So far, 2021 has been a whirlwind for cryptocurrencies, from the major coins to the lesser-known altcoins. Between record-breaking highs and price crashes, the state of digital coins as a whole is still volatile. However, that doesn’t mean that crypto isn’t worth a look. Far from its state back in 2010-2011, the cryptocurrency market of 2021 is ever-growing and expansive.
Enter Coinbase, the largest U.S. cryptocurrency trading platform by volume. Offering support for more than 100 countries and 40 million users, Coinbase is a beginner-friendly trading platform that carries a broad range of cryptocurrencies for you to buy, trade and sell.
But which of these are worth your time and effort? Here, we listed down the best cryptocurrencies to buy, along with the best cryptocurrency app for all your needs.
Best Cryptocurrency to Invest in 2021
As the first-ever crypto, Bitcoin has and continues to dominate the market, even becoming the “gold” standard for decentralized finance and the blue chip of digital coins. By far, it has the largest market cap, the highest value and the largest number of users. The fascinating thing about Bitcoin is that its limited availability makes it inflation-proof. Because a total of 21 million Bitcoins will be released, its value is so attractive to investors. Bitcoin is also one of the biggest reasons behind today’s ever-expanding crypto industry.
Currently, Bitcoin is priced at $40,810 via Coinbase and can be bought from the platform by clicking here.
Known as the leader in “smart contract” platforms, Ethereum takes the idea of crypto a step further by being a decentralized network that allows developers to make their own crypto within. Launched a few years after some crypto, Ethereum runs on a programmable blockchain that lets you create your own decentralized programs and coins to function on its network. It’s also worth noting that a new and more environmentally-friendly version is coming soon, making it an attractive investment option.
At the moment, Ethereum is priced at $2,780 through Coinbase and you can buy your share by clicking here.
Launched in 2012 by the same founders as Ripple, XRP sets itself apart from other cryptos by being a for-profit platform that lets you make real-time global payments to anywhere in the world, compared to traditional money transfers that can take up to 10 business days. XRP also has contracts with big banks all over the world, all of which use it to expand their global reach, settle payments quickly and lower foreign exchange costs, among other uses. This makes Ripple more accessible to its adopters.
Currently, XRP is priced at $0.73 through Coinbase and you may buy the crypto by clicking here.
Initially started as a joke to poke fun at people investing in crypto, Dogecoin has since found incredible success. Its price has surged more than 13,000% this year because of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s comments and the previous Gamestop incident. At the time, the price surged to make it the fourth-largest crypto by market cap. Since then, its price has fluctuated and Dogecoin’s value remains less than a dollar. Still, Dogecoin’s extreme volatility and the supportive community behind it warrants the cryptocurrency a spot on your investment radar. At best, the digital coin is a high-risk but high-reward bet.
Dogecoin currently has a price of $0.20 at Coinbase and you can make it part of your portfolio by buying here.
The result of one of the earliest and most successful hard forks of the original Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash offers versatility to its users in terms of providing a complete payment alternative. Accepted in more than 5,000 locations all over the globe, BCH also operates faster and has lower transaction fees compared to Bitcoin thanks to its larger block size. As such, it’s best used for small crypto transactions, such as buying a cup of coffee or paying for a service.
Bitcoin Cash is currently priced at $542.86 through Coinbase and you can easily buy now by clicking here.
Best Cryptocurrency App
As one of the first crypto exchanges in the U.S. to be fully regulated, Coinbase has gained a reputation for being an on-ramp service for beginner traders that want to start investing in crypto.
Working like a traditional crypto exchange, Coinbase offers features such as an easy-to-navigate UI, one-click crypto trading, commerce services and crypto storage and wallet. The platform also offers Coinbase Pro, which is geared towards more advanced traders that want a more in-depth look at the markets.
Coinbase fees depend on two factors: Coinbase charges a spread of about 0.5% for cryptocurrency sales and purchases and it also charges a fee that is greater than either a flat fee or a variable depending on the amount purchased and the payment type. This means that trades of $10 or less have a $0.99 fee, while $50 and higher would have a $2.99 fee.
A Full Range of Available Cryptos
One of Coinbase’s biggest pros is the range of available cryptos in the platform. Including the five best cryptos we listed above, Coinbase offers 25 cryptocurrencies that you can use to widen your investment portfolio. This, combined with Coinbase’s easy-to-use platform, makes it one of the best crypto apps for beginners that want to start trading.
Purchasing crypto is quick and easy and only requires you to create a verified account and pick a source for your funds before you can start buying crypto for as little as $2. For a more detailed breakdown of how to purchase crypto from Coinbase, you may read our review of Coinbase here.