Where are 2015’s top cryptocurrencies by market cap today?

With cryptocurrency markets enduring an ongoing bloodbath in 2018, 2015 might seem like a distant memory – and a better one at that.

At a time when Bitcoin had only orbited $200 USD figures, the landscape of the wider cryptocurrency market was vastly different – with several players that might be considered obscure today taking pre-eminency then.

In this article, we’ll compare historical data from cryptocurrency price indices as recorded on January 4th of 2015 to today. It is important to note, however, that different prices may list differently according to different sources at the time.

Bitcoin

Position today: 1

In 2015, Bitcoin traded for $281.79 USD and bore a total market cap of $3,856,201,593 USD. At the time, Bitcoin held a circulating supply of 13,684,794 BTC.

Today, Bitcoin trades at $6,054.60 USD and bears a total market cap of $5,312,938,501 USD. With a circulating supply of 17,209,025 BTC, Bitcoin has retained its dominance as the foremost cryptocurrency.

The cryptocurrency itself has endured numerous scaling debates and a division that resulted in Bitcoin Cash, and is now in second-layer development as programmers continue to build the Lightning Network.

Ripple

Position today: 3

The second most valuable cryptocurrency in 2015, Ripple traded for $0.0211 USD and bore a total market cap of $656,661,649. At the time, XRP held a circulating supply of 30,978,075,200 XRP.

Fast forward three years, and Ripple trades at $0.263213 USD and bears a total market cap of $10,363,330,664 USD. With a circulating supply of 39,372,399,467 XRP, Ripple has slipped to become the third most valuable cryptocurrency by market cap.

While Ripple has endured regulatory pressure, several banking institutions have partnered with the company to trial cross-border transfers.

Litecoin

Position today: 7

Formerly the third most valuable cryptocurrency in 2015, Litecoin traded for just $2.12 USD and bore a total market cap of $74,761,847. At the time, Litecoin held a circulating supply of 35,294,322 LTC.

Litecoin presently trades at $51.32 USD and bears a total market cap of $2,968,235,787 USD. With a circulating supply of 57,840,509 LTC, Litecoin has fallen to seventh place on the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap.

Litecoin has enjoyed great press over the years, with founder Charlie Lee most notably advocating that he would step aside from the project in coming years in the interests of ‘decentralization’.

PayCoin

Position today: not within the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap

How the mighty have fallen.

PayCoin, formerly the fourth most valuable cryptocurrency in 2015, has endured a difficult history. In 2015, PayCoin traded for just $3.20 USD and bore a total market cap of $39,464,544 USD. Paycoin held a circulating supply of 12,327,048 XPY.

Today, Paycoin trades at $0.015152 USD and bears a total market cap of $180,801 USD. The project now bears a lonely circulating supply of 11,932,159 XPY.

Paycoin ultimately derailed after Mississippi Power Company (MPC) sued GAW Miners (the hands behind PayCoin) for $350,000 USD for ‘failure to make payment for services provided.’

PayCoin was ultimately handed over to a ‘consortium of organizations’, where the PayCoin Foundation elaborated that “the fate of Paycoin is now in the hands of every person and organization that hold coins. With this newfound freedom, we want to exercise our rights to make Paycoin the people’s money and do what is necessary to help the coin thrive”.

Ultimately, that didn’t happen.

BitShares

Position today: 29

BitShares was the fifth most valuable cryptocurrency in 2015, and at the time traded for $0.014471 USD and bore a total market cap of $39,464,544 USD. BitShares held a circulating supply of 2,497,973,773 BTS.

Today, BitShares remains the 29th most valuable cryptocurrency by market cap, and trades at $$0.097384 USD with a total market cap of $258,122,142 USD . The project now has circulating supply of 2,650,550,000 BTS.

While BitShares offers financial services including exchange support and blockchain-based banking, the cryptocurrency has been overtaken by the likes of other tokens, such as Binance Coin.

MaidSafeCoin

Position today: 59

MaidSafeCoin was once the sixth valuable cryptocurrency, and in 2015 traded for $0.046897 USD. The project bore a total market cap of $21,223,340 USD, and held a circulating supply of 452,552,412 MAID.

Charting today at 59, MaidSafeCoin trades at $0.212688 USD with a total market cap of $96,252,597 USD. The project retains its circulating supply.

MaidSafeCoin serves as a token for token for Safecoin, a decentralized currency network. Ultimately, Safecoin will serve as the currency for the ‘SAFE network’, a ‘network made up of the extra hard disk space, processing power, and data connectivity of its users’.

While MaidSafeCoin has appreciate, time has not been especially kind to the cryptocurrency – earlier this year, Bittrex officially moved to delist the asset.

Nxt

Position today: 81

Despite a long drop from 7 to 81, Nxt is still in the game.

In 2015, Nxt traded for $0.017362 USD. The project bore a total market cap of $17,361,750 USD, and held a circulating supply of 999,997,096 NXT.

Today, NXT trades at $0.065251 USD with a total market cap of $65,185,738 USD, with a circulating supply of 998,999,942 NXT.

A proof-of-stake cryptocurrency, NXT was launched by BCNet and serves as a ‘flexible platform around which to build applications and financial services’.

Dogecoin

Position today: 30

You can’t keep a good DOGE down. Back in 2015, Dogecoin was hot to trot – trading at prices of $0.000165 USD, with a market cap of $16,084,147 USD, and a circulating supply of 97,268,423,164 DOGE.

Today, DOGE trades at $0.002184 USD, has a market cap of $252,717,366 USD, and a circulating supply of 115,711,020,675 DOGE.

Not bad for a ‘joke’.

Dogecoin’s community has gone on to be one of the most lively spheres in crypto – funding the likes of the Jamaican bobsled team and more.

Stellar

Position today: 5

Stellar’s fortunes have improved over time. In 2015, Lumens traded at $0.004513 USD, with a market cap of $16,060,639 USD and a circulating supply of 3,558,618,775 XLM.

Today, those figures stand at $0.218107 USD, $16,060,639 USD, and 18,771,735,150 XLM, respectively. 

Stellar has racked up numerous achievements in the intervening years – gaining certification as Shari’a compliant, and even partnering with Facebook for a mystery project.

Peercoin

Position today: not within the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap

Once the tenth most valuable cryptocurrency, Peercoin traded for $0.503996 USD in 2015. The project, at the time, bore a total market cap of $$11,080,850 USD, and held a circulating supply of 21,985,977 PPC.

Presently, Peercoin trades for $1.04 USD, and bears a total market cap of $25,847,369 USD. The project enjoys a circulating supply of 24,908,466 PPC.

Peercoin continues to leverage both proof-of-stake and proof-of-work systems, and does not possess a hard cap.