The Best Altcoin Investments in Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies in 2018
RegulationBit News Today2 min read
Investors are seeking alternatives to Bitcoin as the market for other cryptocurrencies gains momentum this year. Several leading altcoins have seen dramatic price surges, creating opportunities - and risks - for traders and long-term investors. ## Stellar and Cardano post sharp gains
Stellar was one of several major altcoins to post a substantial gain in the first half of 2018, as its price reached an all-time high in early January. Since then, it has settled back to around two dollars. A recent partnership between Stellar and a major Korean bank raised hopes it could cement itself as a leader in international payments.
Meanwhile, Cardano passed the $1 mark in a major milestone for the token in January, thanks to the anticipated launch of its smart contract platform in the latter half of 2018.
Among the oldest altcoins, two names continue to dominate the market's interest: Litecoin and Ripple (XRP). Litecoin beat out Ripple in January in the race to $2, and its price has settled around that level, cementing its place as the fourth largest token by market cap. As Bitcoin's long-overdue forks are due in the coming months, Litecoin could continue to gain market power, especially if the "SegWit2x" hard fork implementation expected later this year bears fruit.
The Ripple company has made a serious push for scaling partnerships and Ivy League collaborations, which have collectively boosted the coin's hype among speculators and investors. But as of now, Ripple is still regarded as more of a bet on the company's future rather than the coin's investment potential. ## ICOs and network growth fuel altcoin stocks
Despite a sharp drop in the number of successful ICOs since the beginning of 2018, the coins powering these campaigns typically offer built-in opportunities for slow gains. In the absence of some of the most publicized ICOs from the past two years, more ICOs are pledging long-term network growth and platform expansion.
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