In 2021, the cryptocurrency world has seen multiple transformations in the industry, new currencies pioneering in the niche and Bitcoin and Ethereum holding their leadership in the market. The year is coming to an end, and it's time to look at the top players in the crypto world. This article introduces you to the Top 10 cryptocurrencies to invest in in 2021 and 2022.

Top 10 cryptocurrencies in the world

Bitcoin's topical value is higher than that of Walt Disney and Mastercard put together. But the world's oldest currency isn't the only solution worth mentioning on the Top 10 cryptocurrencies list. Ethereum, Solana, Cardano and others have also multiplied their demand and value since their inception. The digital currencies presented on the Top 10 cryptocurrencies of the 2021 collection have high chances to become unicorn companies on the traditional stock exchange. When taken together, their value exceeds $1 trillion. Keeping this in mind, let's take a closer look at the Top 10 players in the crypto world for 2021, which are also worth investing in 2022. 

Bitcoin (BTC)

Market cap: $1,078,081,917,505

All-Time High: $68,789.63 (10 Nov 2021)

Circulating Supply: 18,886,337 BTC

The launch of Bitcoin in 2009 changed the way we understand and use money forever. It opened the door to decentralised, blockchain-based currencies not belonging to any nation, government or financial party. Bitcoin accounts for 43% of the entire asset class’s market cap. With a maximum circulation of 21 million BTC and the potential to become a store of value on the balance sheets of corporate America, Bitcoin is the must-own currency in 2021, 2022 and many years to come. 

As of November 2021, Bitcoin has a market cap of around $1 trillion and a token cost of about $58 K. 

Ethereum (ETH)

Market cap: $511,478,292,796

All-Time High: $4,859.50 (10 Nov 2021)

Circulating Supply: 118,537,595 ETH

Ethereum comes next on the list of the Top 10 cryptocurrencies to invest in. Accounting for more than 19% of the entire asset class’s market cap, Ethereum is the only digital currency outside BTC worthy of being named the blue-chip cryptocurrency. Its functionality as a platform for decentralised finance (or DeFi) is one of the key points making ETH different from BTC. It's a luring solution for developers building decentralised apps (or DApps). The most-used blockchain network globally and the go-to network for non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. 

As of November 2021, Ethereum has a market cap of around $500 billion and a token cost of about $4.5 K. 

Binance Coin (BNB)

Market cap: $104,198,055,518

All-Time High: $690.93 (10 May 2021)

Circulating Supply: 166,801,148 BNB

Binance is one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world. The native BNB token was initially Ethereum-based, but now it runs on the Binance blockchain. The coin was released in 2017, with the initial coin offering of 10 cents. Since then, it has grown to more than $600 today, which gives the Binance Coin a place among the Top 10 rising cryptocurrencies 2021.

As of November 2021, Binance has a market cap of around $100 billion and a token cost of about $600. 

Solana (SOL)

Market cap: $62,451,279,015

All-Time High: $260.06 (6 Nov 2021)

Circulating Supply: 304,047,234 SOL

Solana started 2021 with just 0.01% of the market. However, the currency's position significantly changed in the middle of the year, when SOL cracked into the Top 10 cryptocurrencies by the market cap. Similar to Ethereum, the Solana protocol is intended to facilitate the creation of DApps. The network is much faster than ETH, has lower fees and is more scalable than other solutions in the market. 

As of November 2021, Solana has a market cap of around $60 billion and a token cost of about $200. 

Cardano (ADA)

Market cap: $52,434,326,611

All-Time High: $3.10 (2 Sep 2021)

Circulating Supply: 33,313,246,915 ADA

Co-founded by Ethereum's Charles Hoskinson in September 2017, Cardano is one of the Top 10 cryptocurrencies in the world worth investing in. Unlike its competitors, it has no quarterly financial reports to evaluate this cryptocurrency. When discussing the Cardano (ADA) value, those are the qualitative details that matter the most. It's a cost-effective solution for everyone looking to earn passive income online using the energy-efficient proof-of-stake protocol.

As of November 2021, Cardano has a market cap of around $50 billion and a token cost of about $1.60.

Polkadot

Market cap: $36,688,382,436

All-Time High: $55.00 (4 Nov 2021)

Circulating Supply: 987,579,315 DOT

Polkadot is a blockchain network with several connected blockchains within its functions, allowing all of them to work together. The crypto is similar to Ethereum as it helps developers create smart contracts and build decentralised apps. They can also develop blockchains taking advantage of the Polkadot chain's security. 

As of November 2021, Polkadot has a market cap of around $35 billion and a token cost of about $35.

Dogecoin

Market cap: $28,668,448,114

All-Time High: $0.7376 (8 May 2021)

Circulating Supply: 132,317,865,089 DOGE

Dogecoin was created by Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer, two software engineers, in 2013. It was a meme coin, reflecting on the wide speculation of the cryptocurrency market. The coin features the Shiba Inu image on its logo and is generally accepted as a payment method used by SpaceX, Dallas Mavericks, Kronos, etc. 

As of November 2021, Dogecoin has a market cap of around $28 billion and a token cost of about $0.20. 

Litecoin (LTC)

Market cap: $13,926,229,930

All-Time High: $412.96 (10 May 2021)

Circulating Supply: 69,078,357 LTC

Charlie Lee, an MIT graduate and former Google engineer, created Litecoin as a Bitcoin's consecutive in 2011. The cryptocurrency is based on a decentralised open-source global payment network decoded using consumer-grade CPUs. Although Litecoin is similar to Bitcoin in many ways, it stands out with a faster block generation rate and faster transactions confirmation time. A growing number of merchants accept Litecoin worldwide. 

As of November 2021, Litecoin has a market cap of around $14 billion and a token cost of about $200. 

Stellar

Market cap: $8,084,857,911

All-Time High: $0.9381 (4 Jan 2018)

Circulating Supply: 24,336,462,528 XLM

Stellar saw rapid growth in the last couple of months. It's one of the Top 10 cryptocurrencies to invest in in 2021 and 2022. While positioned as an enterprise blockchain for institutional transactions, Stellar is an open blockchain designed to almost instantly proceed with huge transactions between banks and investment firms.

As of November 2021, Stellar has a market cap of around $8 billion and a token cost of about $0.30. 

Tether (USDT)

Market cap: $73,181,789,573

All-Time High: $1.21 (27 May 2017)

Circulating Supply: 73,121,243,702 USDT

Launched in 2014, Tether belongs to stablecoins. It's a blockchain-enabled platform intended to facilitate the use of fiat currencies in the digital space. Tether's price is tied directly to that of the US dollar. It speeds up the way users proceed with transactions from other cryptocurrencies to the US dollar. 

As of November 2021, Tether has a market cap of around $73 billion and a token cost of about $1. 

Best cryptocurrencies 2021

Apart from the Top 10 cryptocurrencies 2021, a few other solutions have fantastic potential in the digital world. 

The Sandbox

The blockchain-based virtual world lets you create, buy, and sell digital assets in the form of a game. The Sandbox creates a decentralised platform for a thriving gaming community while using the power of decentralised autonomous organisations (DAO) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). 

The currency was launched in 2011. At the beginning of 2021, the token cost $0.036. As of November 2021, the price of one token is $7.14.

Enjin Coin

Enjin Coin is the project of Enjin, a company providing an ecosystem of blockchain-based gaming products. It's an Ethereum token aiming to make it easy for individuals, businesses and brands to use NFTs.

Enjin was launched in 2018. At the beginning of 2021, the token cost $0.13. As of November 2021, that price is now $3.70.

Shiba Inu

Shiba is an Ethereum-based altcoin widely accepted as an alternative to Dogecoin. Released to be used inside jokes and memes, Shiba currently has a market cap of about $35 billion.

SHIB was launched in 2020. At the beginning of 2021, the token cost less than $0.000000001. As of November 2021, the price of one token is $0.00004.

Final Take

There's no doubt that cryptocurrencies are here to stay for many years to come. If you look forward to investing in the trending digital assets in the crypto world, the Top 10 cryptocurrencies 2021 should help you make the right decision.