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The year 2021 was dedicated to cryptocurrency and blockchain. Across India, around 20 million people became crypto investors in 2021. Cryptocurrencies have even become a part of the Indian investor's lexicon. Investors invest with the hope of making good returns. But among the various asset classes available today, cryptocurrencies, which have a market capitalization of about US$1.86 trillion, have emerged as one of the most fast-moving and volatile in 2021. Here is a rundown of the top 10 cryptocurrencies that gave the highest returns to crypto investors in 2021. Let us take notes from the previous year and use it to yield good income in 2022.
Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency and still remains the largest. It started the year at a low of US$28,803 on January 1 and peaked at US$46,489.29 on December 17. Its nearly 60% YTD return is almost triple that of the S&P 500 index in 2021. It is one of the best cryptocurrencies that gave the highest returns to crypto investors in 2021.
The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, Ethereum, is another top cryptocurrency that gave the highest returns to crypto investors in 2021. It was launched in 2013 as a smart contracts compatible blockchain network that can be used for hosting decentralized applications and platforms. Ethereum gained around 430.15% in 2021. The coin began the year at US$731.64 and crossed the US$3,878.77 benchmark in mid-December.
Solana is a highly functional open source project that banks on blockchain technology's permissionless nature to provide decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions. Solana gained more than 10,000 percent in 2021. The coin began the year at US$1.52 and crossed the US$172 in December.
Dogecoin famously started out as a joke but has gotten a lot of publicity from tweets by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who once facetiously dubbed himself "The Dogefather." Developed by Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer, both software programmers, Dogecoin was the first-ever meme coin developed to mock the volatility of the Bitcoin network. The coin began the year at US$0.0049 and crossed the US$0.17 benchmark in mid-December. It is one of the best cryptocurrencies that gave the highest returns to crypto investors in 2021.
The self-proclaimed "Dogecoin Killer" posted incredible gains in 2021 – a 43 million percent price increase from January to December. It sat at a price of US$0.000000000077 at the start of the year. Not many crypto investors were interested in the coin then. In December-end, Shiba traded at US$0.00003407. Along with lots of future potentials, it is one of the best cryptocurrencies that gave the highest returns to crypto investors in 2021.
Terra is a blockchain protocol that uses fiat-pegged stablecoins to power price-stable global payments systems. Terra made impressive gains of 13,790 percent in 2021. Starting the year at US$0.65, and by late December, it had crossed the US$100 barrier, touching the all-time high of US$103.33, before settling down to US$85.49.
Avalanche is another Ethereum competitor, but it is relatively new to the sign, launching in 2020. Avalanche was created to run transactions faster and more energy-efficient than Ethereum, operating on a proof-of-stake platform. Avalanche started 2021 with US$3.58 and ended up the year with US$110.43 making gains of 2,984.64%. It is one of the best cryptocurrencies that gave the highest returns in 2021.
Polkadot is one of the most popular cryptocurrencies, given its scalability and interoperability. Polkadot gained some traction in 2021 as a competitor to Ethereum, which is labeled by some as too expensive for developers. It started the year at US$8.7977 on January 1 and peaked at US$24.75 on December 17. It is one of the best cryptocurrencies that gave the highest returns to crypto investors in 2021.
Cardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain platform that says its goal is to allow "changemakers, innovators, and visionaries" to bring about positive global change. The Cardano Network recently integrated smart contracts capabilities on its network and is one of the potential 'Ethereum Killers' on the scene. Cardano gained around 577.78% in 2021 and became of the best cryptocurrencies that gave the highest returns in 2021.
Binance Coin is currently the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. BNB is the native coin on Binance, which is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. The token powers the Binance ecosystem and has several applications and benefits, such as it can be used to avail discounted fees on the trading platform. It started the year at US$37.47 on January 1 and peaked at US$528.17 on December 17. It is one of the best cryptocurrencies that gave the highest returns to crypto investors in 2021.
