Top 25 Cryptocurrencies to Invest in 2021

2020 has been an extremely exciting year for cryptocurrencies. Despite the pandemic dampening the initial half of the crypto dream in 2020, as we moved towards 2021 both the big coins, Bitcoin and Ethereum both touched all-time highs and are currently on a once-in-a-lifetime bull run. With the widespread global adoption of cryptocurrencies inching ever so closer, it must come as no surprise that one of the most requested lists we’ve had is the list for the best cryptocurrencies to invest in 2021.

Fret not, we’ve got you covered. Backed with thorough research and deliberations, here are itsblockchain’s top 25 cryptocurrencies to invest in 2021. No, this list is not going to contain Bitcoin as the top mention (or even featured in this list), as we are focusing more on the altcoins and other interesting projects that we think merit your attention.

1. Ethereum (ETH)

Arguably the most popular altcoin, Ethereum is one of the hottest coins to invest in in 2021.  Within only a few days of reaching the $1000 mark for the first time, ETH rose to the $2000 mark. By 2020, Ethereum had 21.73k daily active users, 7,083 live mainnet nodes globally, and 2,773 total decentralized apps. 

Fundamentally, Ethereum is extremely different from Bitcoin and has created a whole ecosystem of dApps (DeFi in extension), and is the technology behind the success of NFTs. A whole lot of other coins in this list are Ethereum based coins, made possible only due to the ability of Ethereum to develop fully functional decentralized ecosystems with the help of smart contracts. With Ethereum 2.0 breathing down the collar, there is fundamentally no doubt that Ethereum is one of the best cryptocurrencies to invest in 2021.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $203,526,025,185

Circulating Supply: 115,247,714 ETH

2021 YTD performance: 148%

2. Polkadot (DOT)

Another extremely popular cryptocurrency that is a top crypto to invest in, is Polkadot. Polkadot’s main focus is to achieve scalability, which is infamously a problem for blockchain technology. This scalability would allow multiple specialized blockchains (called parachains) to interoperate, enabling multiple blockchains – permissionless or otherwise to be connected through Polkadot. 

With news about NFTs coming to Polkadot, it is a safe bet to assume that it is an extremely alluring top crypto to buy right now, in 2021. Polkadot has been increasing the size of its validator sets. Now there are 274 validators operated by around 200 independent operators and backed by over 7,000 individual nominating accounts. Big investors name behind Polkadot include LongHash ventures, and Fundamental Labs.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $31,924,364,475

Circulating Supply: 924,119,078 DOT

2021 YTD performance: 300%

3. Chainlink  (LINK)

Chainlink, is a decentralized oracle network, functioning on the Ethereum mainnet. It is used to manage blockchain smart contracts, with the help of the utility token LINK. The infamous oracle problem -providing the right data for smart contracts to compute was first solved by SmartContract.com, which introduced Chainlink in 2014. 

The Chainlink ecosystem is a thriving one, featuring data providers such as Binance, Huobi etc and node operators such as SNZ and T-Systems. Chainlink is already operating for several blockchains. In 2021, expect more integrations, more adoption, and much bigger growth.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $11,552,621,909

Circulating Supply: 416,009,556 LINK

2021 YTD performance: ~125%

4. VeChain Thor (VET)

Initially, a token in the Ethereum mainnet as VeChain, VeChain Thor is now the mainnet cryptocurrency powering its blockchain network. Established in 2015, Vechain offers blockchain solutions for supply chain management to businesses across the world using IoT and blockchain. They also have a VTHO token, which is used to pay for smart contracts within the platform. 

So far, 675,634 accounts have been created, and there are 101 Authority nodes, 2,599 Economic nodes, and 3,437 X-nodes.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $5,917,031,606

Circulating Supply: 64,315,576,989

2021 YTD performance: ~300%

5. FTX Token (FTT)

The FTT is the utility token used to run the FTX cryptocurrency derivatives exchange. It’s making great progress in terms of price, reaching all-time highs as recent as 15^th March 2021 – at $43.39. Functioning on Ethereum, and the increased popularity of Cryptocurrency derivatives, FTT is one of the better tokens to consider in 2021. 

The FTX exchange already counts amongst its partners – Binance, Bitfinex, Alameda and more. The exchange processed over $385 billion in transaction volumes in 2020, while user growth grew by 1000% in the same period. In short, the FTX exchange is set up for a fairly explosive 2021, and the FTX Token will likely reflect this growth.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $3,608,591,628

Circulating Supply: 94,346,958 ETH

2021 YTD performance: ~560%

6. Filecoin (FIL)

FIL is the token that should power the mainnet of Filecoin, a decentralized file storage network that facilitates data storage and access for the markets. The mainnet has not yet launched, but since the project is filled with potential, an early purchase might be a good investment decision in 2021.

Currently, Filecoin comprises more than 1,390 active miners, more than 90 organizers building on the network, 200-plus projects entering the ecosystem through dedicated accelerators and hackathons. There are several open projects listed on its website 

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $7,906,938,628

Circulating Supply: 61,671,522 FIL

2021 YTD performance: ~630%

7. Tezos (XTZ)

Tezos is a hugely popular top cryptocurrency, and moe accurately – a blockchain network that uses a proof-of-stake model to achieve consensus. The Tezos network is maintained by staking the XTZ tokens (through a process called baking), uses a programming language called Michelson, and supports smart contract functionality.  The main difference-maker is the fact that the Tezos protocol can be upgraded without the blockchain having to undergo a hard-fork, like in the case of Ethereum. 

As of January 2021, there are over 400 block validating nodes (bakers) on the Tezos network. The Tezos foundation is already partnered with several financial institutions in bringing more adoption to the ecosystem. A roadmap is challenging to share since, given its awesomely decentralized nature, several development teams are working concurrently on many projects.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $3,417,872,948

Circulating Supply: 764,647,977 XTZ

2021 YTD performance: ~125%

8. Zilliqa (ZIL)

Zilliqa is a public blockchain platform designed to incorporate “sharding technology” that allows users to develop dApps and smart contracts directly on the platform and is seen as the most likely to solve the scalability issues of blockchain technology. 

Zilliqa’s cumulative number of transactions surpassed 10 million by November 2020, 6x the cumulative number of transactions (1,617,250) in November 2019. 

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $1,991,775,599

Circulating Supply: 11,106,246,737 ZIL

2021 YTD performance: ~125%

9. Basic Attention Token (BAT)

BAT or the Basic Attention Token is also seen as a promising investment to make in 2021. It’s an Ethereum based ERC-20 token aimed to facilitate digital advertising. You can even earn bat by using the Brave web browser, which rewards the users who view advertisements within the browser using BAT. 

BAT is one of the top cryptocurrencies that can already boast of a working product with an active roadmap. It has over 25.4 million monthly active users, 9.2 million daily active users, 1 million verified creators. In the BAT 2021 roadmap, the project promises a sophisticated BAT Wallet, a DEX aggregator, and several community outreach themes for its loyal fanbase.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $1,673,202,121.55

Circulating Supply: 1,490,853,106 BAT

1 Year Performance: 475%

10. Reserve Rights (RSR)

Another contender for a top cryptocurrency to buy in 2021, the reserve protocol is a stable coin used to protect people from hyperinflation. If you believe that your economy is about to crash, or about to enter Hyperinflation like Venezuela, RSR is a wonderful token to invest in. Reserve describes itself as a “a flexible pool of stablecoins designed to reduce risk through diversification and decentralized governance.” Reserve Rights is a fluctuating protocol that stabilizes its other token – RKV.

Backed by Coinbase Ventures and several other large investors, Reserve says its eventual target over the next few years in Venezuela and Argentina is “to reach about 10 million people using Reserve regularly in each country”.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $1,150,131,499

Circulating Supply: 13,15,99,99,000 RSR

2021 YTD performance: ~320%

11. Ankr Network (ANKR)

ANKR is the native token of the ANKR network, a blockchain network aimed towards building efficient Distributed Cloud Computing for business applications. With companies across the world looking to use blockchain for various aspects, ANKR might be a good investment in 2021. 

In April 2020, Ankr launched the Harmony Open Staking testnet campaign which reached over 300 testnet nodes deployed on Ankr. Their main goal for 2021 is to make Stkr the go-to protocol for Eth2 staking. They will also be focusing on providing infrastructure for the fast-growing Polkadot ecosystem such as API service and nodes.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $1,225,157,475

Circulating Supply: 6,99,62,32,711 ETH

2021 YTD performance: +1700%

12. Nervos Network (CKB)

The Nervos network intends to solve Blockchain’s fragmentation issues. It is an open-source blockchain ecosystem designed to enable universal applications across blockchains and platform. It operates on 2 layers – layer 1 or the CKB (Common Knowledge Bank) is the PoW blockchain protocol, while layer 2 captures the total network value, using the native token CKByte. 

CKByte already trades on every large exchange, and with several big items planned for 2021 – including the release of an asset cross-chain system, a smart contract language, and a layer 2 solution – this token is sure to become a top cryptocurrency to buy.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $689,182,990

Circulating Supply: 24,451,649,923 CKB

2021 YTD performance: ~700%

13. Polymath (POLY)

Polymath is a blockchain solution that allows any number of assets to be tokenized and migrated to the blockchain, potentially bringing the advantages of blockchain to every single financial security – something which might be the need of the hour shortly. 

Over 200 tokens have already been deployed on Polymath’s solution, with 381 tickers reserved. Large brands such as RedSwan are already tokenizing over $2.2 billion worth of assets with Polymath. For 2021, Polymath has a mainnet launch scheduled coming shortly.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $413,907,574

Circulating Supply: 604,032,304

2021 YTD performance: 670%

14. Origin Protocol (OGN)

The Origin Protocol is a platform that allows you to build decentralized marketplaces completely functioning on the blockchain. The price history is extremely favorable, as OGN reached an all-time high as of the time of curating this list (29-03-2021) at $1.6. On its website, Original Protocol boasts of 800+ investors who have cumulatively raised for it over $38 million, including Pantera Capital and Oyster VC. 

In 2020, the team built and developed Origin’s flagship commerce platform, the Shopify-alternative – Dshop. Next on its list is the Dshop NFT Launchpad, with the objective being to capitalise on the popularity of NFT projects. The team expects millions of users on the platform in the coming years. 

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $430,823,006.67

Circulating Supply: 267,641,955 OGN

2021 YTD performance: 2190%

15. Audius (AUDIO)

Blockchain and Music are an amazing combination brought to reality by the Audius network. Musicians can build a fanbase, publish and share their tracks for anyone to consume. Since its launch in September 2019, it is now home to 750k monthly active users with over a million streams each month, across more than 100,000 tracks. It is also backed by big names in the industry, including Deadmau5 and 3LAU. 

Going forward in 2021, the Audius community says it intends to launch new methods of content ownership and distribution.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $427,880,254

Circulating Supply: 120,000,000 AUDIO

2021 YTD performance: +200%

16. Voyager Token (BQX, now VGX)

Formerly the BQX token, the native token powering the ETHOS token is currently called the Voyager token traded under the ticker VGX. VGX is used as a rewarding mechanism in the Voyager crypto broker ecosystem. 

The overall traded volume on Voyager’s platform reached $120 million in November 2020, while its asset under management surpassed $485 million in January 2021. More than 200,000 users who have downloaded the iOS and Android applications and further expansion into Europe should increase the platform’s user base.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $1,103,383,374

Circulating Supply: 222,295,208 VGX

2021 YTD performance: ~3200%

17. Dusk Network (DUSK)

The DUSK token powers the dusk network, which allows fast, anonymous, and secure transmission of data – specifically, the tokenization of financial instruments. The data transformation is bi-directional, among equipotent peers. 

Launched in 2018, the Dusk Network has been working to deliver several updates on its evolving platform, including a recent 2020 refactoring of its blockchain. Details on its 2021 roadmap are scarce, but it received a $1 million in funding form iFinex in late 2020, and also took ‘around 10%’ stake in a Dutch stock exchange for SMEs. Interesting activity going on here!

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $140,955,740

Circulating Supply: 1368,103,806 DUSK

2021 YTD performance: ~900%

18. Pond (POND)

The pond is the transferable ERC 20 token of the Marlin project. The Marlin project aims to provide a high-performance network infrastructure for modern decentralized networks. 2,184 billion POND tokens are reserved towards staking rewards, to incentivize node operators, to participate in the network. 3.193 billion POND tokens are allocated to various ecosystem Service Providers including but not limited to validators, staking infrastructure providers, community evangelists, consultants, and developers.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $125,076,352

Circulating Supply: 461,345,924 POND

2021 YTD performance: ~1100%

19. The Graph (GRT)

The Graph is yet another ERC-20 token on our list, which powers the Graph protocol – a protocol for organizing blockchain data, by making it extremely accessible. The Graph’s initial sale was snapped by over 4,500 users globally. It then received over 200 applications for grants, and is on its way to awarding $5 million to these grants. 

The network is currently live with over 160 Indexers and 6,000 Delegators onboard, and is on its way to a mainnet release.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $2,194,696,417

Circulating Supply: 1,245,666,867 GRT

2021 YTD performance: ~400%

20. Algorand (ALGO)

Algorand is a cryptocurrency that uses a PPoS (Pure Proof of Stake) consensus mechanism, which supports custom assets and smart contracts. In Algorand’s own words, its technology “enables a set of high performing Layer-1 blockchains that provide security, scalability, complete transaction finality, built in privacy, Co-Chains, and advanced smart contracts.” Each ALGO holder can participate in its consensus process. 

Recently, Algorand announced it had signed up over 10 million accounts. Even brands such as the Linux Foundation have announced projects on Algorand, while 4.5 million NFTs have been created by copyright management instititons such as SAIE.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $3,273,108,906

Circulating Supply: 2,605,431,747 

2021 YTD performance: ~240%

21. Oasis Network (ROSE)

ROSE is the token that is used to reward the community of the Oasis network, with the ambition to make the Oasis network stronger and safer. With a stellar list of investors backing it – including Binance Labs and Pantera Capital – Oasis is well positioned to attain its goal of being a viable privacy-centric blockchain. 

As of 2021, the mainnet phase of its roadmap has been activated, and a planned upgrade of its chain is also coming shortly. With several large node operators, and thousands of token holders (including 6000+ at CoinList who joined in 3 weeks), 2021 is shaping up to be a great year for the ROSE token.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $271,261,737

Circulating Supply: 1,500,000,000 ROSE

2021 YTD performance: ~360%

22. Coti (COTI)

COTI, the revolutionary block-less miner-less blockchain, and completely solves the scalability issues of blockchain making Bitcoin look like its old tech. COTI has achieved this by architecting a new blockchain called DAG protocol. COTI Pay, their first app, already boasts a network of 5,000 merchants and 80,000 users.

COTI has several products on offer or on schedule for launch – including a wallet, a whitelabel  payment network, a stablecoin service, and more. COTI is backed by Ernst & Young, WAVE financial and more.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $306,000,000

1 Year Performance: ~1100%

23. Enjin (ENJ)

Enjin Coin is the ERC-20 token powering the NFT platform Enjin, which allows you to create gaming assets existing completely on the blockchain. Enjin has hundreds of communities on its platform, with more than 20 million users on the original platform. 

Enjin raised $18.9 million to launch its first dedicated NFT blockchain on the Polkadot network. This will help establish better commerce for NFT-based games and other applications.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $2,093,815,337

Circulating Supply: 834,313,757 ENJ

1 Year Performance: ~1800%

24. WazirX Token (WRX)

WRX is the native token of the extremely popular Indian cryptocurrency exchange WazirX. WRX tokens can be traded to fiat, or used for discounted trading fees in the platform. The WazirX exchange is amongst India’s popular exchanges and claims trade volumes of over a million dollars daily. The token has been hitting fresh ATH after ATH in 2021. With the exchange acquired by Binance in 2020, it sits comfortably in the Indian crypto scene.  

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $127,572,526

Circulating Supply: 237,516,596

1 Year Performance: ~850%

25. Stacks (STX)

The last coin in our list, the Stacks coin powers stacks, an open-source blockchain network that allows users to build dApps and smart contracts on the blockstack network. Stacks has several notable partnerships to its name, including an integration that introduces over 300,000 Blockchain.com to STX tokens.

Stats as of 29 – 03 – 2021

Market Cap: $1,367,246,683

Circulating Supply: 1,085,316,006 STX

2021 YTD performance: ~200%

Don’t forget to check out.

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Disclaimer:

All altcoins, penny cryptocurrencies, or cheap cryptocurrencies, listed in this article are based on the author’s research. The author is not holding any of these altcoins. Always do your own research before investing in any cryptocurrency.