- Bitcoin (BTC): As the first and most well - known cryptocurrency, Bitcoin was designed as a peer - to - peer electronic cash system. It has a limited supply of 21 million coins, which makes it deflationary in nature. By December 2024, Bitcoin reached an all - time high of $108,135, and it accounted for 53.6% of the total cryptocurrency market capitalization, highlighting its dominant position in the market.
- Ethereum (ETH): Ethereum introduced the concept of smart contracts, which are self - executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code. This innovation has enabled the development of a vast ecosystem of decentralized applications (dApps). However, in the fourth quarter of 2024, Ethereum's market share decreased from 13.4% in the third quarter to 11.8%, its lowest level since April 2021.
- Altcoins: Altcoins refer to all cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin. Examples include Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), and Dash Coin. XRP, for instance, had a significant increase in market share in the fourth quarter of 2024, rising from 1.5% to 3.5%, which pushed it from the 7th to the 4th place in terms of market capitalization.