Bitcoin has been the dominant force in the cryptocurrency market since its inception in 2009. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only game in town.
There are a number of other digital currencies that have been gaining ground on Bitcoin in recent years. Here’s a look at three of the most promising contenders to overtake Bitcoin as the world’s top cryptocurrency.
Ethereum
Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of fraud or third party interference. Ethereum is unique in that it allows developers to create their own decentralized applications (dapps).
This has led to the creation of a wide variety of dapps, ranging from games and social media platforms to financial services and prediction markets.
Bitcoin’s dominance of the cryptocurrency market is due in large part to its first mover advantage. But Ethereum has been quickly catching up, with its market capitalization rising from around $1 billion at the beginning of 2017 to over $13 billion currently.
If Ethereum can continue to gain traction with developers, it could eventually overtake Bitcoin as the most widely used cryptocurrency.
Ripple
Ripple is a digital currency that was created with the intention of being used by banks and financial institutions for international money transfers. Unlike Bitcoin and Ethereum, Ripple is not decentralized but instead is centrally controlled by a company called Ripple Labs.
This centralization makes Ripple more efficient for money transfers than other cryptocurrencies, but it also means that it isn’t as secure or censorship-resistant as its decentralized counterparts.
Despite its advantages for money transfers, Ripple has so far failed to gain much traction with banks and other financial institutions. But if it can start getting adopted by these institutions, it could eventually overtake Bitcoin as the primary cryptocurrency used for international payments.
Litecoin
Litecoin is often referred to as “the silver to Bitcoin’s gold.” Like Bitcoin, Litecoin is a decentralized cryptocurrency that can be used for peer-to-peer payments. Litecoin was created in 2011 with the intention of being faster and more lightweight than Bitcoin. And indeed, Litecoin transactions confirm faster than Bitcoin transactions (2.
5 minutes versus 10 minutes). Litecoin also uses a different algorithm than Bitcoin, called Scrypt, which makes it harder to mine using ASICs (specialized mining hardware).
Litecoin has seen steady growth since its inception, but it has yet to reach the level of popularity or market capitalization that Bitcoin has attained. However, if Bitcoin becomes increasingly difficult to mine due to its increasing popularity and higher transaction fees, Litecoin could start becoming more attractive as an alternative digital currency.
Conclusion: Which Crypto Will Overtake Bitcoin?
All three of the cryptocurrencies mentioned above have the potential to overtake Bitcoin as the world’s top digital currency. Ethereum has gained ground on Bitcoin due to its ability to run smart contracts and its growing popularity with developers.
Ripple could eventually overtake Bitcoin if it starts getting adopted by banks and financial institutions for international payments. And Litecoin could start becoming more popular if mining Bitcoin becomes too difficult or expensive due to its increasing popularity and higher transaction fees.