trade for a fraction of a cent, while a single bitcoin will cost you $103,905. However, many brokerages and exchanges now allow fractional trading, offering investors the option to buy a portion of a cryptocurrency. Investing in meme coins is thrilling because it gives investors a chance to enjoy some humor, together with various features increasing their utility. Meme Index ($MEMEX) gives investors a chance to diversify their portfolios by giving them the power to control the risk when investing in meme coins. The crypto market in 2025 looks very different from what it was just a few years ago.

TRADING HOURS

  • Despite ongoing regulatory scrutiny in various regions, USDT has maintained its stability and trust through regular audits and improved transparency measures introduced in 2025.
  • This unique combination can transform any beginner into a top-notch investor this year.
  • It has a capped supply of 21 million coins, with new bitcoins released via mining rewards, which halve roughly every four years.
  • Despite being the world’s largest crypto exchange, Binance isn’t supported in the U.S.
  • One of Binance’s unique features is its ongoing “token burn” process, in which the company regularly removes BNB from circulation.

As of Oct. 14, 2025, the market capitalization of Ethereum is roughly $497 billion, with a price per coin of about $4,116. As of Oct. 14, 2025, the market capitalization of Bitcoin is roughly $2.25 trillion, with a price per coin of about $113,000, and a dominant market share of around 56%. Currently, there are 19.9 million coins in circulation, as of November 4, 2025. To be exact, 3.125 BTC is issued when a miner has successfully mined a single block. When choosing the best cryptocurrency to invest in, it is important to consider your individual goals, investment timeline and risk profile, just as you would with any investment. Additionally, you should do your due diligence to make sure that any crypto project you are interested in is legitimate and secure.

Cryptos With Momentum

For each validated block, miners earn a reward of 3.125 BTC per block, currently worth $324,704.07. While the table above shows momentum-driven cryptos, here is a broader selection of cryptocurrencies with utility or store-of-value thesis and a market cap greater than $5 billion. Cryptos with at least $5 billion in market cap are typically more stable with greater institutional adoption. Forbes Advisors developed cryptocurrency screens to show the best crypto to buy now if you’re looking for momentum as well as the top 10 cryptocurrencies with strong market caps and good project theses.

Breaking Down the Top 5 Cryptocurrencies by Market Cap: How They Differ and Why

Bitcoin and Ethereum, widely recognized as the “gold and silver” of crypto, currently hold the largest market caps, at $2.1 trillion and $424.6 billion, respectively. Together accounting for approximately 72% of the total cryptocurrency market. Tron originally launched in 2017 on the Ethereum token network until it moved to its own chain. Its proof-of-stake consensus makes it energy efficient, while TRX, its native token, fuels transactions and smart contracts. As an added perk, users can get a discount on trading fees when using BNB on a Binance crypto exchange. The token can be used to pay transaction fees on the BNB Smart Chain, which supports smart contracts and DApps.

What Are In-game Tokens?

Some of these coins are very similar to Bitcoin, with just one or two amended features (such as Litecoin), while others are very different, with varying models of security, issuance and governance. However, they all share the same moniker — every coin issued after Bitcoin is considered to be an altcoin. We receive updated cryptocurrency prices directly from many exchanges based on their pairs. The global crypto market cap is $3.34T, a 6.19% decrease over the last day.

  • These metrics help to identify assets with current investor interest and potential growth.
  • Blockchain technology allows most cryptocurrencies to exist as “trustless” forms of transactions.
  • We also provide data about the latest trending cryptos and trending DEX pairs.
  • As of Oct. 14, 2025, the market capitalization of XRP is roughly $148.9 billion, with a price per coin of about $2.48.
  • Currently, there are 19.9 million coins in circulation, as of November 4, 2025.

A risk management strategy is non-negotiable if you’re planning to trade cryptos. Focusing on the top five by market cap can limit your exposure to the projects most vulnerable to failure or fraud, but you can still experience losses or lose your assets altogether to theft or user error. Each of the top five cryptocurrencies by market cap brings something unique to the table, whether it’s a distinct market positioning, a clever technical innovation, or a targeted use case. These differences help explain why the values of these cryptocurrencies vary so widely.

It often serves as a trading pair, top five cryptocurrencies acting as the other half of a trade when buying or selling cryptos like BTC or ETH. Like bitcoin, litecoin uses a proof-of-work consensus and undergoes halving events. That’s the earliest recorded price on CoinMarketCap, even though the crypto was originally launched in October 2011. CoinMarketCap does not offer financial or investment advice about which cryptocurrency, token or asset does or does not make a good investment, nor do we offer advice about the timing of purchases or sales.

Binance Coin (BNB) was originally launched as an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum network before migrating to its own blockchain. “If you held BNB, you paid lower trading rates on their platform,” said Courchesne. While Bitcoin focuses on being a store of value, Ethereum was designed to help developers build dApps for everything from finance and gaming to non-fungible tokens (NFTs). ETH is the currency that fuels the system, allowing you to pay for transactions on the Ethereum network. Market cap is useful for measuring a cryptocurrency’s size and market share, providing insight into its position within the broader crypto landscape.

CoinDesk 20

As of November 4, 2025, its price traded at $0.54, an increase of 2,384%. Price volatility has long been one of the features of the cryptocurrency market. When asset prices move quickly in either direction and the market itself is relatively thin, it can sometimes be difficult to conduct transactions as might be needed. To overcome this problem, a new type of cryptocurrency tied in value to existing currencies — ranging from the U.S. dollar, other fiats or even other cryptocurrencies — arose.

Risks of cryptocurrencies

For example, Ethereum’s network provides an infrastructure for developers to build everything from NFTs to smart contracts. Cryptocurrencies are various forms of digital money that are usually based on blockchain technology. Blockchain technology allows most cryptocurrencies to exist as “trustless” forms of transactions.

Early investors can get $SOLX tokens at an affordable price and stake them, which now brings 403% APY. In 2025, Litecoin has introduced privacy-focused features and strengthened partnerships with major payment processors. Its practical use as a reliable, widely accepted payment coin ensures it remains a key player in the broader crypto economy. The platform’s smart contract functionality launched in 2021, enabling DeFi applications, NFTs and decentralised applications to operate on the network. Cardano, founded by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson and launched in 2017, represents a third-generation blockchain platform built on peer-reviewed academic research and evidence-based development.

Ethereum powers smart contracts and dApps, Tether provides price stability, XRP enables cross-border transfers, and Binance Coin supports the world’s largest exchange. Binance Coin (BNB) is the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap and the native token of Binance. Binance is the most widely used cryptocurrency exchange in the world, with an average daily trading volume of $65 billion.