Cryptocurrencies to Consider Buying Over Bitcoin If You Missed Out

Right now, Bitcoin is one of the biggest things to ever hit the stock markets. Everyone is now trying to check out cryptocurrency apps on their mobile phone, researching to figure out whether the opportunity they found is a Bitcoin scam, and learning as much as they can about the world of blockchain technology.

Sadly, if you ask a lot of economists, Bitcoin is flawed as an investment—or, if it's not flawed, it's a bubble that's about to burst in a really ugly way. At around $10,000 per coin, they argue it just doesn't make sense for most people who don't work on Wall Street to invest in Bitcoin anymore.

If you're wondering what you should do after having missed the Bitcoin boom, don't. There are plenty of cryptocurrencies to consider buying over Bitcoin in the market.

Ethereum

Perhaps one of the most popular cryptocurrencies to consider buying over Bitcoin is Ethereum—and it's easy to see why. This is a cryptocurrency that has been around for years and has thrived thanks to its "smart contract" policy.

The "smart contract" technology means that Ethereum is a bit safer than Bitcoin. This means that Ethereum doesn't pay out until the services that were bought are received, and the "contract's" only intermediaries are artificially intelligent bots.

So, you get the anonymity of Bitcoin with a little more security. Few digital currencies can say that. This gives Ethereum a broader scope of use, and that in turn means you have a safer investment vehicle.

Litecoin

Bitcoin and Litecoin, too, have a lot in common with one another. It's a P2P digital currency, which means it's a lot like Bitcoin without all drama that tends to ensue due to the mining process.

Most people call Litecoin the "silver to Bitcoin gold," but we have to say that there's a lot to like about these digital tokens aside from the price point. Simply put, they have very low transaction and purchasing costs on exchanges and major sites.

Litecoin is just a good way to save money on all aspects of the trade, and that makes it one of the best cryptocurrencies to consider buying over Bitcoin on this list.

Ripple

Both Ethereum and Litecoin have become cryptocurrency darlings due to their long time on the markets—but Ripple is one of the currencies that's quickly catching up in terms of reputation.

This cryptocurrency has found investors in some of the biggest names in tech, including SBI Holdings and Seagate Technologies. Of all the digital currencies out there, Ripple also happens to be the only token owned by banks.

Basically, it's a weird blend between real and digital currency that seems to have the perks of both. The only problem? It's only 23 cents per Ripple token and is regarded as extremely speculative due to its novelty.

So, while this is considered to be pretty unusual among cryptocurrencies to consider buying over Bitcoin, it's still an option for those willing to do the "long shot."

Bitcoin Cash

Looking for something as close to Bitcoin as possible without it actually being Bitcoin? Then look at Bitcoin Cash. This Bitcoin-offshoot has faster transaction times and also solves a lot of Bitcoin's transaction costs issues as well.

The high volumes of trade Bitcoin experienced is why they had to make a "hard fork" split between the two currencies. Overall, it's one of the best ways to get close to buying Bitcoin without actually crossing the official Bitcoin threshold.

Zcash

Looking to get a bit closer to the Dark Web? Zcash describes itself as a more secure version of Bitcoin—or, in their own words:

"If Bitcoin is like http for money, Zcash is https."

The way Zcash works is simple: it allows selective, private transparency of transactions. So, while transactions do get recorded on blockchain, details like the sender and amount will remain private.

Buying cryptocurrencies like Zcash also means that you get to control how private the transaction is. So, if you want to control the level of security your transactions involve, this is the best option for your money.

Dash

Once originally known as Darkcoin, Dash is one of the most secretive cryptocurrencies to consider buying over Bitcoin—but also one of the priciest as a result. Most Dash transactions seem to have a pretty illicit vibe about them, but the fact is that there's a lot of tech advantages to using it.

Dash can be mined with a simple CPU or GPU, so there's a lot of money to be made with relatively short transaction speed times. The basics of Dash are pretty easy to understand, too.

So far, Dash has really gotten to be popular on the Dark Web—and that bodes well for the currency's future. Whether or not it'll be the criminal currency to replace Bitcoin's rep remains to be seen, though, so stay tuned to the news to find out.

IOTA

IOTA is the first cryptocurrency without a blockchain—and that's kind of terrifying for investors. This unique cryptocurrency is all about being used in the "internet of things" using a tamper-proof decentralized ledger known as a "tangle" rather than a blockchain.

The end result? A cryptocurrency that's hard to crack, has no-fee transactions, and may just outperform Bitcoin.

Monero

Investors who want to load up their cyber-wallets with a more grassroots-based cryptocurrency may want to check out Monero. This is one of the most privacy-focused cryptocurrencies that still is mined by other parties.

Monero's robust mining community has made its market cap top $6 billion. Overall, it's one of the more private-but-human cryptocurrencies to consider buying over Bitcoin—and that makes many investors feel more comfortable with it.

Stellar

Looking to invest in altcoins with a cause? Stellar coins are called Lumen, and they are a pre-mined currency that was designed by a nonprofit open source group. The entire goal behind Stellar's Lumen is that they wanted to help empower marginalized communities using tech currency.

If you like the high-end brilliance that helped design Ripple, but feel uneasy about bank-owned currency, you'll be happy to know that many of Stellar's inventors came from Ripple.

Even though Stellar shares no code with Ripple, the fact is that the product is just as sturdy in terms of hack-proofing. After all, you have the same brains behind it.

Dogecoin

Originally started as a joke currency, Dogecoin now is one of the most affordable cryptocurrencies to consider buying over Bitcoin. It recently soared to a value of over $2 billion, making it one of the most expensive joke markets money can buy.

That being said, it's traded enough to actually be worth looking into—if you're into investing with a bit of risk. This currency is exceptionally volatile, after all.