Why do differences between cryptocurrencies matter to traders?

The differences between cryptocurrencies matter to traders because they give vital clues as to how supply and demand for each coin may change over time, in turn influencing market prices and how cryptocurrencies are traded.

Supply

Circulating supply and upper limit

The supply of coins plays an important role in setting market prices. All other things being equal, the scarcer the coin, the more valuable it should be. Bitcoin and bitcoin cash each have an upper limit of 21 million coins, while Litecoin and ripple have expanded maximum supplies of 84 million and 100 billion respectively. These coins will be deflationary once all the coins have been mined or released, while coins like ether – with no fixed limit – have the potential to be inflationary, depending on how much is ‘burnt’ or lost.

Cryptocurrency mining and release rates

The supply of coins changes over time as new coins are mined or released. Mining is the process by which ‘blocks’ of transactions are verified, and new coins released. Bitcoin is currently mined at a rate of 12.5 new coins for every verified block, with the reward halving roughly every four years (the final bitcoins will be mined around the year 2140). Ripple coins, on the other hand, were pre-mined by its founders and are currently being released at a rate of one billion per month.

Demand

Reputation

Despite having fewer applications than many of its newer competitors, Bitcoin’s value has soared over the last few years, and it remains the biggest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation. This suggests that reputation remains an important factor in cryptocurrency valuations. Press coverage is likely to be an important factor here, with negative press – for example following a major wallet hack – tending to have a negative impact on prices.

Decentralised applications

While bitcoin, bitcoin cash, and litecoin are standalone cryptocurrencies, ether and ripple exist as part of wider networks with expanded applications. If the popularity of these networks increases or they are adopted by mainstream businesses, demand for their underlying cryptocurrencies could surge.

Transaction speed and scalability

As adoption of cryptocurrencies accelerates, transaction speeds and their ability to handle a high volume of transactions is likely to come under increased scrutiny. Scalability could also be influenced by blockchain size and security, as these factors will affect the profitability of mining, speed of the associated network, and willingness of users to buy and use coins. Traders should therefore pay attention to software updates and forks to see how scaling technology evolves.