Guide to All 35+ Cryptocurrencies Available with IG

IG now offers over 35+ cryptocurrencies via its partnership with Uphold, providing you with access to a wide spectrum of blockchain technologies, use cases, and communities.

How do cryptocurrencies differ?

Cryptocurrencies serve various purposes with different risk levels:

Store of Value coins: More established with relatively stable use cases
Web3/AI/Functional coins: Exposure to innovative technologies with growth potential
Meme coins: Higher volatility with fewer practical applications

Understanding these categories can help you make more informed decisions about your cryptocurrency investments, helping you build a portfolio that matches your risk tolerance.

What are the major cryptocurrencies?

Bitcoin (BTC)

Definition: First cryptocurrency, launched in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto

Purpose: Peer-to-peer electronic cash system without central authority

Technology: Blockchain using Proof of Work consensus

Notable Information: Fixed supply of 21 million coins, often called "digital gold"

Risk Factors: High volatility, regulatory uncertainty, energy consumption concerns

Ethereum (ETH)

Definition: Programmable blockchain enabling smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps) decentralized finance (DeFi)

Purpose: Foundation for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, NFTs, and blockchain projects

Technology: Transitioned from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake in 2022

Notable Information: Proposed by Vitalik Buterin in 2013, launched in 2015

Risk Factors: Scalability challenges, competition from newer platforms, upgrade risks

Ripple (XRP)

Definition: Created by Ripple Labs in 2012 for international money transfers

Purpose: Bridge currency for cross-border payments without pre-funded accounts

Technology: Unique consensus protocol without mining for fast settlement

Notable Information: Transactions settle in 3-5 seconds

Risk Factors: Regulatory challenges, ongoing legal disputes with regulatory bodies, centralization concerns

Litecoin (LTC)

Definition: Created in 2011 by Charlie Lee as one of Bitcoin's first alternatives

Purpose: "Lighter" version of Bitcoin with faster transaction times

Technology: Processes blocks every 2.5 minutes using Scrypt hashing algorithm

Notable Information: Faster block times enable quicker confirmations and lower fees

Risk Factors: Competition from newer cryptocurrencies, diminishing differentiation from Bitcoin

Solana (SOL)

Definition: High-performance blockchain launched in 2020 for decentralized applications

Purpose: Solves blockchain scalability for high-throughput applications like trading and gaming

Technology: Combines Proof of History and Proof of Stake consensus

Notable Information: Processes thousands of transactions per second with minimal fees

Risk Factors: Network outages, stability issues, centralization concerns

Cardano (ADA)

Definition: Founded in 2015 by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, launched 2017

Purpose: Secure, sustainable blockchain for dApps and smart contracts

Technology: Developed through peer-reviewed research, uses Ouroboros Proof of Stake

Notable Information: Focus on sustainability, scalability, and interoperability

Risk Factors: Slower development pace, adoption challenges for smart contract platform

Stellar (XLM)

Definition: Created in 2014 by Jed McCaleb, who also co-founded Ripple.

Purpose: Connect financial institutions, payment systems, and people for low-cost transfers, focusing on remittances and cross-border payments.

Technology: Uses Stellar Consensus Protocol for fast, cheap transactions without mining.

Notable Information: Aims to provide financial services to unbanked populations and quick currency conversions through its decentralized exchange.

Risk Factors: Faces competition from traditional financial services and other blockchain solutions, regulatory challenges, and adoption issues for cross-border payments.

What are the popular DeFi and infrastructure tokens?

Chainlink (LINK)

Definition: Decentralized oracle network founded in 2017

Purpose: Enables smart contracts to interact with real-world data and external APIs

Technology: Network of nodes bridging on-chain contracts with off-chain resources

Notable Information: Provides tamper-proof inputs for complex smart contracts

Risk Factors: Dependency on node operators, competition from other oracle solutions

Polkadot (DOT)

Definition: Polkadot was created by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood and launched in 2020.

Purpose: It connects multiple specialized blockchains into a unified network, enabling cross-blockchain transfers of any data or asset types.

Technology: Polkadot uses a sharded multichain framework with parallel processing capabilities.

Notable Information: It facilitates a decentralized internet where independent blockchains can exchange information and transactions.

Risk Factors: Complex technical architecture and competition from other interoperability solutions.

Avalanche (AVAX)

Definition: Launched in 2020 by Cornell University computer scientists

Purpose: Platform for dApps with high throughput and Ethereum compatibility

Technology: Novel consensus enabling thousands of transactions per second

Notable Information: Multiple specialized blockchains within ecosystem

Risk Factors: Competition from other high-performance blockchains, complex structure

Cosmos (ATOM)

Definition: Co-founded by Jae Kwon and Ethan Buchman, launched in 2019

Purpose: Solves interoperability issues between blockchains ("Internet of Blockchains")

Technology: Tendermint consensus with Inter-Blockchain Communication protocol

Notable Information: Cosmos Hub serves as economic center for connected blockchains

Risk Factors: Competition from other interoperability projects, depends on adoption

Arbitrum (ARB)

Definition: Layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum by Offchain Labs

Purpose: Enhances Ethereum scalability by processing transactions off main chain

Technology: Uses optimistic rollups for faster, cheaper transactions

Notable Information: Used by many DeFi applications to improve user experience

Risk Factors: Technical risks with rollup technology, dependence on Ethereum ecosystem

Near Protocol (NEAR)

Definition: Founded in 2018 by Alexander Skidanov and Illia Polosukhin

Purpose: Developer-friendly and user-friendly layer-1 blockchain

Technology: Nightshade sharding for scalability and lower transaction costs

Notable Information: Focuses on accelerating development and adoption of dApps

Risk Factors: Competition from established platforms, developer adoption challenges

Aave (AAVE)

Definition: Founded in 2017 as a decentralized non-custodial liquidity protocol

Purpose: Allows lending and borrowing without centralized intermediaries

Technology: Smart contracts automate lending and borrowing processes

Notable Information: Introduced flash loans and rate switching, leading DeFi platform

Risk Factors: Smart contract vulnerabilities, regulatory risks, competition

Curve DAO (CRV)

Definition: Launched in 2020 as a DEX optimized for stablecoin trading

Purpose: Specializes in efficient stablecoin trading within DeFi

Technology: AMM algorithms designed for low-slippage trades between similar assets

Notable Information: CRV token used for governance and value accrual

Risk Factors: Smart contract risks, regulatory concerns, increased DEX competition

1inch (1INCH)

Definition: Founded in 2019 as a decentralized exchange aggregator

Purpose: Sources liquidity from various exchanges for optimal trading

Technology: Splits transactions across multiple DEXes for best rates

Notable Information: Pathfinder algorithm finds most efficient trading routes

Risk Factors: Dependence on other DeFi protocols' liquidity, smart contract risks

Injective (INJ)

Definition: Layer-1 blockchain built specifically for finance applications

Purpose: Focuses on DeFi and cross-chain trading opportunities

Technology: Decentralized order book and matching engine for various trading types

Notable Information: Aims for borderless financial system with zero gas fees

Risk Factors: Regulatory challenges for decentralized derivatives, exchange competition

Filecoin (FIL)

Definition: Created by Protocol Labs, launched in 2020 after major ICO

Purpose: Decentralized storage network for renting unused hard drive space

Technology: Proof-of-replication and proof-of-spacetime verify storage claims

Notable Information: Alternative to centralized cloud storage providers

Risk Factors: Competition from traditional cloud storage, technical complexity

Polytrade (POL)

Definition: Polytrade is a decentralized finance system for real-world trade finance.

Purpose: It connects businesses seeking financing with crypto investors looking for new yield opportunities by bringing traditional finance assets onto the blockchain.

Technology: Polytrade tokenises real-world invoices and other trade finance assets, bringing them on-chain to create a bridge between traditional finance and DeFi.

Notable Information: Polytrade turns real-world invoices and other trade finance assets into digital tokens, bridging traditional finance and DeFi.

Risk Factors: Challenges with regulations in different areas, risks with real-world asset tokens, and difficulties in combining traditional finance with blockchain systems.

What are Web3, AI, and next-gen tokens?

Internet Computer (ICP)

Definition: Developed by DFINITY Foundation, launched in 2021

Purpose: Extends internet functionality with decentralized cloud computing

Technology: Chain Key Technology consensus mechanism

Notable Information: Allows deployment of smart contracts and dApps directly on blockchain

Risk Factors: Centralization concerns, competition from cloud providers, technical complexity

Fet.ai (FET)

Definition: Founded in 2017 as AI lab building decentralized machine learning network

Purpose: Combines blockchain, AI, and multi-agent systems for autonomous tasks

Technology: Platform for AI agents to interact, negotiate, and transact

Notable Information: Aims to automate industries through blockchain-based AI agents

Risk Factors: Adoption challenges for complex AI technologies, centralized AI competition

Render (RNDR)

Definition: Created by OTOY to connect artists with GPU compute power providers

Purpose: Provides decentralized GPU rendering for digital creators

Technology: Distributed GPU network exchanging tokens for rendering power

Notable Information: Efficient GPU resource allocation for complex rendering tasks

Risk Factors: Competition from established rendering farms and cloud GPU services

AIOZ Network (AIOZ)

Definition: Blockchain-based content delivery network using edge computing

Purpose: Faster, more efficient Web3-based delivery and storage network

Technology: Users share computing resources and bandwidth for tokens

Notable Information: Alternative to traditional CDN services

Risk Factors: Competition from established CDN providers, adoption challenges

Sui (SUI)

Definition: Layer-1 blockchain developed by former Meta (Facebook) employees

Purpose: High-throughput applications with focus on asset-centric computation

Technology: Narwhal and Tusk consensus for high-performance operations

Notable Information: Optimized for gaming, social media, and finance applications

Risk Factors: Competition from established layer-1 blockchains, regulatory scrutiny

Akash Network (AKT)

Definition: Founded in 2018 as decentralized cloud computing marketplace

Purpose: Platform for buying and selling unused computing resources

Technology: Marketplace for cloud resources with blockchain-based settlement

Notable Information: Applications deployable at fraction of traditional cloud costs

Risk Factors: Competition from major cloud providers, adoption challenges

Celestia (TIA)

Definition: Modular blockchain network focused on data availability

Purpose: Separates consensus and execution for more scalable architectures

Technology: Provides consensus and data availability layers for other blockchains

Notable Information: Allows creation of purpose-specific execution layer

Risk Factors: Novel architecture adoption challenges, technical risks with modular approach

Immutable X (IMX)

Definition: Developed by Australian blockchain gaming company, launched 2021

Purpose: Layer-2 scaling for NFTs on Ethereum with gas-free trading

Technology: ZK-rollups batch transactions to reduce fees while maintaining security

Notable Information: Tools for high-performance NFT applications and games

Risk Factors: Dependency on Ethereum, competition from other NFT platforms

Ondo Finance (ONDO)

Definition: Bridges traditional finance with decentralized finance

Purpose: Structured products with various risk-return profiles in DeFi

Technology: Protocol for customizing risk exposure in liquidity provision

Notable Information: Tailored investment opportunities connecting traditional products to blockchain

Risk Factors: Regulatory challenges for structured products, protocol dependencies

XCN (Chain)

Definition: Founded in 2014 to provide enterprise blockchain infrastructure

Purpose: Enables financial institutions to create and transfer digital assets

Technology: Designed for enterprise-level asset issuance and management

Notable Information: Focus on financial services applications

Risk Factors: Competition from other enterprise solutions, regulatory hurdles

What are community and meme coins?

Dogecoin (DOGE)

Definition: Created in 2013 as a joke based on the "Doge" internet meme

Purpose: Peer-to-peer digital currency for tipping and small transactions

Technology: Based on Litecoin's codebase using Scrypt algorithm

Notable Information: Despite humorous origins, gained substantial value but has unlimited supply

Risk Factors: Minimal development, inflationary tokenomics, social media dependency

Shiba Inu (SHIB)

Definition: Created in 2020 by anonymous "Ryoshi" as "Dogecoin killer"

Purpose: Meme coin with strong community backing

Technology: ERC-20 token on Ethereum blockchain

Notable Information: Expanded to include ShibaSwap DEX and other projects

Risk Factors: Extreme volatility, limited utility, community sentiment dependence

Floki (FLOKI)

Definition: Named after Elon Musk's dog, created by Shiba Inu community

Purpose: Combines meme culture with utility attempts (education, NFT gaming, charity)

Technology: Exists on both Ethereum (ERC-20) and Binance Smart Chain (BEP-20)

Notable Information: Primarily driven by meme appeal despite broader ambitions

Risk Factors: High volatility, heavy dependence on influencers and community

Pepe (PEPE)

Definition: Based on the Pepe the Frog internet meme, launched 2023

Purpose: Speculative asset with no utility beyond meme status

Technology: ERC-20 token on Ethereum blockchain

Notable Information: Gained popularity despite lacking innovation or utility

Risk Factors: Extreme volatility, no fundamental value, complete market sentiment dependence

Bonk (BONK)

Definition: Solana-based meme coin launched late 2022

Purpose: Community-driven project airdropped to Solana NFT holders and developers

Technology: Operates on Solana blockchain for fast, inexpensive transactions

Notable Information: First popular dog-themed meme coin in Solana ecosystem

Risk Factors: High volatility, dependence on Solana ecosystem health

Dogwifhat (WIF)

Definition: Solana-based meme coin featuring a dog wearing a hat, launched 2023

Purpose: Community hype and speculative trading without substantial utility

Technology: Operates on Solana blockchain

Notable Information: Developed distinctive brand within meme coin space

Risk Factors: Extreme price volatility, dependence on social media trends

Algorand (ALGO)

Definition: Founded in 2017 by MIT professor Silvio Micali (Turing Award winner).

Purpose: It aims to address blockchain scalability, security, and decentralization at the same time.

Technology: Uses a pure proof-of-stake consensus mechanism that randomly selects validators from all token holders, ensuring both security and decentralization.

Notable Information: It processes transactions in seconds with instant completion, making it ideal for financial applications needing quick settlements and low costs. It's suitable for high-performance enterprise and government use.

Risk Factors: Faces competition from other high-performance blockchains, adoption challenges, and potential regulatory issues.

Sei Network (SEI)

Definition: Sei is a specialized layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for trading applications.

Purpose: It aims to provide top-level infrastructure for DeFi trading with fast speeds and low delays, optimized for trading activities.

Technology: Has a built-in order-matching engine and protection against frontrunning to boost performance for decentralized exchanges and trading platforms.

Notable Information: Designed to handle high-frequency trading and complex financial transactions, focusing on quick transaction times and efficient DeFi operations.

Risk Factors: Competition from other blockchains with trading improvements, potential regulatory issues, and the complexity of maintaining specialized trading features.

How Do You Start Investing in Cryptocurrencies?

To start investing in cryptocurrencies with IG, new clients need to complete an online application, submit identity documents, and verify their identity with a selfie. Existing clients can simply add a crypto account through their My IG Dashboard.

All clients must complete a cryptocurrency knowledge assessment. After verification, you will observe a mandatory 24-hour cooldown period before you can start investing.

After successful IG Crypto account verification, you can login and start investing available digital assets on the IG iOS/Android mobile apps, the IG Invest app, or the web platform.

Litecoin (LTC)