The digital revolution that began nearly a decade ago has evolved from a technological curiosity into a cornerstone of the global financial landscape. Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency, sparked a wave of innovation that continues to reshape how we think about money, transactions, and decentralized systems. Today’s crypto market is home to thousands of digital assets, each with unique features and use cases. But with so many options, investors often ask: Which cryptocurrencies are truly worth watching?
This article explores some of the most promising cryptocurrencies at the end of 2018—digital assets that not only demonstrated strong fundamentals but also showed potential to meet the core functions of money: a medium of exchange, a store of value, and a unit of account.
What Makes a Cryptocurrency Promising?
In early 2013, New York University finance professor David Yermack outlined three essential criteria for evaluating the long-term viability of a cryptocurrency:
- Can it serve as a unit of account?
- Is it a reliable store of value?
- Does it function effectively as a medium of exchange?
While many cryptocurrencies struggle to meet all three—largely due to high volatility—some have emerged as more stable, scalable, and practical options. These digital assets focus on real-world usability, developer activity, liquidity, and long-term growth potential.
Our evaluation is based on several key factors:
- Price stability and market resilience
- Growth trajectory and future outlook
- High liquidity across major exchanges
- Reputation and activity of development teams
With these benchmarks in mind, let’s explore the top cryptocurrencies that stood out in late 2018.
1) Litecoin (LTC)
Often referred to as “digital silver” in contrast to Bitcoin’s “digital gold,” Litecoin was launched in 2011 by Charlie Lee, a former Google engineer and MIT graduate. Built on an open-source global payment network, Litecoin uses the Scrypt algorithm for proof-of-work mining, making it accessible with consumer-grade hardware.
One of Litecoin’s standout features is its faster block generation time—2.5 minutes compared to Bitcoin’s 10—which enables quicker transaction confirmations. This speed, combined with lower fees, has made LTC a preferred choice for everyday transactions.
As of September 2018, Litecoin had a market cap of approximately $3.2 billion and was trading around $55.90. Its consistent performance, active development community, and widespread merchant adoption solidify its position as one of the most reliable altcoins.
👉 Discover how fast and secure blockchain transactions can be with the right tools.
2) Ethereum (ETH)
Launched in 2015, Ethereum is more than just a cryptocurrency—it's a decentralized platform that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications (DApps). Ether (ETH), the native token, powers this ecosystem and acts as fuel for executing code on the network.
Ethereum gained massive traction after its 2014 token sale and has since become the foundation for countless blockchain innovations, including DeFi, NFTs, and Web3 projects.
Despite the 2016 DAO fork that led to the creation of Ethereum Classic (ETC), Ethereum (ETH) retained dominant support. By September 2018, it boasted a market cap exceeding $22.4 billion, with ETH trading near $219.80.
Major institutions like JPMorgan, Microsoft, Toyota, Mastercard, and BP have explored or implemented Ethereum-based solutions—highlighting its enterprise-grade credibility.
3) Zcash (ZEC)
Privacy is a growing concern in the digital age, and Zcash addresses this head-on. Often described as “if Bitcoin is HTTP, Zcash is HTTPS,” this decentralized, open-source cryptocurrency offers optional transaction transparency using advanced cryptographic techniques.
Zcash leverages zk-SNARKs (zero-knowledge succinct non-interactive arguments of knowledge), allowing users to conduct fully shielded transactions where sender, receiver, and amount remain private—while still being verifiable on the blockchain.
This blend of privacy and compliance makes ZEC attractive for both individual users and regulated entities seeking confidentiality without sacrificing security.
At the time of writing in 2018, Zcash had a reported market cap of around $561.7 million.
4) Dash (DASH)
Originally launched as Darkcoin in January 2014 by Evan Duffield, Dash rebranded in 2015 to reflect its vision as “digital cash.” Designed for fast, private payments, Dash operates on a two-tier network: miners secure the blockchain, while masternodes enable advanced features like InstantSend and PrivateSend.
These functionalities allow near-instant transactions and enhanced privacy by mixing funds across multiple users.
By July 31, 2018, Dash was trading at $196.81, with a market cap of $1.6 billion as of September. Its focus on usability and merchant integration positions it as a strong contender in the payments space.
5) Ripple (XRP)
Ripple isn’t just another cryptocurrency—it’s part of a broader financial technology aimed at transforming cross-border payments. The RippleNet platform enables real-time, low-cost international settlements for banks and financial institutions.
Unlike Bitcoin or Litecoin, XRP does not rely on mining. Instead, it uses a consensus ledger, significantly reducing energy consumption and confirmation times.
Ripple Labs pre-mined 100 billion XRP tokens and strategically distributes them through partnerships, sales to institutional buyers, and incentives for liquidity providers.
As of September 2018, XRP had a market cap of $11.19 billion and traded at $0.28—making it one of the most valuable digital assets by market size.
6) Monero (XMR)
Monero stands out as one of the most private cryptocurrencies available. Launched in 2014 through community-driven development, Monero uses ring signatures, stealth addresses, and confidential transactions to obfuscate sender, receiver, and transaction amount.
These privacy-by-default features make Monero untraceable and fungible—critical qualities for true digital cash.
By July 2018, Monero was trading at $128.12, with a market cap of approximately $2.084 billion. Its strong commitment to decentralization and resistance to ASIC mining further enhances its appeal among privacy advocates.
7) Cryptoindex 100 (CIX100)
CIX100 is not a traditional cryptocurrency but rather a market index token representing the top 100 performing cryptocurrencies. Powered by an AI-driven algorithm called Zorax, the index dynamically rebalances based on over 200 data points pulled from exchanges, news outlets, GitHub activity, and social media platforms like Twitter.
By filtering more than 1,800 coins through rigorous criteria, the system identifies around 500 viable candidates before applying machine learning to finalize rankings.
CIX100 offers investors diversified exposure to the broader crypto market—reducing risk while capturing growth across multiple high-potential assets.
👉 See how AI-powered analytics are shaping smarter crypto investments today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is Litecoin considered more stable than other altcoins?
A: Litecoin benefits from early adoption, consistent development, high liquidity, and predictable supply mechanics (84 million cap). These factors contribute to lower volatility compared to newer or speculative tokens.
Q: Can Ethereum be used for everyday purchases?
A: While ETH is primarily used for powering DApps and smart contracts, growing merchant adoption and layer-2 scaling solutions are making direct payments increasingly feasible.
Q: What makes Zcash different from Monero?
A: Both prioritize privacy, but Zcash offers optional transparency via shielded transactions using zk-SNARKs. Monero provides default privacy using ring signatures and stealth addresses—making every transaction private without user intervention.
Q: Is XRP decentralized like Bitcoin?
A: XRP operates differently—it doesn’t use mining and relies on a consensus protocol managed by validator nodes. While Ripple Labs influences some nodes, efforts continue to expand node diversity for greater decentralization.
Q: Why isn’t Bitcoin included in this list?
A: Bitcoin remains the benchmark for cryptocurrencies. This article focuses specifically on altcoins—alternative digital assets showing strong potential beyond BTC’s dominance.
Q: How does CIX100 rebalance its index?
A: Using AI analysis of over 200 metrics—including market data, developer activity, sentiment analysis—the Zorax algorithm automatically adjusts holdings to reflect changing market conditions monthly.
👉 Start exploring top-performing digital assets with advanced trading tools now.
While the crypto landscape evolves rapidly, these seven digital assets stood out at the end of 2018 due to their technological innovation, real-world utility, and strong community or institutional backing. Whether you're interested in privacy, scalability, smart contracts, or diversified exposure, each offers unique value in the expanding blockchain economy.
Note: Market data reflects conditions as of September 2018.