From Bytes to Billions: The Crypto Tokens that are creating Wealthy Rebels
Cryptocurrency has evolved from a tech idea to a global financial movement, with a market value of over $1 trillion. New ideas like AI, GameFi, and CBDCs are changing how people see and use crypto.
9 OCT 2023, 10 min read
Cryptocurrency's story has changed a lot over time. It started as a new tech idea, then became known for online payments, and now it's a big topic about the future of the internet, called Web 3.0. This change happened because of the digital shift in finance, making it more open and less controlled by big companies. Sometimes, certain ideas push the crypto market in specific ways. Some of these ideas have become very valuable, with market values in the billions.
In 2023, many new ideas have come up in crypto. Important ones include Layer 1 and Layer 2 tech, AI use, GameFi, SocioFi, bots, and connecting real things to the digital world. Also, CBDCs (digital money from governments) are now part of the talk. These new ideas are changing how people see and use crypto, as the market tries to appeal to the masses.
The crypto market had ups and downs, especially during the 2020 pandemic. But it came back strong, reaching a record high. As of October 10, 2023, the combined market value of all cryptocurrencies surpasses $1 trillion, with daily transactions exceeding $43 billion(source: Coingecko).
The range and advancements in the crypto space highlight its complex and dynamic nature, presenting numerous investment options in the digital currency sector.
In the next sections of this blog, we'll explore the top-valued crypto assets, discuss their significance, and their position in the market's total value.
Lastly, we'll detail how to buy these top assets using your Okto wallet, ensuring you can safely hold them yourself in your self custody as you anticipate the next market upswing.
The top categories in crypto by market cap
Navigating the crypto world can be challenging due to its size and fast-paced changes. As of October 5th, 14:00 IST, data from Coingecko.com gives a detailed view of the crypto market, sorting tokens by their use, market cap, and potential. From Bitcoin's major role as a store of value to the growing importance of Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions, the crypto market offers both opportunities and challenges. This section breaks down the top crypto categories by market cap, explaining their importance, potential, and why they might be good investments. Whether you're an experienced investor or just exploring, this guide helps you understand the dynamic crypto landscape.
Store of Value
Total Market Cap Percentage: Bitcoin dominance is at 48.1%
Utility and Future: Tokens that serve as a hedge against economic fluctuations and a long-term store of wealth.
Interesting Developments: Growing adoption among institutional investors. Growing ordinals. BRC 20 and lightening ecosystem
Why You Should Buy: Protects against inflation and is widely accepted as a digital gold equivalent.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
Bitcoin
$27,606.00
$539,175,731,632.00
Store of value
A pioneer in the world of cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin operates on a decentralized peer-to-peer network.
L1 (Layer 1)
Market Cap Contribution: Occupies 21.81% of the market cap.
Utility & Prospects: Foundational blockchains fostering decentralized applications, smart contracts, and the genesis of other tokens.
Noteworthy Developments: Advancements in scaling solutions and initiatives towards environmental sustainability.
Investment Rationale: The backbone of decentralized applications (dApps) which could witness increased token demand with broader adoption.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
Ethereum
$1,635.55
$197,041,382,098.00
L1
Ethereum allows developers to build decentralized applications on its blockchain.
Solana
$22.93
$9,563,532,848.00
L1
Solana offers fast, secure, and scalable decentralized apps and crypto projects.
Cardano
$0.26
$9,035,301,936.00
L1
Cardano focuses on sustainability, scalability, and transparency in its decentralized ecosystem.
TRON
$0.09
$7,956,597,558.00
L1
TRON aims to build a decentralized internet.
Toncoin
$1.97
$6,764,655,811.00
L1
Toncoin supports a multi-blockchain system.
Avalanche
$10.02
$3,547,434,974.00
L1
Avalanche is a platform for launching decentralized applications in a highly-scalable ecosystem.
Ethereum Classic
$15.58
$2,236,987,730.00
L1
Ethereum Classic is the original Ethereum blockchain.
Hedera
$0.05
$1,624,698,556.00
L1
Hedera offers a decentralized public network for a variety of applications.
Internet Computer
$3.11
$1,389,445,171.00
L1
Internet Computer aims to extend the functionality of the public Internet.
Cronos
$0.05
$1,318,936,165.00
L1
Cronos is an Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible chain.
Mantle
$0.41
$1,316,465,348.00
L1
Mantle is a multi-layered blockchain platform.
Aptos
$5.33
$1,272,118,511.00
L1
Aptos focuses on scalability and security in its blockchain network.
NEAR Protocol
$1.10
$1,074,620,941.00
L1
NEAR offers a decentralized platform for applications.
Stablecoin
Market Cap Contribution: Forms 10.6% of the industry cap.
Utility & Prospects: These tokens maintain a peg with real-world assets like the US dollar, providing a cushion against volatility.
Noteworthy Developments: Regulatory attentiveness and evolving discussions around Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).
Investment Rationale: A prudent hedge against the inherent volatility of crypto assets.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
Tether
$1.00
$83,407,822,726.00
Stablecoin
Tether's value is pegged to the US dollar, providing stability in the volatile crypto market.
USDC
$1.00
$25,257,396,378.00
Stablecoin
USDC is a fully-backed US dollar stablecoin, offering transparency and stability.
Dai
$1.00
$3,827,223,110.00
Stablecoin
Dai is a stablecoin that aims to keep its value as close to one United States dollar (USD) as possible.
TrueUSD
$1.00
$3,435,455,731.00
Stablecoin
TrueUSD is a regulated stablecoin fully backed by the US dollar.
BUSD
$1.00
$2,239,497,806.00
Stablecoin
BUSD is a stablecoin issued by Binance in partnership with Paxos.
Exchange Token
Market Cap Contribution: They constitute 3.5% of the market cap.
Utility & Prospects: Exclusive tokens within specific exchanges that provide various benefits and functionalities.
Noteworthy Developments: Exchanges are diversifying their offerings encompassing DeFi, NFTs, and more.
Investment Rationale: Growth and diversification of exchanges could augment the value and utility of their native tokens.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
BNB
$212.32
$32,731,954,022.00
Exchange Token
BNB is Binance's native token, used for various purposes within the exchange.
LEO Token
$3.79
$3,523,830,624.00
Exchange Token
LEO Token is a utility token for the Bitfinex exchange.
OKB
$42.89
$2,577,890,581.00
Exchange Token
OKB is the global utility token of the OKEx exchange.
Digital Payment
Market Cap Contribution: About 3.7% of the market cap.
Utility & Prospects: They provide streamlined, cost-effective global payment solutions.
Noteworthy Developments: Forming partnerships with global financial entities and payment providers.
Investment Rationale: As digital payments become ubiquitous, these tokens are at the forefront of this transformation.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
XRP
$0.52
$27,967,778,432.00
Digital Payment
XRP facilitates real-time global payments for banks and financial institutions.
Litecoin
$64.52
$4,762,549,741.00
Digital Payments
Created as the "silver" to Bitcoin's "gold", Litecoin offers faster transaction times.
Bitcoin Cash
$228.66
$4,495,957,064.00
Digital Payment
A fork of Bitcoin, focusing on larger block sizes for scalability.
Stellar
$0.11
$3,090,075,395.00
Digital Payment
Stellar connects financial institutions for the purpose of large transactions.
Kaspa
$0.05
$1,011,770,097.00
Digital Payments
Kaspa offers a decentralized payment system.
Wrapped Asset
Market Cap Contribution: They represent 1.8% of the market cap.
Utility & Prospects: Facilitating the representation of assets like Bitcoin or staked Ethereum on diverse blockchains.
Noteworthy Developments: Escalated interest in integrating assets like Bitcoin into the DeFi landscape.
Investment Rationale: Boosts liquidity and unveils opportunities for assets across various platforms.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
Lido Staked Ether
$1,635.46
$14,448,622,453.00
Wrapped Asset
Represents Ethereum staked through the Lido platform.
Wrapped Bitcoin
$27,616.75
$4,503,121,505.00
Wrapped Assets
WBTC brings the liquidity of Bitcoin to the Ethereum platform.
Rocket Pool ETH
$1,775.38
$944,406,954.00
Wrapped Assets
Rocket Pool offers a decentralized Ethereum staking solution.
Meme Coin
Market Cap Contribution: The collective market cap of notable meme coins like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu represents about 1.2% of the total market cap.
Utility & Prospects: Primarily propelled by community enthusiasm and viral trends as opposed to fundamental utility.
Noteworthy Developments: A shift is seen with some meme coins venturing into utility-driven use cases.
Investment Rationale: Their viral nature presents a high-growth potential, albeit with significant speculation.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
Dogecoin
$0.06
$8,620,388,950.00
Meme Coin
Originally started as a meme, Dogecoin has a strong community backing.
Shiba Inu
$0.00
$4,262,692,115.00
Meme Coin
A decentralized meme token that grew into a vibrant ecosystem.
L2 (Layer 2)
Market Cap Contribution: L2 solutions account for 0.7% of the total market narrative.
Utility & Prospects: They are pivotal in escalating the scalability of Layer 1 blockchains.
Noteworthy Developments: Especially on Ethereum, widespread adoption is seen to ameliorate transaction efficiency.
Investment Rationale: Addressing the scalability hurdle is crucial, making L2 solutions a compelling investment.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
Polygon
$0.56
$5,208,464,779.00
L2
Polygon provides scalable and interoperable solutions for Ethereum.
Optimism
$1.32
$1,161,180,243.00
L2
Optimism provides scalability solutions for Ethereum.
Arbitrum
$0.88
$1,117,030,097.00
L2
Arbitrum is a scalable, secure, and decentralized layer 2 for Ethereum.
Blockchain Interoperability
Market Cap Contribution: Constitutes 0.6% of the total market cap.
Utility & Prospects: They pioneer in facilitating seamless interaction and communication across disparate blockchains.
Noteworthy Developments: The melding of ecosystems is underway, fostering a unified multi-blockchain ambiance.
Investment Rationale: The blockchain future may hinge on specialized chains interacting harmoniously.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
Polkadot
$4.03
$5,183,689,386.00
Blockchain Interoperability
Polkadot enables different blockchains to transfer messages and value.
Cosmos Hub
$6.93
$2,030,151,705.00
Blockchain Interoperability
Cosmos aims to create a network of blockchains all interoperable with one another.
Infrastructure
Market Cap Contribution: They hold a 0.7% stake in the overall market cap.
Utility & Prospects: The bedrock of tools and services amplifying blockchain functionality.
Noteworthy Developments: Integration of smart contracts with real-world data and decentralized storage solutions are in progress.
Investment Rationale: The burgeoning use cases of blockchain accentuate the criticality of robust infrastructure.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
Chainlink
$7.70
$4,283,360,663.00
Infrastructure
Chainlink connects smart contracts with real-world data, events, and payments.
Filecoin
$3.29
$1,497,125,415.00
Infrastructure
Filecoin is a decentralized storage system.
Quant
$86.32
$1,249,395,360.00
Infrastructure
Quant offers a blockchain operating system for multi-chain applications.
VeChain
$0.02
$1,209,369,509.00
Infrastructure
VeChain offers a platform for enhancing supply chain management.
Privacy Coin
Market Cap Contribution: Holds a modest 0.2% share in the total market cap.
Utility & Prospects: Promotes anonymous transactions safeguarding user privacy.
Noteworthy Developments: The discourse around regulation and privacy continues to evolve.
Investment Rationale: Growing concerns around financial privacy may bolster demand for these coins.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
Monero
$150.59
$2,716,511,767.00
Privacy Coin
Monero transactions are confidential and untraceable.
DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)
Market Cap Contribution: A slender 0.1% share in the total market cap.
Utility & Prospects: These decentralized entities are orchestrated by member voting sans central authority.
Noteworthy Developments: Emergence of novel governance models and member-led initiatives are on the horizon.
Investment Rationale: They embody the prospective future of organizational governance transcending traditional structures.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
Lido DAO
$1.57
$1,392,631,357.00
DAO
Lido DAO manages liquid staking of PoS protocols.
DeFi (Decentralized Finance)
Market Cap Contribution: Commands a 0.5% share in the overall market cap.
Utility & Prospects: A revolutionary paradigm shifting away from traditional financial systems to decentralized platforms.
Noteworthy Developments: The trajectory of growing adoption is accompanied by enhanced cross-chain collaborations.
Investment Rationale: DeFi stands as a vanguard that could overhaul the financial sector's landscape.
Name
Price
Market Cap
Categories
Description
Uniswap
$4.28
$3,226,389,290.00
DeFi
Uniswap is a popular decentralized trading protocol.
Maker
$1,451.57
$1,304,459,528.00
DeFi
Maker is a decentralized credit platform on Ethereum.
Aave
$69.75
$1,021,367,510.00
DeFi
Aave is a decentralized lending system on the Ethereum blockchain.
How to Buy these assets on Okto?
Diversifying your crypto portfolio or venturing into the digital currency realm has never been easier with Okto. This platform offers a seamless and user-friendly experience for purchasing various assets. If you're wondering how to get started, the following steps will guide you through the process of buying your desired tokens on Okto, ensuring a smooth and secure transaction. Let's dive in!
Step 1: Access Your Wallet
Open the Okto app on your device.
Navigate to the "Wallet" section to view your available token balances.
Step 2: Choose the Token You Want to Deposit
Click on the "Search token to deposit..." bar.
A list of tokens will be displayed. Choose the token you want to deposit by tapping on it.
Step 3: Decide the Amount and Token to Buy
Once you've selected the token, determine the amount you want to swap.
Below, choose the token you wish to receive in exchange. In the example given, the user is swapping USDT to receive BNB.
Step 4: Confirm the Swap Details
Ensure that all the details of the swap are correct.
Check the amount you'll receive and the associated fees.
Once everything looks good, swipe to confirm the transaction.
Your tokens will then be swapped, and the new balance will reflect in your wallet once the transaction is complete. Remember to always double-check all transaction details before confirming to ensure a smooth swapping experience.
Trade Safely and DYOR!
DeFi 101
Ready to get started?
Simply access your favourite token from multiple blockchains on a single DeFi app.