Top 6 Bitcoin (BTC) Alternatives in 2018

May 28, 2018

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It has been a while since cryptocurrencies first appeared, and due to their last year’s increase in price and popularity, nearly everyone with the internet connection has at least heard of them. Most people are already somewhat familiar with Bitcoin (BTC), which is the first and biggest crypto to this day. However, there are many, many more of them out there, some of which can serve as more than decent BTC alternatives. Let’s list some of them, and see what they can offer.

Litecoin (LTC)

Litecoin is often described as silver to Bitcoin’s gold. It is a currency that first appeared in 2011, and it is among the first ones to appear after BTC. LTC was created by a former Google engineer and an MIT graduate, Charlie Lee, and it is based on an open-source network for global payments. It is decentralized, meaning that it does not have a central authority, and is known for using scrypt as its proof-of-work.

Considering the fact that it appeared so soon after BTC, it shares many similarities with this currency. What makes it different, however, is a much faster rate of block generation. This also allows for faster transactions, which is a useful feature that has inspired many to start adopting LTC as a part of their business practices. Its current value is $122.10 per coin.

Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum is a much younger crypto that was launched back in 2015. It is basically a decentralized software platform, and it allows for the creation of dApps and Smart Contracts. Thanks to these products, issues like fraud, downtime, interference, or control from some third party is completely eliminated.

Before ETH’s official launch, Ethereum has a pre-sale which had a much bigger response than anyone would have expected. Its token is called Ether, and it allows its holders to easily navigate Ethereum’s platform, which is why app developers who wish to use this platform make the majority of ETH holders.

After a cyber attack from 2016, Ethereum had to split, which led to the creation of another altcoin, Ethereum Classic (ETC). ETH’s current price is $602.78, while ETC’s price is $15.75.

Verge (XVG)

Verge is yet another crypto that was inspired by Bitcoin, and it even used BTC’s original blockchain, which it improved for its own purposes. Those purposes include providing its users with an efficient and fast decentralized way to make transactions directly. Its goal is to allow the users to keep their privacy, and give them flexible options when it comes to sending and receiving payments.

To achieve such levels of privacy, Verge uses networks that provide anonymity, like 12P and Tor. That way, it can successfully hide its users’ IP addresses, and keep their transactions untraceable. As for its price, it is currently at $0.041980.

Ripple (XRP)

Ripple is a crypto that was developed and launched in 2012 by the Ripple company. This company has a complete ownership and control over this currency, which makes it impossible for anyone to actually mine it. The only way to get Ripple is to buy it from a trading platform. This level of control, as well as multiple products that provide its users with quick and safe payments, has made Ripple one of favorite cryptos among the banks.

Financial institutions have discovered its potential, which has inspired them to adopt it and use its technology to improve their own businesses. Ripple, of course, accepted, which allowed it to gain more exposure, influence, and users. Its price is at $0.623194.

Dash

Dash is a crypto that appeared in January 2014 under the name of Darkcoin, and is mostly described as Bitcoin’s more secretive version. Obviously, it was inspired by BTC, but it offers much more anonymity than BTC. It works on a mastercode network that is completely decentralized, and it allows for untraceable transactions.

Due to its nature, it became very popular very quickly, and it can be mined by anyone by using GPU or CPU. Its name was changed from Darkcoin to Dash in 2015, but it kept all of its original technological features. Its current price is at $338.29.

Despite the fact that BTC is the biggest and the best-known crypto within the online world, there are still many currencies that can be used as its alternatives. Most of them offer a better deal when it comes to privacy or fees, which is not surprising considering that they managed to build on the foundation that BTC itself has set.

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Disclaimer: This article should not be taken as, and is not intended to provide, investment advice. Global Coin Report and/or its affiliates, employees, writers, and subcontractors are cryptocurrency investors and from time to time may or may not have holdings in some of the coins or tokens they cover. Please conduct your own thorough research before investing in any cryptocurrency and read our full disclaimer.

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