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What is the Next Bitcoin: Evidence-Based Predictions

With the cryptocurrency world gaining more and more mainstream attention, it is just natural that a lot of people take interest in this topic. Bitcoin has been the staple for cryptocurrencies for the longest time now - its “rise to fame” story has been a subject for speculation for many years. But naturally, as time goes on, people start wondering - what is the next Bitcoin? Or in other words - what is the next big cryptocurrency?

Those are the exact questions that I will try to answer in this tutorial. We’ll talk about Bitcoin’s “coming of age”, it’s price fluctuations and try to form clear guidelines for what should happen that the next big cryptocurrency was to emerge.

After that, we’ll talk about the three main contenders to become the next big thing - we’ll analyze their stories and growth, and see if we can find a clear answer to the question - what is the next Bitcoin.

Matthew Mežinskis

Corporate Finance Professional at ArchInvest

What do you think are the most common misconceptions people have about Ethereum's potential and its relationship to Bitcoin?

I think that Bitcoin's potential has been and remains the most important topic to individual and corporate users in this space. It may be that the world needs more than one decentralized, basic commodity asset, but that has been and remains Bitcoin's race to lose. The narrative used to be that Ethereum was never competing with Bitcoin, and then eventually, it was that Ethereum was turning into "ultra sound money." Whatever the narrative for Ethereum, it will have to get around the fact that Bitcoin is the ultimate base money asset in the world, and this is becoming more true every day, not only in the digital world.

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Shortened Bitcoin’s History

Bitcoin was first released into the general public back in 2009. Needless to say, because it was such a new and exciting concept, it quickly gained notoriety and interest.

Over the next few years, Bitcoin’s price fluctuated heavily - when it managed to reach and climb over the $1 mark, it was a great day for the coin and some people considered that Bitcoin had actually “made it”.

As the years went by, Bitcoin gained more and more traction. However, the big bang for the coin happened back in early 2017 - it broke down the doors of mainstream success and became so popular that it was considered to be odd to meet someone who wouldn’t have at least heard of it.

At its peak, Bitcoin had almost managed to breach the $20 000 USD mark. This would have been a historical event for the coin and the cryptocurrency community in general.

However, in the second half of 2017, Bitcoin’s price (and most of the other cryptocurrency prices) started crashing down. At the time of writing this guide, a unit of Bitcoin is worth around $6400. It is worth mentioning, however, that the coin’s price has been slowly, but surely climbing up for the past few days.

It is important to note that Bitcoin’s story has been textbook worthy. Not only because it was the first cryptocurrency of its kind, but also because there were so many speculations and market events throughout its lifespan that it has simply turned into an icon of “becoming a millionaire overnight”.

Now that you know how Bitcoin came to be, let’s try and figure out the main characteristics that a cryptocurrency should have to become the answer to the question “what is the next Bitcoin?”.

Characteristics

So… The question is “what is the next Bitcoin?”. It’s a fair way of putting it, but I would probably be interested more in a question like this:

What are the characteristics of the next big cryptocurrency?

It is fair to try and guess what is the next Bitcoin by looking at the prices and the market trends (growth trends), but those are not the main aspects to be looking for.

There is a golden rule in the crypto communities around the world: if a cryptocurrency is useful, it will overcome any struggles and will continue to grow.

It is a fair assumption: if something is both scarce AND useful, people will try to acquire it. Out of the current 1600 or so cryptocurrencies that exist, there are quite a few that are flashy and pricey, yet they lack any specific usefulness. Over the years, these currencies tend to fade out and be forgotten.

For cryptocurrencies, there are a lot of factors that determine their usefulness. First of all, they would probably need to have a specific type of mission - meaning that the “useful thing that you want to happen” will happen right after you pay an amount of that cryptocurrency, without any other additional steps involved. After all, one of the determining factors of what is the next Bitcoin will be the coin’s usefulness.

They should also be easily available and fast. This doesn’t, however, mean that they need to be cheap - on the contrary. They should simply be available via the main marketplaces and trading sites on the internet.

One of the main features that a cryptocurrency that aims to answer the questions of “what is the next Bitcoin” should have (and one that is often failed to get mentioned in other similar guides) is a strong company and team of developers behind it.

If crypto lacks in some areas of its usage and can’t keep up with the market, it’s going to die off sooner or later (usually sooner). A good coin has teams of people looking out for it’s well being - they manage the coin’s position on the blockchain, make sure that the transaction speeds are up to par and even create and develop side projects that are related to the cryptocurrency in question.

A good and potential-possessing crypto coin should also be open source. Even though Ripple tends to be a huge exception in this, decentralized cryptocurrencies are usually the ones that come on top of centralized ones. Crypto being open-source let’s other people contribute to its well being and development, which in turn can hasten the coin’s rise to the top.

Now that we talked quite extensively about the main features and characteristics that a successful cryptocurrency should have, let’s try and put it into a list of simplified and specific points.

A cryptocurrency will have the highest chance of being successful and becoming the answer to the question “what will be the next Bitcoin?” if it has these traits:

  • Is open-source;
  • Has a strong team of developers and investors behind it;
  • Has a clearly defined and achievable purpose;
  • Is fast and easily accessible;
  • Offers a service that people need;
  • It is transparent not only before or during the ICO but also after.

What Is The Next Bitcoin - Big Three

Now that we’ve covered the history of Bitcoin and some of the main features and characteristics that a successful cryptocurrency should have, let’s talk about specific examples of “what is the next Bitcoin?” question’s possible answers.

When you think about what is the next Bitcoin and try to google for the answer, there are usually three big names that pop up. In most cases, people want to know the answers to these three questions:

Is Litecoin next Bitcoin?

Is Ripple next Bitcoin?

Is Ethereum next Bitcoin?

Litecoin, Ripple and Ethereum - according to popular opinion, these are the three main contenders to become the next big cryptocurrency. Let’s try and analyze each one of them separately and see why people think that these cryptos could be the answer to the questions “what is the next Bitcoin?”.

Without going in-depth with every single cryptocurrency, I’ll simply try to offer you the main reasons why people tend to think that these cryptos are the future.

Litecoin

What is the next bitcoin - Litecoin logoLitecoin was created and developed back in 2011. It is considered to be one of the original altcoins.

Litecoin is very popular and respected for a couple of big reasons. First of all, Litecoin is a direct spin-off of Bitcoin. The technical parameters that these two coins share are almost identical.

Having said that, Litecoin is famous for being four times faster than Bitcoin. Truth be told, this is a huge deal when it comes to transaction speeds and hash rates.

So is Litecoin the next Bitcoin simply because of this reason? Given its market presence, it is possible - but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Ripple (XRP)

What is the next bitcoin - XRP logoBefore we start, fun fact: Ripple is the name of the company that created the coin, XRP. However, people have gotten so used to calling the coin itself Ripple, that for the sake of avoiding confusion, I’ll call it Ripple, too.

Ripple is interesting in that it is the only cryptocurrency on this list that is centralized - that means that it belongs to a single company and cannot be modified or changed by third parties. You would think that this would be the downfall of this crypto, but it is often referred to as the “Bitcoin killer”. Why?

Ripple is designed for daily usages, which means that it has much faster transaction speeds and much cheaper rates. Additionally, the main focus of the coin was original to be used by banks - this means that Ripple can avoid a lot of regulations and other checks that other cryptocurrencies have to go through.

Probably Ripple’s biggest trait, however, is that it has a minimum price benchmark and can be exchanged into any other currency out there (fiats, gold, etc.). This allows HUGE mobility and at one point has even managed to briefly place Ripple in the #2 spot on the crypto market, right after Bitcoin.

In Ripple the next Bitcoin? It does have its pros and benefits, but ultimately it will be the market’s decision.

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Ethereum

What is the next Bitcoin - Ethereum logoProbably the most well-known cryptocurrency on this list, Ethereum has been the biggest contender to Bitcoin for the number one spot in the market. If you were to ask someone “what is the next Bitcoin?”, the most common answer would probably be Ethereum.

Why is that, though?

Well, Ethereum is considered to be superior to Bitcoin in almost every single way possible.

The main point that people bring up is that while Bitcoin is just a cryptocurrency, Ethereum is a whole ledger of technology.

Ethereum lets other Ethereum-network-based cryptocurrencies build upon and develop themselves on the network that this technology provides. In this sense, you could say that if Bitcoin was a plank, Ethereum is the house.

Having said that, is Ethereum the next Bitcoin..?

With such a list of possible contenders, only time will tell.

Conclusion

As you’ve probably noticed, there are a lot of cryptocurrencies that aim to become the answer to the question - what is the next Bitcoin?

Bitcoin has a very interesting history. From its very inception, the coin was already considered by many to be the “evolution of currencies”. After more than eight years of fluctuation, Bitcoin finally managed to skyrocket into the mainstream. With doing so, it opened the doors for many other cryptocurrencies as well.

People often ask: is Litecoin next Bitcoin? Is Ethereum next Bitcoin? Is Ripple next Bitcoin? Or is (insert any cryptocurrency here) the next big thing in the crypto world?

Truth be told, no one can know the answer for sure. The cryptocurrency market is a very volatile place - at any given point in time, something gigantic might happen.

It is, however, possible to speculate. There are a lot of such speculations circling the internet. Some of them have merit, others are blind guesses. If you want to do some speculation yourself, always remember one simple rule:

A cryptocurrency will flourish as long as it’s useful.

People place their speculations on various things - price, history, events within the crypto market, etc. While these things do contribute to the coin’s well being, the ultimate deciding factor will still be its usefulness.

The three cryptos mentioned in this tutorial are useful in their respective ways, but there are a lot of other coins in the market that are also very attractive in their own set of ways.

Whatever the answer to the question “what is the next Bitcoin?” truly is, one thing is for certain - no one can predict the future. If you want to speculate, do your research and keep a leveled head about it - the cryptocurrency world can sometimes be a very chaotic place.

If you do decide to try and answer what is the next Bitcoin yourself, I wish you the best of luck!

About Article's Experts & Analysts

By Matthew Mežinskis

Corporate Finance Professional at ArchInvest

Matthew is a corporate finance professional. Since 2017 he has hosted the Crypto Voices podcast, and since 2023 he has created macro and money educational videos on his channel, Porkopolis Economics. Since 2018 he has tracked the global basic mone...

By Aaron S.

Editor-In-Chief

Having completed a Master’s degree in Economics, Politics, and Cultures of the East Asia region, Aaron has written scientific papers analyzing the differences between Western and Collective forms of capitalism in the post-World War II era. W...
Aaron S., Editor-In-Chief
Having completed a Master’s degree in Economics, Politics, and Cultures of the East Asia region, Aaron has written scientific papers analyzing the differences between Western and Collective forms of capitalism in the post-World War II era.
With close to a decade of experience in the FinTech industry, Aaron understands all of the biggest issues and struggles that crypto enthusiasts face. He’s a passionate analyst who is concerned with data-driven and fact-based content, as well as that which speaks to both Web3 natives and industry newcomers.
Aaron is the go-to person for everything and anything related to digital currencies. With a huge passion for blockchain & Web3 education, Aaron strives to transform the space as we know it, and make it more approachable to complete beginners.
Aaron has been quoted by multiple established outlets, and is a published author himself. Even during his free time, he enjoys researching the market trends, and looking for the next supernova.
Matthew Mežinskis, Corporate Finance Professional at ArchInvest
Matthew is a corporate finance professional. Since 2017 he has hosted the Crypto Voices podcast, and since 2023 he has created macro and money educational videos on his channel, Porkopolis Economics. Since 2018 he has tracked the global basic money supply worldwide, the only fiat money supply that is economically comparable with Bitcoin, gold, and silver.

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FAQ

Is Bitcoin still popular?

Yes, very much so! In fact, as time goes on, Bitcoin is actually becoming more and more popular. While there are speculations that, at some point, other cryptocurrencies will surpass BTC in this regard, to this day, no crypto asset has come close to the level of success and popularity as Bitcoin.

Is Ethereum the next Bitcoin?

Some crypto enthusiasts believe that Ethereum should surpass Bitcoin by market cap, sometime in the future, and become the new staple cryptocurrency. Here, however, it should be noted that both Bitcoin and Ethereum are two very different cryptocurrencies, serving very different purposes. Only time can tell what will happen in the future, though!

How to pick the best crypto exchange for yourself?

Picking out the best crypto exchange for yourself, you should always focus on maintaining a balance between the essential features that all top crypto exchanges should have, and those that are important to you, personally. For example, all of the best exchanges should possess top-tier security features, but if you're looking to trade only the main cryptocurrencies, you probably don't really care too much about the variety of coins available on the exchange. It's all a case-by-case scenario!

Which cryptocurrency exchange is best for beginners?

Reading through various best crypto exchange reviews online, you're bound to notice that one of the things that most of these exchanges have in common is that they are very simple to use. While some are more straightforward and beginner-friendly than others, you shouldn't encounter any difficulties with either of the top-rated exchanges. That said, many users believe that KuCoin is one of the simpler exchanges on the current market.

What is the difference between a crypto exchange and a brokerage?

In layman's terms, a cryptocurrency exchange is a place where you meet and exchange cryptocurrencies with another person. The exchange platform (i.e. Binance) acts as a middleman - it connects you (your offer or request) with that other person (the seller or the buyer). With a brokerage, however, there is no “other person” - you come and exchange your crypto coins or fiat money with the platform in question, without the interference of any third party. When considering cryptocurrency exchange rankings, though, both of these types of businesses (exchanges and brokerages) are usually just thrown under the umbrella term - exchange. This is done for the sake of simplicity.

Are all the top cryptocurrency exchanges based in the United States?

No, definitely not! While some of the top cryptocurrency exchanges are, indeed, based in the United States (i.e. KuCoin or Kraken), there are other very well-known industry leaders that are located all over the world. For example, Binance is based in Tokyo, Japan, while Bittrex is located in Liechtenstein. While there are many reasons for why an exchange would prefer to be based in one location over another, most of them boil down to business intricacies, and usually have no effect on the user of the platform.

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