The cryptocurrency landscape in 2017 was vastly different.
The market experienced a parabolic rise, with Bitcoin (BTC) registering an increase as high as 20x from its starting value for the year at its peak in December 2017.
Other digital currencies saw even more remarkable appreciation.
While numerous coins and projects that enjoyed popularity back then have since lost their appeal as of 2023, a select group of original (“OG”) coins have withstood the test of time and continue to command attention in 2023.
Let’s delve into some of the top OG cryptocurrencies worth considering for purchase now, which experienced a surge of 5x or more back in 2017.
Bitcoin (BTC)
The original of the original cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin (BTC), the trailblazer that ignited the cryptocurrency revolution.
Bitcoin always presents a valuable addition to any investor’s portfolio, considering it’s the oldest, most decentralized, most trusted, and most secure cryptocurrency network currently in existence. Moreover, its credentials have been thoroughly validated over time.
Traditional investors are gradually recognizing the value in dedicating a 5-10% portfolio allocation towards Bitcoin.
Most crypto enthusiasts argue that the coin should constitute the core of an investor’s holdings.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin maximalists, who advocate solely for Bitcoin, often insist that it should account for 100% of an investor’s portfolio.
Bitcoin concluded 2017 with spectacular gains around 14x, as it soared from under $1,000 per token to close the year just shy of $14,000.
Litecoin (LTC)
Often referred to as the silver to Bitcoin’s gold.
Litecoin (LTC) was designed to provide security and decentralization on par with Bitcoin, but with a superior capability to handle high transaction volumes.
The concept positions Bitcoin as the reserve asset of a future crypto economy, while Litecoin serves as the go-to for everyday transactions.
Litecoin experienced a significant surge of around 50x in 2017, rising from approximately $4 per token to over $220.
Although it has not quite reached its December 2017 high of $420 again, it remains an exceptionally promising cryptocurrency with an expanding user base and solid value proposition.
Investors would do well to view Litecoin’s recent dip on Wednesday, which occurred in response to the blockchain’s third-ever halving event, as a buying opportunity. Litecoin is poised to be a robust performer in the upcoming crypto bull market.
XRP (XRP)
XRP (XRP) saw a staggering 30,000% (300x) surge in 2017, climbing from a price of under $0.01 to conclude the year above $2.0.
A lot has transpired since 2017.
Ripple Labs (the creator of XRP) has consistently expanded its international cross-border payments business, which in turn has spurred demand for and usage of XRP.
Meanwhile, the SEC attempted to sue Ripple for selling XRP as an unregistered security.
However, a recent court ruling, which triggered a surge in XRP to new yearly highs above $0.90 per token, has significantly weakened the SEC’s case against Ripple. This followed a partial victory granted to Ripple.
Currently, with XRP retracing to around $0.69, this could present an excellent opportunity to buy the dip in anticipation of a likely resurgence above $1.0.
XRP makes a superb addition to any portfolio and is an excellent cryptocurrency to consider buying right now.
Dogecoin (DOGE)
Dogecoin (DOGE), recognized as the world’s inaugural and still most valuable meme coin, and a full-fledged decentralized crypto network in its own right, skyrocketed nearly 40x in 2017 from approximately $0.0002 per token to close to $0.009.
The token has a notable history of undergoing major surges followed by significant retractions.
If past trends serve as an indicator, Dogecoin could currently be hovering around bear market lows, primed for its next major surge, although predicting the timing of this remains challenging.
The potential for 10x gains, if it can recover to and exceed its all-time highs, makes Dogecoin an excellent option for diversifying any crypto investor’s portfolio.
Ether (ETH)
Ether (ETH), the currency that powers the groundbreaking Ethereum network enabled with smart contracts, saw an impressive surge of 13,500% in 2017, rising from around $8 per token to nearly $1,100.
Eight years post-launch, the Ethereum blockchain continues to command the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) space, in spite of high transaction fees and sometimes sluggish transaction speeds.
This dominance is likely due to Ethereum proving itself over the years as the most secure among the smart-contract-enabled blockchains and having an encouraging roadmap that should resolve scalability issues in the near future, enabling further expansion of the network’s dominance.
For any crypto investor who believes in the transformative potential of decentralized finance and decentralized applications, having Ether in their portfolios is crucial.
With its current value hovering in the mid-$1,800s and still down over 60% from its 2021 highs, ETH makes an excellent addition to any crypto portfolio.
ETH can be traded for yield-bearing staked ETH tokens like stETH and rETH, which offer an annual return of around 4%, making it an even more enticing proposition.
Crypto Alternatives to Consider
While the aforementioned coins are poised for solid performance in the upcoming years, replicating their 2017 success is highly improbable.
For those seeking a better possibility of short-term gains, one strategy that offers high-risk-high-reward investment opportunities is participating in crypto presales.
Presales involve investors purchasing tokens of budding crypto projects to finance their development.
These tokens are almost always sold at a significantly low price, and there’s a substantial history of presales yielding enormous exponential returns for early investors.
Many of these projects have highly competent teams backing them and a compelling vision to develop a transformative crypto application/platform.
If an investor can pinpoint such projects, the risk/reward ratio for their presale investment is quite favorable.
