Searches for 'Altcoins'—the slang term in the crypto world for cryptocurrencies apart from Bitcoin (BTC)—are experiencing a resurgence according to recent data. Google Trends .
This trend has prompted some industry experts to prematurely celebrate the onset of another altcoin season; reminiscent of 2017 when coins of various market caps saw substantial increases in value.
It's uncertain whether we're seeing history repeat itself with a new altcoin cycle just yet. While bearish trends could linger, if an altcoin season is imminent, several projects show promise and could ascend into the market cap elite.
“Altcoins”
1. ChainLink (LINK)
We're optimistic about Chainlink; decentralized oracles remain an undervalued topic in the crypto arena, which spotlights ChainLink one of the cryptoeconomy's most underappreciated initiatives.
To revolutionize, smart contracts must tap into off-chain data. ChainLink, serving as middleware, offers the tools to create your own decentralized oracles, bridging blockchain data with real-world information.
Should the market rally behind this concept and the ChainLink team continue advancing technically, their token could climb higher in the cryptoeconomy rankings.
2. Stellar Lumens (XLM)
The Stellar The payments network has seen noteworthy growth over the past year, positioning its native cryptocurrency, Lumens (XLM), for future achievements.
This month, German crypto lender Bitbond has launched its security token offering (STO), the BB1, on the Stellar blockchain. This adoption could encourage others, enhancing the profile of Lumens. Coinbase's latest XLM listing adds to this momentum.
If Stellar continues alliances with major players like IBM on endeavors such as the Blockchain World Wire settlement initiative, XLM could see further growth.
3. Cardano (ADA)
The Cardano project is akin to a dormant giant within the crypto space.
The team's smart contract initiative began 2019 on a solid note by published a paper illustrating the integration of proof-of-stake (PoS) sidechains to Cardano. The project's Shelley upgrade has been activated on Cardano's testnet, introducing formal staking.
With capable leadership and a talented team, the network's cryptocurrency ADA has the potential to secure its spot among the top ten cryptos for the foreseeable future.
4. Maker (MKR)
The Maker project employs a dual-token model, using MKR for governance and fees in relation to the Dai (DAI) stablecoin.
The Maker group's Collateralized Debt Position (CDP) Portal, fostering decentralized Dai loans, has gained significant traction in the Ethereum community recently.
And MKR just secured a marked achievement by participating in a Dai Stability Fee increase vote that adjusted the stablecoin's dollar peg. As Dai's prominence and MKR's role in its ecosystem grow, the governance token might surge in coming months.
5. Tezos (XTZ)
Tezos and its staking capabilities are apparently drivers of Coinbase’s future .
That's according to a recent report disclosing that a leading U.S. exchange recruited Luke Youngblood, the brain behind Tezos's staking design. This suggests the new in-house XTZ expert will help establish governance and staking facilities on the Coinbase Custody platform.
This may mean XTZ could become a cornerstone of Coinbase's initial staking services.
Elevated Returns, focusing on real-estate, also declared intentions earlier this year to roll out $1 billion USD worth of STOs through the Tezos platform, underscoring the project's potential.
