In the world of cryptocurrencies, just 20 tokens make up more than 90% of the total market value, with Bitcoin as the biggest contributor.
While 2024 was a stellar year for most, delivering double- and triple-digit gains across the board, a few standout performers stole the spotlight.
According to data presented by CryptoPresales.com, Pepe, and Bitget Token were the biggest crypto winners in 2024, achieving 1 489% and 940% gains.
Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, rose by 125% in 2024, fueled by its April halving event and increasing institutional adoption. Ethereum followed with a solid 49% gain. Although impressive, these returns fell short of the top-performing tokens, with less-known coins delivering much bigger gains.
Pepe led the pack, rising by 1 489% in 2024, by far the largest gain among major cryptocurrencies. This surge added over $7,5-billion to Pepe’s market cap, cementing its position as the year’s biggest winner. Statistics also show Pepe was the only major crypto with a four-digit increase last year.
Bitget Token wasn’t far behind, delivering a remarkable 940% gain and climbing to $8.1 in late December, up from just $0.5 in January. Despite a recent dip to under $6, the world’s sixteenth-largest crypto by market cap remained the second-best performer in the top 20 group. Statistics show Hyperliquid saw an impressive 736% gain in 2024, ranking as the third-best performer on the list, followed closely by SUI with 424% growth.
Other top performers included Dogecoin, XRP, and Hedera, all boasting gains over 200%, while Stellar, Toncoin, TRON, Bitcoin, and BNB posted returns between 125% and 163%. In total, 13 of the top 20 cryptocurrencies achieved triple-digit growth last year, five saw strong double-digit gains, and one – Pepe – delivered a four-digit return.
However, Polkadot and Avalanche faced losses in 2024, with shifting market sentiment, reduced venture capital funding, and stiff competition from new Layer-1 and Layer-2 blockchains weighing heavily on their performance. By December 31, Avalanche had dropped 6,5% year-over-year, trading at $36.8. Polkadot saw an even bigger price drop, with its value falling by almost 19% year-over-year.