CRYPTOCURRENCIES


    Major Cryptocurrencies

    This page defines and compares the top cryptocurrencies traded around the world: Bitcoin, Ether and Litecoin. Keep reading to view live cryptocurrency prices and the latest cryptocurrency market news, and to learn about the factors that influence prices, such a s speculation and regulatory ruling.


    WHAT ARE CRYPTOCURRENCIES?

    Cryptocurrencies have seen an explosion in popularity since they rose to prominence in 2009 and there are now over two thousand in existence. Some of the ‘major’ cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin. These are among the most traded cryptocurrencies worldwide, with the largest market caps.

    Like all cryptocurrencies, the majors are digital assets that secure and verify transactions using computer science and compl ex mathematics, known as cryptography. Unlike traditional (‘fiat’) currencies, they are not currently issued or backed by a central authority such as a government. Instead, they run across a network of computers and are underpinned by blockchain technology – a permanent record of transactions that cannot be altered without the consensus of the network.


    WHAT ARE THE TOP CRYPTOCURRENCIES TRADED WORLDWIDE?

    The most popular cryptocurrencies are currently Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin. These dominate the cryptocurrency market and are highly popular among traders and investors.

    Bitcoin (BTC) Ether (ETH) Litecoin (LTC)

    Bitcoin is inarguably the most famous cryptocurrency to date. Designed by an anonymous individual under the pseudonym ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ in 2008, it is the biggest by some distance in terms of market capitalization.* It can be used as a medium of exchange, with companies in sectors ranging from travel to gift cards to jewellers having accepted Bitcoin as payment through anonymous transactions.

    However, while there are some organisations that accept it as currency, others shy away due to Bitcoin’s dramatic price swings. Driven largely by speculation, the price per Bitcoin rose sharply from $1,151 in January 2017, to an all-time high of $19,783 in December the same year.* It then dropped to below $7,000 by February 2018 and rallied again to around $11,000 over a matter of days, before plunging once more to trade below $4,000. Subsequently, one of the key characteristics of Bitcoin that traders should understand is its potential for extreme volatility.

    Developed in 2012 by Toronto-based programmer Vitalik Buterin, and backed by an initial $18 million crowdfund, Ether (ETH) is a cryptocurrency that underpins a blockchain network called Ethereum. While Bitcoin was designed to be a digital currency, Ethereum is a more general implementation of blockchain technology.

    A feature of the Ethereum network is that it enables its users to create decentralised apps, known as ’dapps’, and smart contracts.

    Dapps are software applications that run across a network of computers, purportedly without the possibility of interference or downtime, while smart contracts are binding agreements, which are written as lines of code and can therefore automatically enforce their own clauses. Ether is used to process transactions on the network, including those automated by dapps and smart contracts

    Litecoin was released in October 2011 by ex-Google employee Charlie Lee. Launched with the intention of being a cheaper version of Bitcoin for everyday purposes, Litecoin was formed in a ‘hard fork’ (split) of the Bitcoin Core client, the free and open-source software that underpins the cryptocurrency. Litecoin offers faster transaction times than Bitcoin and a greater supply – there are a potential 84 million Litecoin that can exist compared to Bitcoin’s 21 million.


    WHAT AFFECTS THE PRICE OF CRYPTOCURRENCIES?

    Cryptocurrency prices can move in spectacular fashion, and there are a variety of triggers for such volatility. Here are a few of them:

    Speculation
    News Announcements
    Regulation
    New Cryptocurrencies

    If you’re interested in trading the major cryptocurrencies, whether long or short term, there are many factors to consider. Do you have a high risk tolerance; are you open to volatility? Do you want to add more cryptocurrencies to your portfolio, or do you want to progress to a new asset class in time? Do you want to go for a day trading strategy, or do you prefer position trading for a longer-term approach?