The explosive rise of Bitcoin has not only captured global attention but also triggered a ripple effect across the digital asset landscape. As BTC's value surged, it brought increased visibility and investment into alternative cryptocurrencies—often referred to as "altcoins." What began as a niche technological experiment has evolved into a diverse financial ecosystem, with dozens of digital currencies now boasting market capitalizations exceeding $1 billion.
While thousands of cryptocurrencies exist today, only a select few have achieved widespread adoption, robust development, and investor confidence necessary to maintain significant market valuation. According to historical data from late 2017, there were 29 digital assets with market caps surpassing the billion-dollar threshold. Although prices and rankings fluctuate due to high volatility, this list offers valuable insight into the early leaders of the crypto revolution.
Below is a ranked overview based on market capitalization at that time, providing key details such as price, ticker symbol, and underlying technology context where relevant.
Top 29 Cryptocurrencies by Market Cap (Historical Snapshot – Late 2017)
1. Bitcoin (BTC)
- Price: ~$18,000–$20,000
- Market Cap: ~$215 billion
As the first decentralized cryptocurrency, Bitcoin remains the gold standard of digital money. Created by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009, it operates on a peer-to-peer network secured by proof-of-work mining. Its limited supply of 21 million coins contributes to its scarcity-driven value proposition.
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2. Ethereum (ETH)
- Price: ~$2,200
- Market Cap: ~$76.3 billion
Ethereum goes beyond simple payments by enabling smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). This programmable blockchain laid the foundation for DeFi, NFTs, and Web3 innovations, making it one of the most influential platforms in crypto history.
3. Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Price: ~$2,218
- Market Cap: ~$36.4 billion
A hard fork of Bitcoin from 2017, Bitcoin Cash was created to improve transaction speed and reduce fees by increasing block size. It emphasizes on-chain scaling and aims to function more efficiently as digital cash.
4. Ripple (XRP)
- Price: ~$0.78
- Market Cap: ~$30.2 billion
XRP is designed for fast, low-cost international money transfers, primarily targeting banks and financial institutions. Developed by Ripple Labs, it uses a unique consensus algorithm rather than mining, allowing near-instant settlement across borders.
5. Litecoin (LTC)
- Price: ~$339
- Market Cap: ~$18.4 billion
Often called the "silver to Bitcoin’s gold," Litecoin was one of the earliest altcoins. It features faster block generation times and uses the Scrypt hashing algorithm, making it accessible for early miners without specialized ASIC hardware.
6. Cardano (ADA)
- Price: ~$0.487
- Market Cap: ~$12.6 billion
Cardano stands out for its research-driven approach and peer-reviewed development process. Founded by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, it aims to provide a more secure and scalable platform for dApps and smart contracts using a layered architecture.
7. IOTA (MIOTA)
- Price: ~$4.27
- Market Cap: ~$11.8 billion
Unlike traditional blockchains, IOTA uses a directed acyclic graph (DAG) structure called "Tangle." This allows feeless microtransactions and positions IOTA as a potential backbone for Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems.
8. Dash
- Price: ~$1,136
- Market Cap: ~$8.8 billion
Originally known as Darkcoin, Dash focuses on privacy and fast transactions through features like PrivateSend and InstantSend. It operates on a two-tier network with miners and masternodes sharing rewards.
9. NEM (XEM)
- Price: ~$0.81
- Market Cap: ~$7.3 billion
NEM introduced innovative features like multisignature accounts and namespace systems early on. Its smart asset system allows users to create custom tokens and manage digital assets efficiently.
10. Monero (XMR)
- Price: ~$369
- Market Cap: ~$5.7 billion
Privacy is central to Monero, which uses ring signatures, stealth addresses, and confidential transactions to obscure sender, receiver, and amount. These features make it one of the most secure anonymous cryptocurrencies.
11–29: Mid-Cap Innovators
| Name | Ticker | Price | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin Gold | BTG | $317 | $5.3B |
| Neo | NEO | $75 | $4.9B |
| EOS | EOS | $8.68 | $4.75B |
| Stellar | XLM | $0.268 | $4.78B |
| Ethereum Classic | ETC | $40 | $3.94B |
| Qtum | QTUM | $52.8 | $3.6B |
| Tron | TRX | $0.042 | $2.76B |
| BitConnect | BCC | $421 | $2.0B (Note: Later deemed a Ponzi scheme) |
| Populous | PPT | $47.7 | $1.97B |
| Lisk | LSK | $16.65 | $1.93B |
| OmiseGO | OMG | $17.83 | $1.82B |
| Zcash | ZEC | $579 | $1.66B |
| WAVES | WAVES | $15.49 | $1.55B |
| Hshare (HiSun) | HSR | $13.11 | $1.40B |
| Stratis | STRAT | $12.64 | $1.25B |
| BitShares | BTS | $0.436 | $1.14B |
| Tether | USDT | $1.01 | $1.13B |
| Ardor | ARDR | $1.08 | $1.08B |
| Nxt | NXT | $1.03 | $1.03B |
👉 Learn how stablecoins like USDT are transforming digital transactions today.
Note: While BitConnect appeared legitimate in late 2017, it was later exposed as a fraudulent lending platform and shut down in early 2018.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Are all these cryptocurrencies still active today?
A: Not all of them remain prominent. Some, like BitConnect, collapsed due to fraud allegations, while others saw declining usage or failed to innovate competitively against newer platforms.
Q: How can a cryptocurrency have a market cap over $1 billion?
A: Market capitalization is calculated by multiplying the current price per coin by the total circulating supply. High demand, utility, investor trust, and limited supply can all contribute to large valuations.
Q: Is market cap the best way to evaluate a cryptocurrency?
A: It's an important metric but should be used alongside others—such as trading volume, developer activity, use case relevance, and network security—for a comprehensive assessment.
Q: Why does Bitcoin dominate so heavily?
A: Bitcoin benefits from first-mover advantage, brand recognition, scarcity (capped at 21 million), strong network effects, and increasing institutional adoption as a store of value.
Q: What happened to smaller-cap cryptos after 2017?
A: Many experienced sharp declines during the 2018 bear market. Only projects with real-world utility or strong communities survived long-term scrutiny and continued development.
The Evolution Beyond 2017
While this snapshot reflects the crypto landscape at the peak of the 2017 bull run, the space has dramatically evolved since then. New entrants like Solana, Avalanche, Polkadot, and Binance Coin have risen in prominence, while others faded away due to lack of innovation or regulatory pressure.
Today’s investors look beyond just market cap—they assess tokenomics, decentralization levels, ecosystem growth, and real-world adoption when evaluating digital assets.
Core Keywords
- Cryptocurrency market cap
- Digital currencies over $1 billion
- Bitcoin alternatives
- Top altcoins
- Blockchain technology
- Decentralized finance (DeFi)
- Smart contracts
- Stablecoins
This retrospective highlights not only the diversity of early blockchain innovation but also serves as a cautionary tale about volatility and due diligence in the fast-moving world of digital finance.