Cryptocurrencies have not only changed the world’s expectations surrounding money. They’ve also continued to evolve in their own space since the first Bitcoin block was mined back in 2009. Since then, thousands of unique cryptocurrencies have popped up. Of these, Bitcoin remains the most popular.
In fact, a recent survey found that 8% of Americans have invested in cryptocurrency and of that 8%, 5.15% have invested in Bitcoin.
Bitcoin (BTC)
It’s been about a decade since Bitcoin expanded currency into the digital space of the internet. Since that time, it’s remained the most popular cryptocurrency in the world.
With Bitcoin, users transfer money from one digital wallet to another digital wallet with ease. Each transaction is then verified by other users and recorded on the public ledger, known as the blockchain.
Ethereum (ETH)
Putting the Bitcoin hype aside, another popular cryptocurrency is Ethereum. This cryptocurrency uses a blockchain that’s similar to Bitcoin’s but has a different currency. Ethereum’s currency is Ether, which gets managed by an open network of users, just like Bitcoin.
Ripple (XRP)
Most cryptocurrencies pride themselves on providing fast transactions. For Ripple, and its digital tokens known as XRP, fast transactions are a core piece of their identity. In fact, Ripple processes transactions in as little as four seconds. You can compare this to Ethereum, which takes two minutes, and Bitcoin, which takes about an hour. Traditional currencies can take a few days.
Litecoin (LTC)
Litecoin and Bitcoin have more in common than just the “coin” in their names: Litecoin has a blockchain, public ledger, and miners who verify transactions. However, there are three key features that make Litecoin stand out.
Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Although Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency, that doesn’t mean it comes without flaws. In fact, its relative, Bitcoin Cash, was created to help improve Bitcoin’s scalability, which affects transaction speed. This has led to a gain in popularity for Bitcoin Cash.
