The explosive growth of Bitcoin in 2022 attracted a large number of private investors to the cryptocurrency market. The activity of buyers was also influenced by the simplification of the operations of buying and selling tokens. In the spring of 2022, Bitcoin set a historical high and crossed the $62 thousand mark. But in the summer, the optimism of holders of one of the most popular cryptocurrencies was dealt a serious blow. Its rate fell almost twice. However, interest in cryptocurrency from both individual and institutional investors continues to grow. Moreover, Bitcoin is the most expensive and well-known, but not the only cryptocurrency.
How to estimate the value of cryptocurrency
Each cryptocurrency has its own emission rules. For example, the Bitcoin supply limit is limited to 21 million BTC, while the number of NEM (XEM) coins is almost 9 billion. Due to such significant differences, it is customary to evaluate cryptocurrency not by the value of one token, but by its capitalization - the price of all coins that are in circulation. When speaking about “expensive” and “cheap” coins, investors usually mean capitalization. This indicator is not primary, but allows you to compare different cryptocurrencies with each other.
If we talk about the cost of one token, the cheapest cryptocurrency in 2022 is StrongHands. Its cost is only 0.00000002 cents. The development of the project stopped more than 2 years ago, so purchasing this coin is unlikely to be of any interest to an investor.
For example, the Bit20 coin was worth $270,000 in November 2022. However, the only Bit20 token is in circulation, so the capitalization of this cryptocurrency is also $270,000. Bitcoin has the largest capitalization: in November 2022 it reached $160 billion.
BitTorrent (BTT) - buy
This cryptocurrency is a token for enhancing the capabilities of the Bittorrent network. It was launched in 2022 and caused a lot of excitement. The developers of the coin claim that the goal of BTT is to strengthen the functionality of the network and increase its efficiency. From a global perspective, this cryptocurrency could give the world full access to a truly decentralized Internet.
Users of the Bittorrent file network see that the network does not have high-quality bandwidth - the download speed often drops due to the fact that the users who downloaded the files do not want to distribute them, but delete the torrent files after downloading. To motivate them to stay on the distribution, a currency was invented that seeders would receive for distributing downloaded files.
The coins you earn can be spent on online broadcasts or purchasing licensed content. Thus, users who want to quickly download the necessary files pay those users who distribute these files, and thus all network users will increase the speed of its work.
Price is a relative concept
Many investors prefer to invest in low-cost assets because they theoretically have higher growth potential. In practice, capitalization is only one of many factors influencing the price. A smart investor makes decisions based on data about the project development team, its capabilities and technical features, as well as the nature of the exchange rate changes in recent months.
According to the coinmarketcap website, there are a number of coins whose capitalization does not exceed a thousand dollars. However, all these cryptocurrencies are “dead” projects that are of no value to users and developers. Buying these coins is more like playing in a casino than a smart investment. The screenshot shows the cheapest cryptocurrencies as of November 2022.
In practice, low-cost cryptocurrencies that occupy the first 100–150 places in terms of capitalization are of real interest to investors. If just a few years ago the appearance of a promising coin could have gone unnoticed, then from 2022 the release of any cryptocurrency attracts increased attention from market participants. However, one should not think that the time of great opportunities is irrevocably gone. On the contrary, investments in old projects with a clear development plan have become much more attractive and reliable, while the cost of many cryptocurrencies still remains extremely low.
Indian authorities have proposed a complete ban on cryptocurrencies
In India, a government working group has proposed a complete ban on cryptocurrencies. Reuters writes about this.
As noted, the authorities also prescribed possible sanctions that could be imposed on persons who violate the new rules.
Thus, mining, storage, sale, transfer and issue of cryptocurrencies will be subject to a fine of 250 million rupees and a prison term of up to 10 years.
A year earlier, the Reserve Bank of India introduced a restriction on servicing organizations that are associated with cryptocurrencies.
TOP 8 inexpensive and promising cryptocurrencies
All assets are listed in descending order of capitalization. It should be remembered that this indicator may change both due to additional emission and due to changes in the exchange rate.
Ethereum
One of the largest projects on blockchain technology. Despite its impressive capitalization, many community members still consider Ethereum to be a cheap asset due to its wide functionality and high degree of readiness for real use.
The system is a platform for developing decentralized applications. The protocol's functionality is based on smart contracts - small programs that can be executed on remote servers around the world. The ETH token acts as “fuel” for the operation of the system, but can also be used as a means of payment, like Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
By the end of 2022, Ethereum became the main platform for conducting ICOs and creating new cryptocurrencies. The Enterprise Ethereum Alliance consortium includes such major players as Hewlett Packard, Intel, Microsoft and JP Morgan.
The project team, led by its creator Vitalik Buterin, is constantly working to improve the protocol. In November 2017, a new project roadmap was presented at the BeyondBlock conference. The developers plan to make a gradual transition to the Proof-of-Stake algorithm and make other changes aimed at speeding up the network.
Ripple
Ripple is a cryptocurrency based on a consensus ledger verified by large nodes with a high reputation. Unlike traditional cryptocurrencies, which emphasize the anonymity of transactions, Ripple is positioned as a platform for settlements between banks and large corporations. The system has high throughput and provides tools for working with real assets, such as national currencies or precious metals, with the ability to instantly convert them.
The community often criticizes Ripple for being too transparent and centralized, but these shortcomings also have the opposite effect. The system is of real interest to banking institutions that are already taking part in testing Ripple technologies. At the end of 2022, representatives of American Express announced the start of using the system for cross-border transfers.
NEM
NEM is a platform for creating digital assets. Unlike Ethereum, the system does not support smart contracts, but can be used to create new tokens. The unit of value in the system is the XEM coin, which is used to pay commissions.
The NEM Foundation works closely with Tech Bureau, a fintech startup developing the Mijin private blockchain for private companies. The NEM protocol was used to create COMSA, a Japanese ICO platform. Such close cooperation with serious financial projects opens up good prospects for NEM for growth and further popularization.
Lisk
Lisk is an Ethereum competitor that supports the development of smart contracts in JavaScript. The project is still in development, but if successfully implemented, Lisk could become one of the most convenient platforms for creating decentralized applications. The strength of the project is the use of side chains for storing data, which reduces the load on the main blockchain and increases the speed of transaction confirmation.
Lisk's capitalization fluctuates around $1 billion - about 40 times less than Ethereum. The project team consists of experienced programmers who previously participated in the creation of the blockchain startup Crypti. If the developers manage to implement their plans, the value of the coin could increase tenfold.
ZCash
ZCash is an anonymous cryptocurrency based on the ZeroCoin protocol. It is built on “zero-knowledge proof,” a principle in which parties can verify the authenticity of a transaction without revealing information about themselves.
The strongest competitor to ZCash is the Monero cryptocurrency, whose capitalization is almost 4 times higher. At the same time, ZCash provides a higher level of anonymity when making transfers. During 2022, this cryptocurrency has risen in price 6 times - significantly less than its competitors. Thus, ZCash retains excellent potential for further growth.
Sia
Sia is a cloud storage service. Unlike traditional hosting providers such as Apple iCloud or Amazon Drive, Sia does not use its own servers. Instead, the system stores encrypted data on the computers of private users, who are rewarded for keeping the network running.
To pay rewards, the system uses the SC token, the cost of which is only a quarter of its peak values in the summer of 2017. For this reason, Sia is becoming increasingly popular among both long-term investors and short time frame traders.
Aragon
Aragon is positioned as a platform for creating decentralized organizations. In practice, this means that any company can transfer record keeping, creation of financial reports and other “paperwork” into a single system that uses blockchain to store information. Aragon developers strive to create a tool that will allow you to transfer any data about the activities of enterprises into digital form.
At the moment, there is only an alpha version of the platform, which allows you to get acquainted with the main functions of Aragon. According to the official roadmap, the project's release is scheduled for the end of 2018. The approach of this event will likely contribute to the growth of the rate. At the moment, the price of the ANT token is 2 times lower than the peak values of the summer of 2022.
LBRY
LBRY is a system for decentralized content storage and distribution. The platform largely copies the functionality of YouTube, but does not use its own servers to store data. All content exists only on independent computers and is distributed according to a principle familiar to users of torrent trackers: small pieces of information are transferred to other network participants immediately after downloading. In addition to posting videos, users of the system can create online broadcasts.
LBRY Credits tokens are used to reward active users. Each LBRY member can set their own fees for viewing their videos and streams. Since the summer of 2017, the price of the coin has fallen several times - a good opportunity to make a purchase at a low price.
Expert opinion
Despite the fact that there is currently a decline in the prices of many cryptocurrencies, most analysts are optimistic and believe that this is a good time to buy.
There is reason for optimism, with large international companies such as Square and Tesla Motors investing in cryptocurrency. Pay Pal has added the option to buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin or Bitcoin Cash. Electronic money is gradually becoming not only a means of investment - companies are emerging that accept certain types of tokens as payment for goods and services. And in Ecuador, starting this year, Bitcoin received the official status of a unit of account on a par with the US dollar.
Ton Weiss, a former employee of the large American investment company JPMorgan, predicts the growth of Bitcoin in the range from 100 to 300 thousand dollars. Despite the fact that Bitcoin is now trading in the range of $43 thousand, such forecasts do not seem like something fantastic, because this year it has already surpassed the $60 thousand mark.
According to many analysts, Ethereum has good prospects. Positive dynamics have emerged in connection with the update of the altcoin platform. Now it is trading in the range of $3.5 thousand.
Traders recommend paying attention to Litecoin, which may eventually compete with Bitcoin. Now is a good time to enter, because the token is trading in the $185 range.
Important!
The purchase and sale of tokens using some instruments may be limited to residents of certain countries.
Table: the most promising cheap cryptocurrencies
The table shows data as of December 1, 2017.
| Name | Year of creation | Capitalization | Current rate, $ | Peak exchange rate |
| Ethereum | 2015 | $44 billion | 459 | 480 |
| Ripple | 2012 | $10 billion | 0,25 | 0,41 |
| NEM | 2015 | $2.1 billion | 0,23 | 0,33 |
| Lisk | 2016 | $900 million | 7,8 | 10,5 |
| ZCash | 2016 | $880 million | 323 | 377 |
| Sia | 2015 | $183 million | 0,0059 | 0,022 |
| Aragon | 2017 | $63 million | 1,9 | 4,28 |
| LBRY | 2017 | $27 million | 0,24 | 0,92 |
NEM
- Year of creation: 2015
- Symbol: XEM
- Approximate capitalization: $2,186,603,999
The NEM altcoin was developed by the Japanese company NemProject 2 as a fork of Nxt and stands for New Economy Movement. The purpose of creating a crypt is to bring the speed of transactions and the level of security of banking operations to a new level.
What the user should know about NEM:
- it is a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency platform based on Javascript and Java;
- contains an integrated system for exchanging encrypted data;
- uses multi-signature and Eigentrust++ system;
- blockchain technology is complemented by the Proof-of-Importance consent protocol;
- can be purchased for cash, electronic money or exchanged for another crypt;
- transaction speed is 3,000 per second.
NEM has a strong foothold in the Japanese market, but is gradually penetrating cryptocurrency exchanges in other countries. Since January 2022, the cost of one digital coin has increased from 0.3 cents to $1.48. This cryptocurrency attracts mainly experienced traders who focus on the long term.
Ethereum Classic (classic ether)
- Year of creation: 2016
- Symbol: ETS
- Approximate capitalization: $3,119,102,673
A hard fork of Ethereum – Ethereum Classic is a blockchain platform for developing applications based on smart contracts. The crypt was created after a hacker hack of the previous ETH platform The DAO, when a third of all Ethereum worth $50 million was leaked to ChildDAO accounts.
What the user should know about Ethereum Classic:
- is a decentralized system;
- works on the Ethereum algorithm;
- can be transferred from one participant to another;
- Bitcoin is easier to mine;
- serves to create tokens on the Ethereum Classic blockchain.
Crypto traders and investors see the prospects of Ethereum Classic in a balanced monetary policy and the support of such major crypto enthusiasts as the head of the Digital Currency Group, Barry Silbert.
XLM
Stellar is an open source network with the mission of “creating fair access to the global financial system.” Stellar is supported by the Stellar Development Foundation, a non-profit organization created in 2014. Stellar's token, Lumen (XLM), is used for staking and represents a method of payment for all services provided by the system. This is a fairly popular low-cost crypto that is quickly growing in the ranks of the crypto industry.
The cost of the token is about 20 rubles.
Monero
- Year of creation: 2014
- Symbol: XMR
- Approximate capitalization: $2,991,665,251
Monero is another product of 2014. The cryptocurrency is designed to provide monetary transactions with increased anonymity, for which it uses the Cryptonote algorithm. In the fall of the same year, there was a hacker attack on Monero, but although the hackers were well versed in the crypt code and the Merkle Tree, they were unable to destroy the currency. In January 2022, the developers conducted a hard fork.
What the user should know about Monero:
- is a decentralized system;
- has open source code;
- uses the Proof-of-work principle;
- protected from mining on individual devices;
- Crypto is mined in exchangers and stock exchanges;
- automatic mixing of transactions in the network;
- emissions are not limited.
Since May 2022, Monero has been among the top ten cryptocurrencies with a solid capitalization and is characterized by rapid growth in value. One of the reasons for its popularity is the ability to use Monero in online games and virtual casinos.
Bitcoin (bitcoin)
- Year of creation: 2009
- Symbol: BTC
- Approximate capitalization: $182,264,019,568
The undisputed leader of any list of promising cryptocurrencies is Bitcoin. The official “father” of Bitcoin is considered to be Satoshi Nakamoto, although most users of this crypt remain confident that this name is a collective pseudonym for a whole group of talented programmers.
What the user should know about Bitcoin:
- decentralization of the system, providing all users with equal rights and opportunities;
- transparency of payments, allowing you to monitor all transactions;
- lack of control by any organization or government entity;
- anonymity of the user’s identity due to the lack of verification;
- limited coin circulation of 21 million BTC;
- sending money anywhere in the world;
- According to preliminary forecasts, 1 BTC will grow from $4 to $40 thousand in a couple of years;
- Oligarchs invest in Bitcoin.
Bitcoins have all the transaction features of fiat money. Bitcoin is open source, which allows other programmers to create new types of cryptocurrency.
If after reading the article you still have questions, we recommend reading the article about the best exchangers and the most promising exchanges for cryptocurrencies. And a popular resource among crypto enthusiasts – Coinmarketcap – will help you keep your finger on the pulse of the latest changes in the digital cash market.
Ripple
- Year of creation: 2013
- Symbol: XRP
- Approximate capitalization: $10,892,576,404
The Ripple cryptocurrency, like Ethereum, is one of the oldest digital payment systems, which allows it to be used for financial transactions of any size and in any national currency.
What the user should know about Ripple:
- software scripts are provided free of charge;
- the support of large Western banks provides cryptocurrency with a good airbag;
- the use of distribution registries in the system provides complete protection against hacking;
- possibility of canceling the operation;
- lack of mining capabilities.
Ripple is widely used for financial transactions by Santander, UBS, Mitsubishi UFJ, BBVA, Fidor, UniCredit, Union b, Mizuho, Westrn and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. This cryptocurrency represents a link between traditional banking methods and new technologies, and therefore can be a serious competitor to most digital units. Ripple is not afraid of panics on regular cryptocurrency exchanges, and some enthusiasts predict its role as an alternative to SWIFT.
