5 appealing cryptocurrencies to consider other than Bitcoin

In November 2021, when it peaked, the crypto market had a total value of $2.9 trillion; however, by mid-2022, it declined to less than $900 billion due to rising inflation, among other factors.

Overall, it’s been a roller coaster for the industry, and only those who are willing to endure such massive fluctuations should own crypto. If you decide that this asset class is for you, knowing which cryptocurrency to choose can be daunting, as they all have unique dynamics. While everyone knows about well-established cryptos, such as Ethereum, some people are also interested in understanding render value, especially because this cryptocurrency has recently gained a lot of attention. In this blog, we will explore different digital assets you can consider besides Bitcoin so you can make an informed decision.

Obviously, one of the first cryptocurrencies worth considering besides Bitcoin is Ethereum, which is second in market cap and has a value that accounts for over 13% of the total crypto market. Ethereum is different from Bitcoin in the sense that its underlying network is not just a tool for P2P payments but is also designed for decentralized finance tools and smart contracts, as well as trading or NFTs and Web3 applications.

While Bitcoin acts mainly as a store of value and a speculative asset, Ethereum has real-world utility by nature. Its switch from PoW to PoS consensus mechanism provides it with an advantage in an increasingly eco-conscious world. Given that Ethereum is very innovative and already well-established, with a great historical performance, it’s definitely one of the best cryptos to invest in.

Like Ethereum, Solana has been designed with utility in mind and is known for facilitating the creation of decentralized apps. However, its network is much faster than Ethereum's and intended to be more scalable compared to rivals. SOL is the native token of the Solana blockchain, which only began trading in 2020 but has seen a meteoric rise since then. At the beginning of 2021, SOL’s value represented 0.01% of the total market, and since then, it has increased considerably.

Stablecoins aside, Solana is the fourth most significant cryptocurrency in the world, with a market cap around $86 billion, and thus far, it has enjoyed a good run in the industry. Apart from its low fees, thriving ecosystem, and ease of use, Solana has raised a lot of attention through meme coins’ popularity, which are cheap to create and trade. For instance, Bonk and Dogwifhat are two of the most popular meme coins of the Solana blockchain.

You may be surprised to see this meme coin on the list – after all, it doesn’t have any inherent value, right? So why even consider buying it? Well, if you’re resigned to speculating (which is probably the case since you are participating in the crypto market), meme coins can offer tremendous upside, and they also have robust communities of loyal holders and intermittent times of massive surges, especially when they catch fire on social media channels. Pepe is, in fact, one of the most well-established internet memes ( and a long-living one) and has successfully cleared challenging market thresholds: with a current market cap of $6.2 billion, it’s actually among the 30 most valuable crypto assets in the world today.

Over 1,100% during the last year, Pepe has proven its ability to reach incredible heights so it can provide opportunities. However, if you decide to buy it, it’s essential to ensure you buy the right one, because there are different PEPE coins across the industry.

The Render token has experienced some busy months lately due to the move to the Solana blockchain, but investors are keeping an eye on this exciting project and hope it will return to the heights it experienced in December and continue to thrive. There are some predictions that Render could see enhanced development and adoption by 2025, which could lead to an increase in its price, and this crypto project is very promising, especially because, over the course of this year, it has had a robust performance.

Render stands out from other crypto projects because it allows you to invest in the crypto market and the AI industry. Unlike the rest of the Ethereum-based blockchains, which promote the development of fragmented projects for ecosystem expansion, Render offers decentralized GPU power to developers and content creators alike. The price predictions for Render are bullish, and compared to many other altcoins, its future seems incredibly bright, so it may be a crypto worth considering for investors.

Charles Hoskinson founded Cardano in 2017 as a proof-of-stake blockchain that has become incredibly popular, succeeding in running that more energy-efficient protocol. Cardano has created a dApp ecosystem that’s accessible and friendly to developers, and unlike Ethereum, it has a hard cap on the coins that can exist, reaching 45 billion. Luckily for investors, roughly 78% of the supply of the token has already been issued, which means the amount of the total dilution is relatively limited.

Cardano has improved about 40% since early 2023, when it only traded for 25 cents, which is quite an impressive performance. Right now, its market cap is over $27 billion, and it holds immense promise for the future. The investment potential of Cardano depends on various factors, including investment objectives, individual risk tolerance, and market conditions, but many experts believe that its wide range of applications will make it even more appealing in the coming years.

Bitcoin remains the king of the crypto kingdom, but there are other alternatives worth exploring, and in this blog, we have mentioned a few of them. Obviously, there are other options that could also make sense for you, so it’s essential to conduct comprehensive research and determine the pros and cons of each crypto project. Remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all option when it comes to the crypto industry, and it all depends on what you want to achieve in your investing journey ( and how much of a risk-taker you are!) So, carefully consider these cryptocurrencies, and stick to the ones you find a worthy addition to your portfolio.