How Many Cryptocurrencies are There?
Many of us have been asking how many cryptocurrencies are there, while the recent market has seen explosive growth, with the total estimated to be roughly 20,000.
In this article, we will break down how this rapid expansion is driven by low entry barriers, ongoing innovation, and diverse use cases that continue to push the boundaries of what blockchain technology can achieve.
Key Takeaways:
Hide- CoinMarketCap: Lists approximately 10,800 distinct cryptocurrencies as of early 2025. These are actively traded and tracked on exchanges. (Source: Paybis Blog)
- CoinGecko: Tracks over 17,000 cryptocurrencies, including many smaller and less active coins not listed by CoinMarketCap. (Source: Paybis Blog)
- Total Cryptocurrencies Ever Created: Including both active and inactive ones, roughly 20,000 cryptocurrencies have been created overall. (Source: DemandSage)
- Inactive or Dead Coins: Many cryptocurrencies are no longer active or have very low trading volume, making them effectively untradeable. (Source: Koinly)
- Reasons for Cryptocurrency Growth: The number of cryptocurrencies keeps rising due to low entry barriers, continuous innovation, speculative interest, diverse use cases, and new fundraising mechanisms like ICOs. (Source: GoKrypto)
- Major Cryptocurrencies: The three most significant cryptocurrencies are:
- Bitcoin (BTC) – Digital gold and store of value.
- Ethereum (ETH) – Leading smart contract platform.
- Tether (USDT) – The largest stablecoin by market cap.
- Top 10 Altcoins in 2025: Ethereum, Binance Coin, XRP, Cardano, Dogecoin, Solana, TRON, Polkadot, Avalanche, and Polygon.
How Many Cryptos Are There?
The total number of cryptocurrencies in existence (including both active and inactive coins) is in the tens of thousands. Different crypto tracking platforms report varying figures depending on which assets they list or consider active:
- CoinMarketCap (active) – Lists approximately 10,800 distinct cryptocurrencies as of early 2025. These are the coins and tokens that are actively tracked and traded on exchanges.
- CoinGecko (more inclusive) – Tracks over 17,000 cryptocurrencies as of early 2025. This higher count includes many smaller or less active coins that CoinMarketCap may not list.
- All coins ever created (active + inactive) – In total, taking into account coins that have become inactive or discontinued, roughly 20,000 cryptocurrencies have been created overall (Blockchain Statistics 2025).
Many of these thousands of cryptocurrencies are no longer active or have negligible usage. In other words, while around 10–17k cryptos are actively tracked on major platforms, a large portion of the ~20k total are “dead” coins with little to no trading or development activity (Koinly).
Why are cryptocurrencies Continuously Increasing?
The number of cryptocurrencies continues to rise for several reasons:
1. Low Barriers to Entry
Blockchain platforms, especially those supporting smart contracts (like Ethereum), make it easy to create new tokens with minimal technical expertise or investment.
2. Innovation and Experimentation
Many projects experiment with novel features, governance models, or financial mechanisms. Developers often launch new cryptocurrencies to test innovative ideas or capture emerging market niches.
3. Speculative Interest
During periods of high market enthusiasm, many new cryptocurrencies are launched in hopes of capitalizing on investor speculation, leading to an influx of projects that might not have long-term viability.
4. Diverse Use Cases
Some cryptocurrencies aim to address specific problems or cater to niche communities (e.g., privacy coins, gaming tokens, or decentralized finance solutions), further diversifying the market.
5. Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and Token Sales
The popularity of ICOs and similar fundraising methods has lowered the financial barriers for launching a new project, resulting in many new tokens being created.
Major Cryptocurrencies in the World
These assets are typically considered the major players because they lead the market in terms of capitalization, adoption, and impact on the broader crypto economy.
1. Bitcoin (BTC)
The first and most widely recognized cryptocurrency, BTC often seen as “digital gold” and a store of value.
2. Ethereum (ETH)
A platform that introduced smart contracts, ETH enabling decentralized applications and fostering an entire ecosystem of projects.
3. Tether (USDT)
The largest stablecoin by market cap, USDT designed to maintain a steady value pegged to traditional currencies like the US dollar, which provides liquidity and stability in the market.
Top 10 Altcoins in 2025
The definition of “altcoins” can vary, but it typically refers to any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. Rankings are usually based on market capitalization, and while the list may change over time, here’s a common snapshot of the top 10 altcoins (excluding Bitcoin) as of early 2025:
- Ethereum: ETH is a leading smart contract platform and the most popular altcoin.
- Binance Coin: BNB is a native token of Binance – largest cryptocurrency exchanges.
- XRP: XRP often used for cross-border payments and remittances.
- Cardano: ADA is a blockchain platform known for its research-driven approach.
- Dogecoin: Doge started as a meme coin, it has gained significant popularity.
- Solana: SOL known for its high throughput and fast transaction speeds.
- TRON: TRX focuses on content sharing and entertainment ecosystems.
- Polkadot: DOT enable cross-blockchain transfers of any type of data or asset.
- Avalanche: AVAX offers high throughput and near-instant finality for dApps.
- Polygon: MATIC is a layer-2 scaling solution for ETH, improves speed and costs.
Final Words
The dynamic nature of the cryptocurrency landscape means that new projects will keep emerging even as many fade into obscurity. While many are asking; how many cryptocurrencies are there? Understanding the balance between active, and less active or discontinued ones is key to navigate this trends.
