You probably know that Bitcoin isn’t the only cryptocurrency out there. All other coins besides BTC are known as alternative coins, or simply altcoins. One of the most famous examples is Ethereum, which you’ve likely heard of.
If you want to invest beyond Bitcoin, start by looking at the top altcoins by market capitalization (or market cap). It’s calculated as altcoin price × circulating supply. It’s a key metric that shows how popular a cryptocurrency is. A higher market cap often reflects stronger adoption, greater investor confidence, and long-term staying power.
In this guide, we’ll explain what altcoins are, and show each altcoin market cap chart. Along the way, we’ll use simple examples, introduce key terms, and highlight the risks you should understand before investing.
What Are Altcoins?
Altcoins represent all cryptocurrencies and tokens that are not Bitcoin. They bring new features: programmability, faster payments, privacy, interoperability, and more.
Here are the Top 10 Altcoins according to CoinMarketCap:
Beginners often get confused about what a coin is and what a token is. The rule is simple: coins have their own blockchain, while tokens are built on top of another blockchain. In our list:
Coins: ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, TRX, ADA
Tokens: USDT, USDC, LINK.
Beyond serving as the “currency” of their networks, altcoins also fall into different categories based on their primary use case. Here are the main types you’ll come across:
- Platform tokens – support entire ecosystems (e.g., Ethereum, Solana, Cardano).
- Utility tokens – provide access to a product or service (e.g., BNB).
- Governance tokens – give holders voting rights in protocols (e.g., DOT).
- Stablecoins – peg to real-world assets like the US dollar (e.g., USDT, USDC).
- Meme coins – community-driven projects often born from internet culture (e.g., DOGE, SHIB).
Best Altcoins List by Market Cap in 2025
Let’s meet the current leaders beyond Bitcoin, based on early September 2025 data.
Ethereum (ETH)
- Market cap: ~$533.18B
- Price: ~$4,416
- Consensus mechanism: Proof of Stake
- Founded: Vitalik Buterin, 2015
Ethereum is the "World Computer" and the "Internet of Apps". Smart contracts is a special feature, turning Ethereum into the backbone of DeFi (decentralized finance), NFT marketplaces, and countless Web3 applications. Ethereum is so cool now, because it’s an infrastructure layer for the decentralized economy.
Tether (USDT)
- Market cap: ~$168 B
- Price: $1
- Consensus mechanism: Operates across multiple blockchains
- Founded: Brock Pierce, Reeve Collins & Craig Sellars, 2014
When people say, “I get my salary in crypto,” they’re usually talking about stablecoins. Tether (USDT) is the largest of them all. The name “Tether” comes from the idea of the token being tethered to the U.S. dollar. Unlike volatile coins, each USDT is supposed to remain anchored at $1.
As of 2025, Tether dominates the stablecoin market with about 70%+ share of total stablecoin supply. Traders use Tether to move money between exchanges, park profits during downturns, or send funds globally without going through banks.
Ripple (XRP)
- Market cap: ~$169 B
- Price: ~$2.84
- Consensus mechanism: Federated consensus / UNL-based validation
- Founded: David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb & Arthur Britto; launched 2012
XRP is a digital currency created by the Ripple Labs company. Ripple created a payment network called RippleNet, which helps banks move money across borders in seconds. In this system, XRP can be used as a “bridge” between different currencies.
Unlike Bitcoin, which was designed to replace traditional banks, Ripple’s goal is to work with banks and improve the existing system. For this reason, many people call this project a "Trojan horse" used by banks to enter the crypto ecosystem.
Binance Coin (BNB)
- Market cap: ~$118 B
- Price: ~$848
- Consensus mechanism: Proof-of-Staked Authority (PoSA)
- Founded: Changpeng Zhao (CZ), 2017
BNB is the cryptocurrency of the Binance exchange. It was launched in July 2017 by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ). At first, it was an ERC-20 token on Ethereum but as Binance expanded, BNB migrated to its own blockchain, now called the BNB Chain.
At first, BNB’s main purpose was simple: discounts on trading fees for Binance users. But over time, its use cases exploded: to pay gas fees on BNB Chain, stake for rewards, join Launchpad sales, and access various services within and beyond Binance’s ecosystem.
Solana (SOL)
- Market cap: ~$112 B
- Price: ~$207
- Consensus mechanism: Hybrid Proof of Stake + Proof of History
- Founded: Anatoly Yakovenko, 2017
Solana is a high-performance blockchain designed for fast, low-cost transactions. Its unique consensus model combines Proof of Stake (PoS) with Proof of History (PoH)—a system that timestamps transactions to keep the network in sync.
Solana is the real mother of tokens because many new memecoins and community tokens are launched on it. Today, the most popular token-launch platform on Solana is Pump.fun. Solana also has its own flagship wallet, Phantom, widely used by retail users.
USD Coin (USDC)
- Market cap: ~$73 B
- Price: ~$1
- Consensus mechanism: Operates on multiple blockchains
- Founded: Centre Consortium (Circle & Coinbase), 2018
USD Coin (USDC) is the more transparent cousin of Tether (USDT) and its main competitor USDT. For now, in Europe, USDC is allowed while USDT is restricted because of MiCA regulations (Markets in Crypto-Assets, 2024). USDC is regularly audited by accounting firms, with public attestations, which make it compliant. USDT, on the other hand, has faced criticism for its opaque reserves.
Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Market cap: ~$32.6 B
- Price: ~$0.21
- Consensus mechanism: Proof of Work (Scrypt, forked from Litecoin)
- Founded: Billy Markus & Jackson Palmer, December 2013
Dogecoin is a peer-to-peer digital currency running on its own Proof of Work blockchain. Doge is the first and only token that was accepted as a means of payment, like a currency. Tesla, Dallas Mavericks (NBA), AMC Theatres accepted DOGE for payments.
It's also known as the meme-coin famously championed by Elon Musk.
TRON (TRX)
- Market cap: ~$32 B
- Price: ~$0.339
- Consensus mechanism: Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS)
- Founded: Justin Sun, 2017
Its primary use case was as a platform for decentralized content sharing, where creators could connect directly with their audience without relying on platforms like YouTube or Spotify.
TRON is also known as the “best friend of USDT.” Today, TRON hosts over $75 billion worth of Tether (USDT) across 68 million accounts. It’s around 52–55% of all USDT in circulation.
Cardano (ADA)
- Market cap: ~$29.31B
- Price: ~$0.8202
- Consensus mechanism: Proof of Stake (Ouroboros)
- Founded: Charles Hoskinson & IOHK; 2015
If Bitcoin was the first big step in blockchain and Ethereum the second, then Cardano is often called a third-generation blockchain.
Cardano honors the Renaissance mathematician Gerolamo Cardano, while its token ADA is named after Ada Lovelace, widely regarded as the first computer programmer.
It’s one rooted in scientific research and peer-reviewed academic work. It aims to support smart contracts, dApps, and financial services, especially in regions underserved by traditional banking.
Chainlink (LINK)
- Market cap: ~$15.84B
- Price: ~$23.36
- Consensus mechanism: Off-Chain Reporting (OCR) decentralized oracles
- Founded: Sergey Nazarov & Steve Ellis, 2019
Chainlink is the leading oracle network, a system that connects blockchains with real-world data. Want a smart contract to know the latest ETH/USD price, weather conditions, or results of a football match? Chainlink makes that possible by securely feeding off-chain information into on-chain applications.
Quick Market Cap Snapshot
Risks of Investing in Altcoins
These top cryptocurrencies are over a decade old, with large market caps and relative stability. Still, they carry risks:
- regulation (BNB fell 10% when CZ was arrested in 2023)
- centralization (many rely on foundations or small validator sets)
- technology shifts (ETH dropped ~20% around the Merge)
- volatility (Ethereum, Solana, and BNB have all lost 70–95% in past bear markets).
Smaller altcoins are riskier. Many are “shitcoins” that can crash days after launch or pump and dump wildly. They suffer from low liquidity, weak governance, and high speculation.
What Altcoin to Invest In?
Probably, after reading this article, you’ve already understood that altcoins are not a scam and are worth investing in. By the way, the total altcoin market cap is 310.664B.
When choosing the best altcoins to invest in, start simple: look at the chart. Past price action shows you what kind of volatility and drops you might face. Also, pay attention to when the altcoin season will come.
Check fundamentals. Top altcoins with strong fundamentals solve real problems, have developers with good reputations, and have numerous use cases. A high market cap signals adoption and trust, but the best investment choice depends on your goals, risk tolerance, and whether you believe in the project’s long-term vision.
Tanya Petrusenko
Disclaimer: All materials on this site are for informational purposes only. None of the material should be interpreted as investment advice. Please note that despite the nature of much of the material created and hosted on this website, HODL FM is not a financial reference resource, and the opinions of authors and other contributors are their own and should not be taken as financial advice. If you require advice. HODL FM strongly recommends contacting a qualified industry professional.
