Data from CryptoPresales.com reveals that Bitget Token and Pepe Coin emerged as the top winners in 2024, posting a staggering 1,489% and 940% in gains, respectively. These two tokens, alongside others, have been the key contributors to the exceptional performance of the crypto market.
In the cryptocurrency landscape, just 20 tokens account for over 90% of the total market value, with Bitcoin taking the lead. 2024 proved to be a remarkable year for the majority of cryptocurrencies, showcasing impressive double- and triple-digit gains. However, a few standout coins took center stage with explosive growth.
Bitget Token saw a market cap increase of $8 billion, while Pepe followed closely with a $7.5 billion rise. The year’s strong performance was fueled by several factors, including regulatory clarity in major markets, Ripple’s legal victories, and the approval of Bitcoin ETFs. These developments, combined with advancements in blockchain technology and decentralized finance (DeFi), have strengthened digital currencies as a cornerstone of the global financial system, leading to significant price increases across key tokens.
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, skyrocketing by a staggering 1,489% in 2024, by far the largest gain among major cryptocurrencies. This remarkable 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 an extraordinary four-digit return.
Unlike these cryptos, 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.
