Wednesday 21 February 2018

Top 20 Cryptocurrencies Worth Checking Out

Top 20 Cryptocurrencies Worth Checking Out


There are literally hundreds of cryptocurrencies available to buy or trade, each with their own unique spin on blockchain technology and different intended usage. This page contains our ranking of the 20 cryptocurrencies that show the most potential and are worth keeping an eye on.
This list takes into account coin value, how many coins are in use, the legitimacy of the individuals behind the creation of each coin, and its general popularity and usability.
It's important to take into account all of this information when thinking about investing time or money into a cryptocurrency. After all, a crypto coin that's worth a lot of money is of no use if it's not accepted anywhere. Likewise, a coin that has a lot of buzzes may be all smoke and mirrors if it never increases in value and is surrounded by controversy.
This information is intended to help educate our readers about the variety of choices available in the cryptocurrency field and is not meant to be interpreted as financial advice. As with all investments, those involved should take the whole responsibility for their buying and selling decisions and no one should ever spend more than they are willing to lose, especially in a market such as a cryptocurrency which is relatively new and fluctuates massively on a daily basis.

1) Bitcoin is the King of Crypto

Bitcoin may not be as technologically advanced as some of its rivals like Ethereum, but it has something that many of don't; brand recognition.
Bitcoin is the original cryptocurrency and as such is well-known not only in technology circles but also by the general public. Many people choose to buy Bitcoin simply because it's likely the only crypto coin they've heard of. As a result of this popularity, more businesses now accept Bitcoin payments and it's significantly easier to convert Bitcoin to traditional/fiat money than other coins.
Bitcoin is to cryptocurrency what Apple's iPhone is to smartphones. It may not technically be the best option out there but its huge head start in the industry has resulted in a lot of support from consumers and businesses and it will be very hard to beat without significant innovation from the competition.

Top 20 Cryptocurrencies Worth Checking Out
Top 20 Cryptocurrencies Worth Checking Out

2 & 3) Runners-Up: Litecoin & Ethereum

Litecoin and Ethereum are very solid second choices to Bitcoin and have grown a lot in popularity mostly due to Coinbase, the most popular place to buy and sell cryptocurrency online, adding them alongside Bitcoin. Both of these crypto coins feature cheaper and faster transactions than Bitcoin and many Bitcoin ATMs also support them.
Litecoin is based on Bitcoin technology but is run by different individuals that constantly upgrade it with the latest tech to help it run faster and better. Ethereum is a bit of a different beast due to it also doubling as a programing language on top of its cryptocurrency use. It's very popular with developers and major companies such as Microsoft have also expressed interest in developing Ethereum-based projects.

4 - 10) 7 Cryptocoins to Keep an Eye On

Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum may be considered "The Big Three" by most people but there are some legitimate crypto rivals on the horizon that have already gained a lot of traction and could give them a run for their money.
Here are seven with the biggest potential.
  • Dash: Dash launched in 2014 as a blockchain-powered, decentralized, digital cash alternative to PayPal. From its cool logo to its apps and integration with numerous merchants and services, Dash is a cryptocurrency that aims to make the technology approachable to the average consumer.
  • Monero: Monero is often referred to as "the privacy coin" due to the fact that transactions on its blockchain are significantly more difficult to track than with Bitcoin and other crypto coins. Montero's technology does make it more difficult to integrate Monero into cryptocurrency software and hardware wallets, but that hasn't stopped investors and casual users from checking it out.
  • OmiseGO: OmiseGO is a financial solution based off of the Ethereum blockchain and technology. Its main purpose is to allow businesses to process payments from a variety of crypto and fiat (traditional) currencies quickly and affordable. It is already being implemented in some major businesses, such as McDonald's, in several Asian countries. There is a lot of support behind OmiseGO with an impressive list of advisors and companies such as SBI Investors and SMBC investing in it.
  • Ripple: Ripple is a blockchain solution designed for major financial institutions to help increase security and transaction speed while reducing the associated fees. Over 75 major financial institutions such as Westpac, MUFG, UBS, and American Express have already begun working with Ripple.
  • Zcash: This crypto coin is a direct rival to Bitcoin, Litecoin, and other traditional cryptocurrencies that aspire to become a mainstream payment option for consumers. Zcash does provide more security and privacy than Bitcoin but most people interested in such features usually prefer to use Monero.
  • BCash/Bitcoin Cash: Bitcoin Cash gets a lot of publicity and is often one of the most-valuable cryptocurrencies on the market. It's important to understand though that Bitcoin Cash actually has no connection to Bitcoin, despite its name, and that it is quite a controversial coin due to many people behind its creation promoting it as "the real Bitcoin." This misinformation has resulted in new investors mistakenly buying Bitcoin Cash instead of Bitcoin and many services are now referring to it as BCash to limit the amount of confusion around it. With more and more people educating themselves on cryptocurrency, it's unclear how popular Bitcoin Cash will remain going forward.
  • Steam: Steemit is a decentralized blogging platform and Steam is the cryptocurrency that's rewarded to users for posting, commenting, upvoting, and sharing content on it.

11 - 20) 10 Cryptocurrencies With Potential

These following cryptocurrencies may not have made it into our Top 10 most-interesting coins but they still have a lot of potentials and could quickly rise up the list if given the proper support.
  • Dogecoin: This crypto coin is a basic coin used for making payments. The Dogecoin technology itself will have a hard time competing with the likes of Litecoin and Bitcoin but its logo, that of the popular Shiba in internet meme, has done a great job of attracting users to its platform. Dogecoin is definitely the most-fun cryptocurrency.
  • Golem: Golem is projected that aims to take cloud computing and make it decentralized. Essentially entire websites and services will be hosted on users' computers and those who opt-in to provide their computer to be part of the service will be rewarded with the Golem token/coin.
  • SALT: SALT is a blockchain-powered loan platform where users can deposit their various cryptocurrencies and receive a real-world money loan.  
  • NEO: NEO is a Chinese cryptocurrency that has had a bit of a rough start due to mainland China's constantly changing stance of crypto coins but NEO eventually recovered and many see it as a coin that could be huge in China if the country ever bans other crypto coins.
  • IOTA: IOTA is a blockchain-powered marketplace for providing and selling data. The IOTA service itself is quite niche but its crypto coin has garnered a fair bit of buzz from the crypto community.
  • EOS: This cryptocurrency is a direct competitor to Ethereum and promises to process payments with zero fees, which would be a first for a crypto coin. It's unclear if EOS can compete with the massive popularity of Ethereum though.
  • Stellar: Stellar is an open-source blockchain project that aims to revolutionize the banking industry with faster and cheaper international payments.  
  • TRON/TRONIX: The TRON project aims to decentralize entertainment and offer a distribution method that will benefit both creators and consumers by protecting copyright and reducing costs. TRON's crypto coin is TRONIX and it, along with other coins, will be able to be used to purchase content and services on the network.  
  • Civic: This secure identity database has garnered a lot of media attention due to its potential for creating a truly global database for storing and sharing personal and medical data in a secure and decentralized way. Civic has found a niche for itself in the crowded crypto space and has very few rivals.
  • BitConnect: BitConnect closed down its popular lending platform in early 2018 in a pivot to be more of a source for cryptocurrency education and trading via its BitConnectX platform. Despite this shift in focus, BitConnect's cryptocurrency, BitConnect Coin, still has a large market cap plus with the continuation of the BCCPay debit card (which can use BitConnect Coin and Bitcoin to make payments via the Mastercard network), the company's continued forward momentum, and its large vocal fanbase means that the coin shouldn't be brushed aside just yet and could make a big return in the future.

How to Change Bitcoin Into Regular Money

How to Change Bitcoin Into Regular Money


More and more businesses are accepting Bitcoin, Litecoin, and other cryptocurrencies but it can still be hard to use your crypto coins everywhere. Here are the three best ways to convert your Bitcoin into cash to use when shopping online and in store.

Get Cash With a Bitcoin ATM


Bitcoin ATMs are available in most major cities around the world and they provide a relatively fast way to quickly convert Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies into traditional, real-world money.
Many Bitcoin ATMs also allow users to buy Bitcoin with money in much the same way someone would deposit money into their bank account at a regular ATM. Most now support additional crypto coins such as Litecoin and Ethereum as well.
Using a Bitcoin ATM to convert cryptocurrencies into money can be a convenient practice for those who get paid in Bitcoin and wish to spend their earnings. One downside though is the fees which are usually much higher on an ATM than an online service. The conversion rates can also be much lower than other methods as well which means that you may not get as much money for you crypto as you'd like.

How to Change Bitcoin Into Regular Money
How to Change Bitcoin Into Regular Money



Convert Bitcoin Via an Online Service


There are several popular online services that not only allow people to easily purchase Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies via their websites and smartphone apps but also sell the ones they have for real money.
The most popular service is Coinbase while a good alternative is CoinJar. Both offer the buying and selling of Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum, while Coinbase also supports Bitcoin Cash (a completely separate cryptocurrency from Bitcoin) and CoinJar has Ripple.
Each service can connect to traditional bank accounts to pay for crypto coin purchases. This connectivity also enables the selling of cryptocurrencies which can be converted into regular money and transferred to a bank account within a few days.
Many people use Coinbase and CoinJar to buy Bitcoin (and other coins) and cash out their profits via bank transfer as their crypto coins gain in value. Others use their accounts to receive cryptocurrency payments from friends, family members, or customers which can then be withdrawn as money.

Using a Bitcoin Debit Card


Cryptocurrency debit cards are a practical and affordable way to spend Bitcoin and other crypto coins at traditional retailers who may not accept crypto payments but do offer support for debit and credit cards. These cards allow their users to deposit their crypto coins via an online website which automatically converts them into a fiat currency such as the American Dollar or Euro.
Popular cryptocurrency debit cards are Monaco, Bitpay, CoinJar, and BCCPay. Each card is powered by either VISA or Mastercard which means that they can be used for both online and offline shopping for most businesses. Availability can vary by geographical region as can the daily and monthly usage limits so it's recommended to compare each card to find the right one for you and your financial situation.


The 3 Top Bitcoin Mining Methods

The 3 Top Bitcoin Mining Methods


Bitcoin mining is the strategy in which exchanges on the Bitcoin blockchain are affirmed and prepared. In the event that there were no Bitcoin mineworkers, the Bitcoin cryptographic money would stop to work as no exchanges would be affirmed. 

The individuals who play out the mining procedure are alluded to as Bitcoin excavators and they're compensated for their help with a level of the exchange expense charged to the Bitcoin client. 

Mining Bitcoin can be a viable method to gain additional cash and numerous people have now turned out to be full-time Bitcoin mineworkers. Here are the three principal approaches to mine Bitcoin and begin acquiring cash. 

Learner: Using a Bitcoin Mining App 

The most effortless approach to begin mining Bitcoin is to just download an application that does everything for you. Bitcoin Miner is a Windows 10 application that is allowed to download and use on Windows 10 PCs and tablets and furthermore deals with Windows Phones. 

Once the Bitcoin Miner application is downloaded, clients essentially need to enter their Bitcoin wallet's address in the Payout Address settings screen and after that press the conspicuous Start catch. It's just as simple as that. 

The all the more capable your gadget is, the more Bitcoin exchanges it will have the capacity to process. This implies a Windows Phone may not procure much Bitcoin but rather a Windows 10 PC that can perform overwhelming obligation assignments like video altering and play real computer game titles has the possibility to acquire a lot. 

The 3 Top Bitcoin Mining Methods
The 3 Top Bitcoin Mining Methods



Amateur: Mine Bitcoin in the Cloud 

A well-known approach to get in on the cryptographic money mining fever is to pay another person to do it for you. Alluded to as cloud mining, this procedure includes agreeing to accept a record on an outsider's site and paying them to mine Bitcoin and different digital forms of money for you. 

Commonly, the more cash you pay, the more digital currency your record will have the capacity to mine. 

Cloud digging contracts normally keep going for at least a year or somewhere in the vicinity, however, some can proceed inconclusively. Mined cryptographic money is sent to your assigned wallet address all the time which makes it a cool method to gain leftover pay on a week after week (or some of the time every day) premise. The digital currency that is mined quite often takes care of the expense of the underlying installment. 

Beginning Mining is one of the more dependable cloud mining organizations around. Their organizer and CEO have even given a TED Talk about its creation and the beginning of Bitcoin mining. Beginning Mining offers Bitcoin mining contracts notwithstanding Litecoin, Ethereum, Monero, and a scope of different cryptographic forms of money. 

Propelled: Building a Bitcoin Mining Rig 

Those looking to truly put resources into digital currency mining should purchase an application-particular incorporated circuits (ASIC) equipment gadget, regularly alluded to as a mining rig. These are basically processors that are made exclusively to mine Bitcoin and different crypto coins and are proposed to run relentlessly throughout the day, consistently. 

ASIC mineworkers are for the most part very costly and offer for a few thousand dollars. 

Running such a gadget likewise devours a considerable measure of power so it can take a while, regularly finished a time of constant mining, to start acquiring a benefit. 

The most-mainstream brand of ASIC diggers is Bitmain with their Antminer mineworkers. They regularly discharge more up to date models of their mineworkers that are more effective at mining Bitcoin and expending vitality and furnish customers with thorough help and composed set-up guides went for both propelled diggers and finish learners. 

When utilizing an ASIC mining gadget, you'll additionally need to download propelled mining programming and join a mining pool. The product will advise the ASIC what to mine, where to mine, and who to send the mined Bitcoin to while the mining pool is a gathering of different diggers that assistance each other mine together and offer the prizes between them. 

The most generally suggested mining pool and the program is Slush Pool and CGminer separately, however, those utilizing a Bitmain excavator may want to utilize their own particular program and mining pool because of their comfort and easy to understand interface. 

Why You Should Mine Bitcoin 

Notwithstanding acquiring additional cash, mining a digital currency can likewise be an approach to help your favored coin. Excavators are expected to process all exchanges on a crypto coin's blockchain so the more mineworkers there are, the speedier and more steady the coin will be. 

Why You Shouldn't Do Bitcoin Mining 

Mining Bitcoin and different cryptographic forms of money devour a considerable measure of cash, time, and assets. For the vast majority, it can be nearly as compensating to just buy some Bitcoin from an administration like Coinbase or CoinJar and let it increment in esteem while sitting in a wallet doing nothing.