As the need for paperless money continues to increase, so does the popularity of digital currencies. With bitcoins trading at about $14,000, it is very clear that not every potential investor has the ability to buy this leading cryptocurrency. This necessitates the need for affordable alternative cryptocurrencies to invest in. As of January 2018, there were more than 2,000 cryptocurrencies in use. However, not all of them will give you value for money. Based on their high returns previously and increasing popularity, the following are the top 8 cryptocurrencies that you should consider buying n 2018.

1. SAT (Social Activity Token) by Sphere

SAT is a new cryptocurrency that will be used for buy and sell ads on new decentralized social network: Sphere. You can be an early investor buying SAT tokens during presale (0.05$/Sat) or during the ICO (0.14$/Sat). Ico will start on 12.02.2018. Don’t forget: u can earn also free sat tokens if you create account on their official website: Sphere! (Reward for sign up is 50 SAT) Read also Whitepaper and the Bounty page for some free tokens!

2. Ripple (XRP)

Ripple recently became the third most actively traded cryptocurrency after bitcoins and ethereum. Ripple intends to make use of blockchain technology to facilitate the faster transfer of money between banks across international borders. Ripple already has goodwill from institutions that have expressed their willingness to adopt Ripple into their systems. The Bank of England, American Express and Santander have all expressed their desire to support Ripple. Trading at $1.83 in January 2018, this digital currency holds a lot of potential. This lower dollar price makes it a good investment opportunity because you can buy plenty of them with just $100. During the first week of January 2018 alone, Ripple gained more than 40% in value. Analysts expect this trend to continue in the near future, hence making this a worthwhile investment.

3. Bitcoin Cash (BCH)

This is the latest entrant into the cryptocurrency craze as it was launched in August 2017. Despite this, the digital currency has been impressive. Its creation resulted from a consensus among the bitcoin community stakeholders that bitcoin was to be split into two because of the delayed transaction times. Since its inception, it has not been able to match its parent currency, the bitcoin. Trading at about $2,500 in January 2018, analysts think that 2018 will see further growth in the value of bitcoin cash. This is because bitcoin cash transactions are fast as compared to bitcoin transactions. Once people get to understand how bitcoin cash works, it is set to grow by leaps and bounds.

4. Litecoin (LTC)

Litecoins share some roots with bitcoins because they were originally created as a fork of the initial bitcoin blockchain in 2011. Both currencies intended to facilitate the easier transfer of money from one person to the other at cheaper costs. However, Litecoins continue to gain popularity because their blockchain technology speeds up transactions. Block mining is also not as complicated as it is with other cryptocurrencies. Litecoin is the only currency that has a face behind it. It was Charlie Lee that engineered the process that resulted in the creation of Litecoins. The presence of a face behind this digital currency improves the confidence that people have in it. Trading at $240 in January 2018, analysts believe that this cryptocurrency will perform well in 2018.

5. Ethereum (ETH)

There are very good reasons as to why Ethereum is among the most traded cryptocurrencies. Formed recently, the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance comprises of more than 500 organizations that are actively involved in testing Ethereum’s blockchain technology in pilot, demo and small projects. The organizations include financial service providers, governments, energy and technological companies. The key feature that makes Ethereum to stand out is the smart contracts. These are instruments that facilitate, verify and enforce the stipulated conditions on the contract. For instance, BP Shell could make use of Ethereum blockchain technology to speed up transaction times and thereby improving the efficiency of trading energy. Trading at about $1,340 in January 2018, the price is expected to continue rising in 2018 hence, making it a worthwhile investment.

6. Stellar (XLM)

As the name suggests, the performance of this digital currency over the recent past has been stellar. The Stellar coins are referred to as Stellar Lumens (XLM). Since it was created, this digital currency has grown by more than 10,000%. Created in 2014, Stellar was trading at $0.6 as of January 2018. This cryptocurrency intends to build and strengthen financial products across the globe. It mainly targets institutions that have clients dealing with cross-border transfers. Unlike Ripple that is focusing on inter-bank transfers, Stellar focuses on multinationals that conduct their trade outside their countries but have to repatriate their revenues to their home countries. For enterprise customers, Stellar also incorporates in its blockchain the smart contract protocol. Following its partnership with IBM to help in cash remittances, it’s clear that this currency is headed for greatness, and this is just the right time to buy.

7. Iota (Iota)

This is one of the digital coins to watch in 2018. Its model resembles that of the Internet of Things. Initially, it was very cheap, but it has appreciated to reach $4 in January 2018. Unlike the other cryptocurrencies, Iota is not built on blockchain technology. However, it uses a ledger called Tangle that can be accessed publicly. As a security feature, the Iota addresses keep changing after every transaction. In order for you to access your Iota wallet, you must first generate a password that contains 81 characters. With no miners, zero transaction fees and unlimited transactions, this makes it a cryptocurrency to watch in 2018. Following the partnership with Microsoft and Bosch, any serious investor should consider buying Iota in 2018.

8. Monero (XMR)

This is the most anonymous digital currency in the world. In a span of a few months, its value grew from $50 to about $350. It has been able to grow because of its anonymity nature. Unlike bitcoins that publicly display the addresses of the trading parties, Monero uses stealth addresses. Since its release, Monero has continued to enjoy increased popularity and adoption. The scalability and affordability of Monero makes it a top priority among potential investors.