With the bear trend of early 2018 having witnessed losses not seen in the cryptocurrency markets since 2014, it can be easy to lose track of the meteoric gains produced by the leading virtual currency markets over the span of just a few years. When comparing current prices to those listed on Coinmarketcap’s historic snapshot from the 17th of May, 2015 – the peak of bitcoin’s previous winter – one can see that bitcoin has produced price gains of over 3,000%, whilst the value of the then-top four altcoins have increased by between 9,000% and roughly 13,000%.
Also Read: 5 Years Ago You Should Have Bought Bitcoin, Not Altcoins
BTC Up 3,300% in Three Years
When comparing the current price of BTC market action from three years ago, the price of a single bitcoin has inflated by approximately 3,303% – rising from about $237 USD to approximately $8,000 today.
On the 17th of May, 2015, BTC had a total market capitalization of $3,354,597,555 – a figure that is dwarfed by the bitcoin market’s valuation of roughly $137.3 billion.
Value of Top Four Altcoin Markets Increased by Approximately 10,000% Since 2015
Whilst the gains produce by BTC since 2015 have been stunning, the price of bitcoin had then produced a dramatic long-term capitulation after having skyrocketed in late 2013 during what arguably comprised the first BTC bull rally to generate widespread mainstream coverage of cryptocurrencies. During the 2013 bull rally, the altcoin ecosystem entirely consisted of micro-cap projects just beginning to emerge from the petri dishes of their infancy – meaning that the alternative cryptocurrency markets were primed to explode alongside bitcoin during the recent multi-year bull trend.
The second largest cryptocurrency market by capitalization in May 2015, XRP, then had a total market capitalization of just $208.5 million, with price action sitting at approximately $0.006534. In three years, the price of Ripple has realized gains of approximately 10,105% with XRP currently trading for $0.6667, and Ripple comprising the fourth largest market by capitalization, with over $26.1 billion.
LTC, the then-third largest cryptocurrency market (approximately $57.7 million), has produced price gains of roughly 9,000% since May 2015, with a single litecoin trading for approximately $1.45 nearly three years ago, and $132 today. LTC currently comprises the sixth largest cryptocurrency market, with a total capitalization of almost $7.5 billion.
Dash and Stellar Produce Price Gains of Approximately 12,000% in Three Years
On the 17th of May 2015, Dash was the fourth largest cryptocurrency by capitalization ($16 million), with Dash trading for just $3 each. In the three years since, the value of Dash has inflated by approximately 12,670%, with Dash currently trading for $380. Dash is now the twelfth largest market by capitalization, which is currently estimated to be over $3 billion.
Stellar, the then-fifth largest cryptocurrency market with approximately $12.5 million, now comprises the eighth largest crypto with a total capitalization of $5.8 billion. The price of Stellar has increased by approximately 11,860%, gaining from $0.002609 to $0.312048 today.
Did you invest in cryptocurrencies in 2015? What markets did you win, lose, and and miss out on? Share your experiences in the comments section below!
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Coinmarketcap
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