Lessons from the Top 13 Altcoins of 2017: Choosing Altcoins Is Never Easy

2017 is considered the first boom period of the cryptocurrency market. At that time, besides Bitcoin, numerous Altcoins were praised as “the future of blockchain” and ranked in the Top 13 Altcoins by market capitalization. However, looking back after nearly a decade, the reality is extremely harsh.

Most of the Altcoins that were very popular in 2017 are no longer in the Top 100, and some have completely disappeared. Only a few names like Ethereum, XRP, and Zcash still exist, but they no longer hold the dominant position as before.

The Market Has No Loyalty The crypto market has never been “loyal” to any Altcoin. Just because a project was once ranked high does not mean it will last long. Outdated technology, team disbandment, unsustainable token models, or simply failing to keep up with new trends — all can lead to an Altcoin being phased out.

History has shown that past reputation does not guarantee the future.

Ethereum, XRP, and Zcash: Rare Survivors Among old Altcoins, Ethereum is one of the few projects that still maintains a core role in the blockchain ecosystem. XRP and Zcash, although still existing, are only “holding on,” no longer exerting the strong influence they once did during their golden age.

This shows: even surviving Altcoins must go through multiple cycles of decline and restructuring to continue existing.

Important Lesson: Choosing Altcoins Requires Extreme Caution The 2017 Altcoin list is a perfect example of the saying: “Choose Altcoins wisely” Altcoins can bring significant short-term profits but also carry the risk of being wiped out very quickly. Investors should not only look at market cap, popularity, or FOMO effects but need to deeply evaluate: Real value of the technology Level of application Development team Ability to adapt through multiple market cycles

Conclusion The history of Altcoins in 2017 is a clear reminder that most Altcoins do not have long-term lifespans. The crypto market is always evolving and continuously eliminates weak projects.

If participating in Altcoins, always remember: 👉 No Altcoin is “forever” 👉 Risk management is more important than chasing profits In crypto, mere survival is an achievement — leading through multiple cycles is extremely rare.