Cryptocurrencies are expected to see increased activity this year with more avenues opening for their utility, including banking services, trade, and remittances all over the world. This is despite the selloff that the industry has seen in the last few months, as sentiment remains quite strong and there is a lot of interest from existing investors to continue with their investments, as well as from new entrants looking to take advantage of this attractive industry.
While Bitcoin has remained the largest and most popular crypto token, several digital currencies have outperformed returns on Bitcoin. For example, Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency with a market cap of more than $300bn, has increased by 750% since 2020, surpassing Bitcoin’s 600% gain.
Blockchain wallet users have also nearly doubled during this time, and this answers the question of whether Bitcoin and other crypto trading platforms will stay relevant. Given the decentralised nature of the currency, users aren’t geo-restricted on where they can trade or when, so here you can find specifically the bitcoin trading platform UK and monitor the global markets to see if they expand and attract even more investors throughout 2021 and beyond.
The biggest disruptor to the financial sector
There has been an escalation in cryptocurrency investments in recent months. With banks and institutions gradually adopting crypto, as well as Coinbase’s listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange, it’s easy to believe that crypto trade volumes could continue rising. According to JP Morgan, institutional investors see Bitcoin as a digital alternative to gold, which has long been regarded as a conventional hedge asset. Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) investment inflows have risen, while gold ETF investment has remained nearly unchanged.
JP Morgan’s crypto market forecast forecasts a huge move from gold to cryptocurrency. This makes sense, given that cryptocurrency is a technologically advanced inflation shield, while fiat currency will continue to bear the brunt of the pandemic’s effects. According to CoinDesk’s report, retail investors are finally showing signs of interest. That could lead to more bull run cycles in the near future.
Best prospects in the crypto and altcoin market to watch out for in 2021
Ethereum – This digital token was launched in July 2015 at a trading price close to $2. It has risen more than 129,900%. ETH is currently trading at a price of nearly $2,600, making it one of the most profitable cryptocurrencies, and while this is still a fall from its lifetime high of $4,000+ which it hit just a month ago, the long-term trend and prospects for the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency remain extremely bullish on the back of the importance of its underlying blockchain network.
Another factor is the impending launch of Ethereum 2.0, which will bring about a number of changes in the Ethereum network and is being eagerly anticipated by traders and investors. Ethereum may continue to be in a bullish cycle and trade between $4,000 and $5,000 at the start of 2022. With some variations during the year and focusing more on Ethereum innovations, the price of ETH could spike dramatically and reach $6,000 by the end of 2022.
Cardano – Cardano (ADA) is currently the seventh-largest cryptocurrency with a market cap of almost $40bn. Since its inception, ADA has risen by 6,250%. It is currently trading at $1.27. The successful launch of future Cardano updates appears to be a positive for the ADA price. Any delays in the release of ETH 2.0 could prompt developers and consumers to switch to Cardano instead of ETH 2.0 to avoid high gas costs, resulting in increased demand for ADA, making it one of the best cryptos to invest in 2021.
Ripple – Ripple (XRP) is the fourth-largest cryptocurrency project in terms of market capitalisation, with a total market valuation of $61bn. Due to the large number of coins in circulation (over 45bn), a single unit of XRP is relatively inexpensive. Compared to the other top 10 projects in the market, the significantly lower price-per-coin could attract visitors deciding which crypto to invest in this year.
There are many more innovations that have taken place recently, such as the growth of NFTs, decentralized finance (DeFi) and the broader dApps ecosystem on Ethereum. These developments all have the potential to be game changers, not just for the crypto industry but other sectors as well.
In such a scenario, investing in some way or form in the crypto market is a good way to get on board the train at the right time, right before it shoots ahead, and thus trading platforms will continue to be extremely relevant this year and beyond, as they offer the easiest way for retail investors to get into the market. There are a number of dynamics at play in the industry, but all of them point towards 2021 and beyond being a very good time for crypto investors.
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