Bitcoin all the rage since first crossing the $1,000 price mark in 2017 is the least exciting crypto asset on the market. Like many firsts, Bitcoin enjoys widespread brand recognition, but that recognition doesnt accurately reflect its value as an asset, particularly in comparison to other available assets in the crypto market.
Bitcoin is to the crypto market what Netscape was to search engines in the early days of the Internet. Theres a need for a better solution, and the market is responding.
Real innovation in the crypto market now takes place in decentralized finance (DeFi) and the mainly Ethereum-based (ETH) infrastructure that underpins it. DeFi, which supports everything from decentralized exchanges to token based lending, mimics the structure of traditional financial markets in the open, transparent forum of a blockchain-based infrastructure. According to ConsenSys, more than $2 billion worth of transactions occur daily on decentralized exchanges and more than $23 billion in outstanding decentralized loans have been granted as of March 2021.
And thats just the tip of the iceberg.
Rather than focus on Bitcoin, the following are crypto assets worth watching, as they are best positioned to capitalize on the growing popularity and practicality of decentralized finance:
UniSwap (UNI)
UniSwap is a decentralized liquidity protocol that facilitates automated trading of decentralized finance tokens. Compatible with any ERC-20 token in the ethereum ecosystem, it has a current market cap exceeding $16 billion and
continues to grow rapidly. In January of this year, it traded around $5 it currently trades in the $30 range.
UNI is well positioned within the DeFi space, as it represents the largest decentralized exchange in the crypto market. As such, it is slated to capitalize on the onset of FinTech 2.0, of which DeFi is the key component, and the markets expected multi-trillion dollar growth over the next several years as it converges with traditional finance.
Story continues
Litecoin (LTC)
Litecoin, an early alt coin dating back to 2011, took some of the best features from Bitcoin while focusing on providing a less onerous processing framework to decrease the block generation time. Litecoin can process a block every 2.5 minutes, compared to Bitcoin's 10 minutes. It is a peer-to-peer Internet currency with a fully decentralized, open source, global payment network. LTC is a great example of the potential for peer-to-peer cryptocurrency and the importance of continuous innovation.
LTC started 2021 trading at roughly $124 and currently trades at around $262. It boasts an almost $18 billion market cap and a 24-hour transaction volume of more than $10 billion. It is relatively liquid and has great potential for further upside.
Chainlink (LINK)
Chainlink is a decentralized network designed to connect smart contracts with data from the non-crypto space. LINK provides reliable, tamper-proof inputs and outputs for complex smart contracts on any blockchain and will potentially be the link that weaves different networks together. It serves as another solid example of the strengths of DeFi, as its a connector and a facilitator for further innovation.
LINKs price has risen along with the other core DeFi tokens: it increased from $0.19 in January 2018 to approximately $35, currently.
The DeFi and the general crypto infrastructure space represents one of the top opportunity sets for the next decade across all asset classes. As the crypto market continues to mature and to grow in participation, these players in the ecosystem will stand to benefit in ways that Bitcoin simply cannot. The current growth rate in this space promises to continue, with these technologies eventually evolving into the dominant players in financial markets. But only those best positioned for that future will endure.
If the crypto space is truly successful, there will be hundreds of thousands, if not millions of tokenized assets trading on blockchains with smart contract components. Bitcoin will be just one of them, and certainly not the most attractive.
Nikolas Joyce is CIO of The Strategic Funds.
Edited Photo Via Unsplash
See more from Benzinga
2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
The rest is here:
Forget Bitcoin: Here are The Crypto Assets To Follow - Yahoo Finance
- Chinas Bitcoin Exchanges Say Banks Will Close Their Accounts [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- How I created my own bitcoin [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- How I created my own bitcoin-like currency [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- Bitcoin players knock on Washington doors [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- How does Bitcoin work? - Bitcoin [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- Should We Do a Bitcoin Sketch? - Video [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- Bitcoin Talk Show #4 with Chris Ellis and Thomas Hunt - Video [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- Bitcoin - an Introduction - Video [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- Bitcoin ATM Unveiled on Capitol Hill - Video [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- Fla. Bitcoin Case Tests Money Laundering Limits - Video [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- Capitol Hill Bitcoin ATM...No Anonymity! April 10 2014 - Video [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- BREAKING: US Congressman Steve Stockman To Introduce First Bitcoin Bill - Video [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- 10 Things You Didn't Know About BitCoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- All about Bitcoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- Internet vs Bitcoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2014]
- Bitcoin: The Future of Currency? - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Watching Bitcoin dropping to new lows - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Bitcoin ATM unveiled in Washington DC: revolutionary digital currency arrives on Capitol Hill - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Qu'est-ce que le bitcoin ? - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Decentralize Everything -- Congresswoman Velazquez supports Bitcoin -- Stallman in Vienna - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Drake Bitcoin's Here Music Video - Bitcoin T Shirt Store - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- China tightens leash on bitcoin - Biz Wire - April 4,2014 - BONTV China - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- What is BITCOIN? Andreas Antonopoulos & Amir Taaki explain BTC value - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Texas Bitcoin Conference - Robocoin & Coinvault ATM - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Texas Bitcoin Conference - BitShares - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Is Bitcoin the Future of Money? (with Timothy B. Lee) - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Robert Murphy at Texas Bitcoin Conference 2014 about Austrian Economics, money theory and Bitcoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- CryptexCard - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Father of Virtual Reality on Bitcoin April 8 2014 - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- California's first bitcoin ATM launches in Silicon Valley - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Bitcoin Fight Night: Kickboxing for bitcoin and Max Keiser 'defeats banksters' - Video [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Bitcoin blunder: Satoshi Nakamoto denies all involvement with cryptocurrency [Last Updated On: April 13th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 13th, 2014]
- Bitcoin gets easier for consumers to buy, spend [Last Updated On: April 13th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 13th, 2014]
- 11.04.14 Forex, Bitcoin Romanov Capital - Video [Last Updated On: April 13th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 13th, 2014]
- USA: Capitol Hill gets its own Bitcoin ATM - Video [Last Updated On: April 13th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 13th, 2014]
- Bitcoin, a moeda virtual. - Video [Last Updated On: April 13th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 13th, 2014]
- Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto tracked down, but says story has no currency [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- Bitcoin's backers know they need to win you over [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- [Structure] Heartbleed and Bitcoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- BitCoin mining frame - Video [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- Where Do You Think US Bitcoin Regulations Are Headed? - Video [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- Dwyer 4-11-14 Bitcoin Update - Video [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- 4/10/14 - China & BTC, Bitcoin Tax Solutions, Libra, BitInvest Coincards - Video [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- Ben Lawsky & NY Regulators on Bitcoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- Bill to Change IRS Ruling on Bitcoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- Bitcoin is not over! Bitcoin Indian Food Night Saturday! (adult language, parody and yelling) - Video [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- Demonstrating a Bitcoin ATM at Dig South - Video [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- 10 Things You Didn t Know About BitCoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- How Bitcoin Works in 5 Minutes - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- Bitcoin Below $400, Massive Security Breach, 4,000 Merchants, and Congress - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- Reddit Co-founder Alexis Ohanian talks Bitcoin security, Mt. Gox on Joe Rogan Experience - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- Cointools: Drupal & Bitcoin == $awesome - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- Bitcoin ATM, Black Star Pastry, Rosebery, Sydney, Australia (Vending machine, BTM) - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- My Bitcoin Call to Alex Jones Infowars Digital Paper Wallets Storage - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- The Bitcoin Group #25 (Live) -- Bitcoin Sports -- Gox Buyout? -- Sidechains -- Dogecoin Merged? - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- 4/11/14 - China, Mt. Gox buyout, Gyft Cloud, BIT, new bitcoin symbol - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- 9 Year Old Explains Bitcoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- CITP Bitcoin Panel 2 Altcoins - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- Why US Regulators Should Go Easy on Bitcoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- In Crypto We Trust Hackathon Pitches - Bitcoin Expo 2014 - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- CITP Bitcoin - Panel 1: Economics and Public Policy - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- David Chen of Lightspeed Ventures visits Plug and Play Bitcoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- Video: Roundup of This Week's Bitcoin News 11th April 2014 - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- Peace and Bitcoin Remastered - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- [Bitcoin] Cannot be divorced from pre-existing political theory - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- Bitcoin Trade 114 - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- Wall Street's Fair Value of Bitcoin - Inside Bitcoins NYC 2014 - Video [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- Elliotte Wave Technical Analysis Applied to Bitcoin - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- Bitcoin Wisdom Depth Chart - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- Live - Paris Bitcoin Startup #2 @TheFamily - Mercredi 16/04/2014 ds 19h - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- Not Tax Day, Bitcoin Day! - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- Preview: The Bitcoin Uprising - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- WCN Live: iNacho -- an interview with Jerica Truax -- win a bitcoin by rating Nachos! 🙂 - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- Can You Use Bitcoin for a Tax Haven? - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- What Is Proof Of Stake In Nextcoin (NXT) vs. Proof Of Work In Bitcoin (BTC) - By Tai Zen - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- Bitcoin, little failures and huge successes - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- Dutch Ethereum & Bitcoin Meetup: Coin Unlimited over Bitcoin en altcoins - Edwin van den Ouden - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- Dutch Ethereum & Bitcoin Meetup: Tor (The Onion Router) Joachim de Koning - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- Dutch Ethereum & Bitcoin Meetup: First Steps in Ethereum - Joachim de Koning (part one) - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- Dutch Ethereum & Bitcoin Meetup: First Steps in Ethereum Joachim de Koning (part two) - Video [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]