There’s a few key assets that influence crypto markets more than any others, with the major benchmark being Bitcoin, the original digital asset. The second most influential is Ethereum which supports the broader ecosystem powering smart contracts, DeFi platforms, NFTs, and tokenized real world assets.
Other major crypto assets are familiar names like Ripple, Solana, and Cardano, as well as stablecoins like USDT and USDC, which are there to maintain liquidity across exchanges and platforms.
Each asset comes with its own history, purpose, and trade offs. Some were created as digital money, others as programmable infrastructure, while a few were designed purely for faster payments or less volatility.
Whether you’re trading spot markets, futures, or completing a prop challenge, these are the most popular coins and tokens that show up across providers.
Bitcoin has been the foundation of crypto markets since 2009 as it was the first cryptocurrency that actually worked, letting users send value without the need for banks or governments. How it works is a proof of work system, where miners are competing to validate transactions and secure the network. The supply is fixed at 21 million, and that cap is part of why Bitcoin is often seen as a digital form of scarcity.
Currently it’s still the most traded and most recognized asset in crypto, with Bitcoin setting the tone for the entire asset class. When Bitcoin moves, other cryptos usually follow. Larger institutions now hold it as a hedge against inflation and monetary policy, and retail traders see it as digital gold. Its liquidity is deeper than any other crypto market, and most technical setups across the space start with Bitcoin.
For the first time, Bitcoin pushed through the $100,000 level for the first time and peaked near $124,000 before pulling back. That move came shortly after the 2024 halving, which cut block rewards from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC, as part of the cycle hardcoded into Bitcoin that reduces new supply around every four years. Each halving increases scarcity, but also raises the economic pressure on miners.
That pressure is now front and center. With rewards cut in half, the cost of mining Bitcoin has surged, especially in countries with average or high energy prices. In the USA for example, that cost now runs into six figures per coin, and smaller miners have been forced out, while large operators with access to cheap electricity are taking over. This shift is drawing attention from regulators and policymakers who are questioning Bitcoin’s energy use, network concentration, and long term sustainability.
Despite the concerns, Bitcoin’s appeal hasn’t changed much. Its supply is predictable, but demand isn’t. That combination still makes it the anchor of the digital asset market. Whether you’re trading futures, spot, or synthetic products, Bitcoin is the starting point for most strategies.
Bitcoin Cash split from Bitcoin in 2017 with the aim of cheaper, faster transactions. It increased the block size to reduce fees and make BCH more usable for everyday payments. The trade off was a smaller mining network and lower decentralization.
BCH still has an active community today, especially in regions where low cost digital payments are most needed. Adoption is strongest in parts of Asia, Latin America, and Africa. It no longer tries to compete with Bitcoin at the top of the market. Instead, it holds a niche as a peer to peer cash alternative. Its future depends on whether BCH can expand real world use through apps and merchants.
Ethereum launched in 2015 with a goal to go beyond simple payments and let developers build decentralized applications. It introduced smart contracts, which became the base layer for DeFi, NFTs, and tokenized assets. In 2022, it shifted to proof of stake, reducing energy use and allowing users to earn staking rewards.
Ethereum is still second only to Bitcoin, but its role has changed. It’s not just a home for DeFi anymore, and institutions use it to issue and settle tokenized assets, stablecoins, and other real world financial instruments. ETH trades on more than just speculation, price now reflects network activity, staking returns, and gas fees.
Much of the action has shifted to layer 2s like Arbitrum and Optimism. These handle the bulk of transactions, while Ethereum serves as the main settlement layer. If you’re trading ETH, you’re in a deep, liquid market that reflects both crypto native activity and broader shifts in how finance is evolving.
XRP was designed to handle cross border payments quickly and cheaply. It skips mining and uses a validator system to settle transactions in seconds. Ripple Labs has always aimed it at banks and financial institutions.
In 2025, XRP is still working through its long legal story. A partial win in the SEC case clarified that XRP isn’t a security for most use cases, which helped bring it back to US exchanges. Its strongest traction is still outside the U.S., especially in Asia and the Middle East, where Ripple’s partners are pushing institutional use.
The long term value depends on whether more banks commit to using RippleNet. If they do, XRP stays relevant. If they don’t, stablecoins on other chains could take over that role.
Stellar was created in 2014 by a Ripple co founder but aimed at regular users instead of big banks. It’s optimized for fast, low fee transfers and runs without mining. XLM is the native token and is used for things like remittances and micro transactions.
Stellar still sees most of its usage in cross border money transfers and public sector pilots, including digital ID and CBDC projects. Its liquidity is solid, but it doesn’t attract the same speculation as BTC or ETH. Traders usually treat it as practical infrastructure, not a high growth play.
Solana came out in 2020 and built its name on speed. It can process thousands of transactions per second and charges low fees, thanks to a hybrid consensus model that combines proof of stake with proof of history.
Solana is one of the most active altcoins as it’s home to NFT markets, gaming platforms, and DeFi protocols that need high throughput. The network has had stability issues in the past, but uptime is better now and big projects are still building on it.
If you’re trading SOL, expect volatility. It tends to move with tech style growth narratives. Ethereum might be the settlement layer, but Solana is positioning itself as the consumer facing side of crypto.
Dogecoin started as a joke in 2013 but has somehow stuck around longer than many serious projects. It’s inflationary, runs on proof of work (merged with Litecoin), and doesn’t have a max supply.
Currently it’s still popular, especially with beginners and on social media. It gets used for tipping, low stakes payments, and as a meme trading asset, but DOGE tends to spike when attention turns its way, which makes it a sentiment driven market. Not much tech innovation here, but the liquidity is real.
Litecoin launched in 2011 as a faster, lighter version of Bitcoin. It processes blocks more quickly and has a higher total supply with 84 million coins. It was once a testbed for Bitcoin features like SegWit.
LTC still trades well and is supported by nearly every broker and exchange. Its role as an innovation lab is mostly over, and it hasn’t captured much interest in new use cases. But it’s still here, still liquid, and still one of the few proof of work networks with staying power. That’s why it often offered by crypto prop firms and CFD brokers.
Cardano launched in 2017 and took a research first approach to blockchain design. It separates settlement from computation and uses proof of stake. ADA holders can stake or delegate to earn yield.
Now, Cardano has a strong following in Europe and Africa, where it’s involved in public partnerships and education focused projects. But adoption in DeFi and NFTs has lagged. The tech is solid, but the market often moves more on sentiment than real usage. As a trader, you’ll find liquidity, but watch for hype cycles.
Tron entered the scene in 2017 with big promises about decentralizing the internet. Its early days were messy, with accusations of code copying and marketing spin, but it found a niche.
This year Tron is one of the busiest networks by transaction count, mostly thanks to stablecoin transfers. It’s cheap and fast, which makes it useful for moving Tether (USDT) around, especially in Asia. It doesn’t attract speculative attention like SOL or ETH, but it holds value as infrastructure for payments.
Polkadot launched in 2020 to let different blockchains work together. Its parachain model lets independent chains run under a shared security layer, and used for staking, governance, and bonding parachains.
Polkadot is still seen as a technically strong project, but its been slower to take off than Ethereum or Solana. Developer interest is there, but the market treats DOT more as an infrastructure asset than a fast moving token. It has decent liquidity, but you’re trading long term potential, not short term hype.
Avalanche also came out in 2020 with a focus on speed and customizability. Its subnet architecture lets projects build their own tailored blockchains while still tying into the main network. AVAX is used for staking and paying fees.
At the moment it’s still relevant in DeFi and tokenization, especially in Europe and North America. It’s often traded as a high beta altcoin, meaning it moves fast in either direction during rallies. Institutional interest in subnets could be a tailwind if adoption continues to grow outside retail use.
Stablecoins hold the crypto market together. They’re pegged to fiat (usually USD) and used to move money between platforms, post margin, or park funds between your trades. The main ones are Tether (USDT), Circle (USDC), and MakerDAO (DAI).
Stablecoins now process trillions in monthly volume. USDT leads globally, especially in Asia, whereas USDC is stronger in the USA and Europe thanks to tighter compliance.
Altcoins refer to all cryptocurrencies outside of the major assets, but only a small group consistently shows up in exchange order books, prop firm challenges, or CFD broker product lists. These are the tokens with enough liquidity, user activity, or ecosystem traction to play a real role in trading strategies.
What sets them apart is function. Many exist to serve a specific purpose, and that often shapes how they move in the market, ie:
Altcoins tend to respond more to local events than global trends. Price moves often follow token burns, protocol upgrades, or new integrations. If you’re trading them, watch the volume and platform support closely. Many CFD brokers only support select names, and liquidity can shift quickly between venues.
In practical terms, altcoins let you access volatility or rotation trades outside of Bitcoin and Ethereum. They’re useful when managed properly, but less forgiving if you enter on thin books or ignore exchange coverage.
Meme coins started as jokes or social experiments but have become a permanent part of crypto markets. Their appeal comes from branding and online visibility rather than technical features or utility. Some are inflationary, some deflationary, but few offer anything beyond speculative trading.
Coins like Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba (SHIB) still trade on major exchanges and show up on some prop firm dashboards. That’s mostly due to name recognition and consistent volume, not because they offer unique functionality.
Meme tokens move fast and often trade thin outside peak hours. Price action is usually sentiment driven, often reacting to social media trends or celebrity mentions more than market fundamentals.
You’ll also see newer viral coins rotate in and out each cycle, especially on networks like Solana or Base where low fees make launching tokens cheap and fast.
They tend to spike during bull phases when liquidity is looser, but most fade out quickly. If you’re trading them, it’s about timing, liquidity, and risk management, rather than long term positioning.
Funded Prime Meme Challenge
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DeFi tokens represent the assets tied to decentralized finance protocols which recreate financial services like lending, borrowing, and trading but without intermediaries.
The tokens themselves usually have more than one role, ie they can be used to vote on governance proposals, provide collateral, or earn a share of protocol fees.
Some of the largest names include:
Each token reflects the protocol it belongs to. For example, UNI is tied to exchange activity on Uniswap, while AAVE moves with demand for borrowing and lending. Maker’s MKR is linked to stability of the DAI stablecoin, and LDO tracks staking flows on Ethereum.
Because the tokens are tied to usage, price often reacts directly to protocol upgrades, fee changes, or liquidity growth rather than just broad market moves.
Most DeFi tokens trade on Ethereum or its layer 2 networks but activity also exists on Solana and Avalanche. They’re liquid enough to appear on many exchanges, but depth can vary.
Infrastructure and oracle coins sit behind the scenes, supporting messaging systems, cross chain bridges, and external data feeds used by other applications. They don’t always have strong retail narratives, but they provide services the rest of the ecosystem depends on.
The most well known example is Chainlink (LINK), which remains the standard oracle in most DeFi protocols. Others like The Graph (GRT), Band Protocol (BAND), or newer cross chain tokens tied to networks like LayerZero or Axelar focus on interoperability or off chain data delivery.
These tokens trade less on hype and more on integration updates and developer traction. They tend to be mid cap assets with solid exchange coverage, but thinner books during low activity periods. You’ll find them in advanced setups or sector specific challenges, particularly when technical updates, ecosystem partnerships, or protocol upgrades hit the news cycle.
Gaming and metaverse tokens sit where cryptocurrency markets meet virtual economies. They power in game purchases, marketplace trades, and governance in online worlds. Names like Axie Infinity (AXS), Decentraland (MANA), and The Sandbox (SAND) are listed on many exchanges, with additional activity on NFT marketplaces and some DeFi integrations.
Prices tend to follow user metrics, new content drops, and partnerships that bring fresh players into the ecosystem. Liquidity is moderate and can expand quickly around updates, then settle back when activity slows. If you trade this segment, watch on chain user counts, marketplace volumes, and token unlock schedules rather than headlines alone.
Privacy coins were built to give users more control over transaction visibility, something most blockchains don’t provide. Monero (XMR) does this with ring signatures and stealth addresses that disguise who is sending and receiving funds. Zcash (ZEC) instead uses zero knowledge proofs to let users decide whether transfers remain transparent or fully private.
Access to these coins depends on where you trade. Some exchanges have delisted them to comply with anti-money-laundering rules, especially in regions where financial institutions face tighter oversight.
Prices tend to move when financial regulators make announcements or when developers release upgrades that improve wallets and network security.
Wrapped and bridged tokens allow one crypto asset to function on another blockchain, extending its reach and usability. The most familiar example is Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), which brings Bitcoin liquidity onto Ethereum, where it can be used as collateral or traded in decentralized finance protocols.
These assets are a core part of how liquidity flows across blockchains, and they’re most often found on decentralized exchanges and lending platforms rather than traditional brokers. The biggest risk isn’t usually price but technical design. If a bridge is exploited or a custodian fails to secure reserves, wrapped tokens can briefly lose their peg.
Past incidents underline why it’s important to watch custody arrangements, on chain audits, and the resilience of bridge infrastructure during periods of heavy network use.
Indexes and baskets group several tokens into a single product, giving you exposure to part of the crypto market without needing to manage multiple positions. Some are designed to track overall market performance, while others focus on sectors such as DeFi, gaming, or infrastructure.
You’ll find crypto indexes through specialist providers as well as certain CFD broker such as Pepperstone, CMC Markets, Plus500, and eToro.
Crypto to crypto pairs allow trading between digital assets directly instead of against fiat. ETH/BTC is the most established, but pairs like SOL/ETH or AVAX/BTC are also widely traded.
They are supported on larger spot exchanges and on some derivatives platforms. Liquidity is concentrated in a few key pairs, while smaller ones can be thin and more volatile.
Perpetual futures are the most popular crypto derivative. They track the spot price of an asset like Bitcoin but don’t have an expiry date. Instead, a funding rate keeps prices close to the underlying market. Because of this setup, perpetuals are the standard tool for leveraged trading and make up a large share of volumes on centralized exchanges.
Synthetic assets work differently and instead copy the value of something else, such as another cryptocurrency, a fiat currency, or even commodities. They’re mostly traded in DeFi protocols, where you can gain exposure without holding the real asset directly.
Niche markets cover tokens outside the main categories, such as those tied to prediction platforms, decentralized storage, or blockchain based identity projects.
They’re usually listed on smaller spot exchanges or within DeFi platforms, where liquidity can be thin and prices move quickly on relatively small trades.
Rules for crypto assets are being put in place across the world, but the pace differs by region. In Europe, the European Parliament has introduced MiCA through the European Commission to create the first unified legal framework for crypto.
Other regions are still piecing together rules through existing financial laws or case by case enforcement. Regulation often lags behind how quickly products develop, leaving gaps around new areas like DeFi, wrapped tokens, and synthetic assets.
Viewed globally, centralised exchanges face familiar theme – licensing or registration, KYC and AML controls, market abuse surveillance, asset listing due diligence, and clear withdrawal processes.
There’s also segregation of client funds, incident reporting, and proof of reserves style requirements. Stablecoin listings increasingly require reserve transparency and audit trails, and some venues restrict privacy coins to meet local rules.
Europe’s MiCA, driven by the European Parliament and the European Commission, is the finest example of a single legal framework. It sets obligations across the EU for exchanges and traders, creates categories for asset referenced tokens and e-money tokens, and introduces consistent disclosures from issuers.
Regulated CFD brokers adhere to financial services law rather than on-chain rules, since they provide price exposure instead of delivering tokens on a blockchain. Coverage therefore depends on the online broker’s licences and which regulator oversees their operations.
The major regulators operate in:
United Kingdom
Crypto derivatives for retail are heavily restricted, so access is generally for professional clients.
European Union
EU brokers operate under national competent authorities such as CySEC. ESMA-style conduct rules, leverage caps, and client fund protections apply.
United States
Retail CFDs are not permitted. Exposure typically comes through spot markets, regulated futures, or structured products overseen by existing securities and commodities rules.
Australia
ASIC regulated brokers offering crypto must disclose how prices and spreads are set, and and maintain controls around margin, liquidation, and platform resilience.
There’s also brokers that operate under lighter regimes in offshore centres to list more coins or offer higher leverage. These offshore or unregulated brokers can provide broader market coverage, but protections are thinner, dispute resolution slower, and reporting less detailed.
Prop firms are an increasingly popular option as you are risking minimal amounts of funds, while still getting access to leverage and global markets. Because there is no delivery of tokens or retail brokerage, prop firms aren’t regulated and don’t need a financial services licence to operate.
Legal oversight is more in the form of the corporate entity, payment handling, and marketing claims, not to on chain transactions.
But, prop challenges do enforce trading rules that look a lot like regulatory risk controls, such as maximum drawdowns, position sizing limits, leverage caps, and restrictions on overnight holding.
The best market for crypto trading depends on how you want to participate. If you’re looking to hold and transfer coins directly, exchanges are the go to since they offer spot markets for assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum. CFD brokers suit short term trading strategies where you want exposure to price moves without managing wallets, while prop firms give you access to crypto trading without the need for huge amounts of capital.
The top three crypto markets are Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and stablecoins such as Tether (USDT). Bitcoin remains the reference point for the wider crypto market and is still the most traded asset. Ethereum provides the base for smart contracts and decentralized applications, which means a lot of real activity runs through it. Stablecoins like USDT act as the settlement layer, keeping liquidity moving between exchanges, brokers, and DeFi platforms.
The four major types of crypto assets are payment tokens, utility tokens, security tokens, and stablecoins. Payment tokens, like Bitcoin, are designed for transferring value or storing wealth. Utility tokens give access to functions or services within a blockchain ecosystem. Security tokens represent investment-style instruments that fall under financial regulations. Stablecoins, such as USDT and USDC, are pegged to fiat currencies and used to reduce volatility when moving funds or trading across platforms.