Brought to you by
Guide to cryptocurrency
Are you looking for top cryptocurrencies in the UK in 2022? You have come to the right place. In this post, we will be talking about the best cryptocurrencies to consider today. These haven’t just performed exemplarily well in the past but have also proven their resilience by surviving hacks and market crashes.
We have also assessed the sustainability of their blockchain networks and have a high level of confidence their value will stand the test of time and continue growing their value. .
But before we get started, here is a quick one - did you know that cryptocurrencies have outperformed all other investment asset classes in the last decade? And that was long before they became a household name.
Today, the threat of global inflation, political intolerance, and a weakening global economy have become everclear. Moving forward, therefore, crypto analysts expect more individuals to start piling up their crypto holdings. This will, in turn, pump the value of the digital assets.
Here, you will learn about the best cryptocurrencies in the UK, the ones with the highest potential to grow their value over the next decade.
The best cryptocurrencies UK In 2022
Here are the top cryptocurrencies today. In this list, we have included the coins with the greatest potential to sustain their current uptrend - the cryptocurrencies that will most likely explode in the foreseeable future. They include:
- Bitcoin (BTC) - Best Cryptocurrency for Long Term Investment
- Ethereum (ETH) - Best Cryptocurrency for Potentially Outsized Future Gains
- Solana (SOL) - Best Ethereum alternative with the fastest-growing ecosystem
- Shiba Inu (SHIB) - Top meme coin in the UK
- Decentraland (MANA) - Best Metaverse Cryptocurrency in 2022
- Binance Coin (BNB) - Best Crypto Exchange Token
- Cardano (ADA) - Most Promising Cryptocurrency
- Uniswap (UNI) - Best DeFi Token
- Chainlink (LINK) - Best Cryptocurrency for an Interoperable Blockchain
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
A closer look at the best cryptocurrencies today in the UK
Let us look over these top cryptocurrencies in the UK, looking at what makes them unique, how they have performed in the past, their current price action, and their expected future performance according to crypto experts and analysis.
Bitcoin (BTC) - best cryptocurrency for long term investment
Bitcoin is the pioneer cryptocurrency. It is also the most popular and the most valuable digital asset, presently worth £29,500 which gives it a market cap of £575 Billion. It makes it to our list of top cryptocurrencies UK because it has not only performed exemplarily well in the past but because it has a promising future. It shot from oblivion a decade ago to record an all-time high price of £54,700 and some analysts have expected the leading crypto to be higher by the turn of the decade.
We also feature Bitcoin on the list of best cryptocurrencies in the UK because of its resilience and sustainability. Even though it has suffered three massively volatile price crashes, in 2013, 2018, and 2021, it has always found a way back to its feet.
It has even survived opposition from such powerful governments as China. And with its adoption as legal tender in countries like Salvador and the Central African Republic, BTC proves the sustainability of the network. This is further confirmed by its adoption as a medium of exchange by numerous stores and ecommerce platforms across the world.
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Ethereum (ETH) - best cryptocurrency for potentially outsized future gains
Ethereum is the largest smart contract platform in the world. It is the internet of blockchains and hosts the largest collection of decentralized apps and smart contract programs. The blockchain launched in 2015 and went on to become one of the most popular and most used blockchain technology.
During this time, it also grew its price by more than 98500%, to sell for £2225 today - more than 43% below its November 2021 peak price of £3890. This has made it the second most popular and valuable cryptocurrency with a live market cap of more than £268 Billion.
But a stellar past price action and a sustainable network aren’t the only reasons Ethereum makes it to our list of best cryptocurrencies UK. Others include its likelihood to sustain this value uptrend and ecosystem expansion.
Some crypto analysts and investors are even confident that Ethereum has what it needs to flip Bitcoin as the most valuable cryptocurrency in the next decade. But is this even possible?
To an extent, maybe, and only after you factor in its upgrade to Ethereum 2.0. This would make it faster and more efficient, make its token supply deflationary, and endear it to investors because of its energy consciousness.
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Solana (ETH) - best ethereum alternative with the fastest-growing ecosystem
Solana, the ethereum-killer, also ranks highly on our index of top cryptocurrencies in the UK. We feature it here because it is one of the fastest-growing cryptocurrency and has also been confirmed as the fastest-growing smart contract platform.
These claims are backed by the fact that SOL launched in 2020 and in less than 2 years, it has grown its value by close to 12000%. It has also opened up its network to the widest range of crypto technologies including Web 3.0, DeFi, dApps, NFTs, Meme coins, and even the metaverse. Several programs launched here, like Samoyedcoin meme coin, Saber DEX, and Brave browser, continue to perform exemplarily - confirming the network’s sustainability.
Other factors that help SOL make the cut for what we believe to be the best cryptocurrencies to invest in the UK include its promising future, growing investor interest, and resilience. It, for instance, continues to record massive trade volumes. Further, during the highly volatile crypto market in 2021, Solana posted softer price corrections.
But perhaps more importantly, the success of the different programs launched on its platform has confirmed its sustainability. All these affirm crypto analysts and investors claims that SOL tokens could sustain an uptrend.
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Shiba Inu (SHIB) - most popular meme coin in the UK
Shiba Inu launched in October 2021 and already has a 1.3 million percent ROI - the fact that it has shed 75% off its peak prices notwithstanding. This makes it the fastest growing meme coin. And such unprecedented value gain has seen it become the 15th most valuable cryptocurrency with a £9.52 Billion market cap. These achievements have also convinced us to add it to our watchlist for the best cryptocurrencies UK.
But what are the odds of Shiba Inu replicating this success in the future? In the eyes of an average investor - slim to none. But you need to scratch beneath the surface and dig deeper into the developments around the Shiba Inu ecosystem to understand why we are yet to see the last of the meme coin.
Our research has uncovered two interesting details. First, Shiba Inu is on a mission to enrich the Shiba Inu network and increase SHIB token’s use cases. To this end, its developers are launching a decentralized exchange, a token launchpad, and making staking SHIB tokens possible.
They have also embarked on an aggressive SHIB token burning program. And we recognize that it will be hard for Shiba Inu to burn its way to £0.1, we are alive to the fact that these developments could have impacts on its token prices. All these developments prove why Shiba Inu is top cryptocurrency.
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Decentraland (MANA) - best metaverse cryptocurrency in 2022
Decentraland is the leading metaverse cryptocurrency. It launched in September 2017, making it one of the oldest metaverse projects. It is also the most popular metaverse, especially among the blockchain gaming community and investors. Today, it has grown the introductory price of its MANA tokens by more than 6600% and expanded its market cap to £2.22 Billion. It has also drawn in more than 800,000 users to the Decentraland virtual world.
But these achievements aren’t the only reasons why we consider MANA one of the best cryptocurrencies UK. Others include its versatility and innovativeness. These have helped the metaverse tap into its emerging and soon-to-be massively popular crypto trends like NFTs, play-to-earn games, DeFi, and dApps. These are expected to draw in more users to the metaverse and push its token prices to new heights.
Further, Decentraland has scored critical partnerships with both on- and off-chain brands, which improve its visibility and spark investor interest. The most popular of these include JP Morgan, Samsung, Coca-Cola, Forever 21, and Tommy Hilfiger - which are already building or have promised to build on Decentraland’s metaverse.
These are all expected to accelerate demand for MANA tokens. This, effectively, pushes their token prices to new heights and confirms analyst expectations that MANA token prices are just taking off and most likely sustains a spirited uptrend. It also justifies why we consider Decentraland one of the top cryptocurrencies UK.
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Binance Coin (BNB) - best crypto exchange token
Binance is the largest and most liquid crypto exchange in the world. Launched in 2017, BNB token prices are up by more than 380000% today - even after losing 45% of its peak prices. This has seen its market cap record exponential growth to reach £50 Billion - making it the fourth most valuable cryptocurrency project.
But the glorious past price performance isn’t the only reason why we feature BNB among the best cryptocurrencies UK. Others include its promising future, its bulging ecosystem, the increased use cases for BNB, and a recovering crypto market.
While Binance started as a crypto exchange, it has since morphed into one of the largest crypto ecosystems. Its Binance Smart Chain has also succeeded in becoming Ethereum’s fiercest competitor.
Like Ethereum, the smart contract platform has integrated multiple fast-rising niches, including NFTs, meme coins, DeFi, and Web 3.0. Moreover, the success of the products launched here has not only increased use cases for BNB coins but has confirmed the crypto ecosystem’s sustainability.
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Cardano (ADA) - most promising cryptocurrency
Cardano is the first peer-reviewed blockchain. It is also the largest smart contract platform using the proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. And it too is an ethereum-killer designed to solve the many challenges plaguing the ETH blockchain before eventually replacing it as the go-to smart contract network. But it only makes the cut to feature among the best cryptocurrencies because of its promising future.
We must observe that Cardano has been quite sluggish with regard to innovation and value gain. For instance, even though it launched in 2017 - three years before Solana - it has a current ROI of less than 3000%. It was also late in integrating smart contract capabilities to the blockchain - only adding the feature in the last quarter of 2021. Plus it has also been rather slow in embracing such fast-rising crypto technologies as Web 3.0, NFTs, DeFi, dApps, and the Metaverse.
Much of this has been caused by the fact that all its integrations have to be peer-reviewed first. The biggest upside to this is that it makes Cardano one of the most secure blockchains today.
Having considered all these you might then ask, why does Cardano feature anywhere among the best cryptocurrencies UK? The simple answer to this is that when it eventually integrates all these crypto technologies it could be unstoppable. It also could be the most secure and most decentralized smart contract network.
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Uniswap (UNI) - best DeFi token
Uniswap is to the decentralised finance world, what Binance exchange is to the cenetralised crypto exchange world. It is the largest, most popular, and one of the most liquid decentralised exchanges. It is also one of the fastest-growing DeFi tokens and has the backing of one of the most innovative DEX platforms. And all these features informed our decision to add UNI tokens to our watch list for the top cryptocurrencies in the UK.
The platform launched in November 2018 and has since attracted 1.5 million users making it the most popular DEX. It has attracted a lot of investor interest as evidenced by its uptrending daily trade volumes and the more than £5.60 Billion worth of crypto locked in its liquidity pools.
Moving forward, Uniswap is expected to draw in more investors and platform users, especially after more investors start appreciating the need for secure but unregulated trading platforms. All these, plus further upgrades to the Uniswap network, Ethereum’s merger, and a recovering crypto market are expected to catapult UNI token prices to new levels.
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Chainlink (LINK) - best cryptocurrency for an interoperable blockchain
Chainlink makes the cut for the 10 best cryptocurrencies UK because of the revolutionary impacts that its innovative network brings to the crypto-verse. Through its decentralized oracle network, Chainlink hopes to make it possible for as many smart contract blockchains to interact with off-chain data sources. It hopes to serve as the link between the on-chain and off-chain technologies, allowing for the creation of more complex and more accurate smart contracts.
Given that smart contracts are an integral part of a functional crypto-verse, we expect the demand for LINK tokens to keep rising as blockchain technology goes mainstream. But this isn’t to say that Chainlink hasn’t performed exemplary well in the past. Launched in 2017, its LINK tokens have sustained a positive uptrend and weathered two devastating market crashes to post an ROI of 7200%+.
Chainlink has also expanded its market cap to reach £4 Billion, making it the 28th most valuable crypto project. But as more smart contract blockchains - like Solana, Avalanche, and Cardano -explode in popularity and use, we are hopeful that they will tap into Chainlink oracles.
This could push the use case and price for the LINK tokens through the roof. More than all else, this promise of steering the crypto-verse towards interoperability makes it one of the best cryptocurrencies as of today.
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Remember cryptocurrency and any investments are highly volatile and can go down as well as up, and you may not get your money back. If you are unsure as to the best option for your individual circumstances, you should seek financial advice.
How to identify the best cryptocurrency
In this post, we have highlighted the 10 top cryptocurrencies to consider today and explained why they made it to our basket of best cryptocurrencies UK in 2022. But how did we vet and what factors should you, consider when looking for the best cryptos in the UK:
Resilience: First check how the coin has reacted to previous internal and external challenges like compromised networks or market crashes. How low did it crash and how fast was the recovery? The best cryptocurrencies are the ones that post soft corrections, even in the face of the most devastating challenges.
Sustainability: Ideally, top cryptocurrencies should also be sustainable. Confirm that its whitepaper makes sense, that the cryptocurrency has a strong purpose, and that it seeks to solve a real and urgent problem facing the majority in the world.
Potential for future value gain: It is not enough for a coin to have posted stellar value gains in the past. The best cryptocurrencies in the UK should also prove their ability to sustain this value gain over the long term. And you check this by assessing its past and potential future adoption.
Single point of failure: Confirm that your preferred coin doesn’t have a single point of failure. For example, you will notice that even though XRP has all it needs to warrant inclusion in our basket of best cryptocurrencies UK, we didn’t add it here because of its ongoing and potentially catastrophic legal battle with the SEC in the US.
Reputation and transparency: Crypto scams aren’t new to the crypto-verse, So, before adding a virtual asset to your list of top cryptocurrencies to buy in 2022, check the reputation of its developers and the genuineness/soundness of their intentions. The last thing you need is to pour your life savings into the next OneCoin.
How to buy top cryptocurrencies UK - step by step guide
Interestingly, the process of buying cryptocurrencies from exchanges is quite harmonised and they all follow a similar script. Want to invest in cryptocurrencies? Follow these 5 steps:
Step 1: Start with finding a reputable cryptocurrency exchange in the UK and create a crypto trader account with them. Note that most will ask you to verify your identity.
Step 2: It is highly recommended to use a reliable hardware wallet, especially if you are looking to become a long-term investor. They are safer and store your coins offline - away from hackers.
Step 3: Deposit funds into your approved crypto account.
Step 4: Identify the digital asset that you would like to invest in.
Step 5: Choose the “Buy” option and proceed to customize the trade, deciding how much of fiat you wish to spend on the purchase or how much of the coins you want to buy.
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Note: Most exchanges will move the purchased crypto to the free in-exchange wallet that comes with every trading account. We, however, recommend moving the private keys from these tokens to the more secure offline wallet.
What Are The Best Exchanges To Buy Top Cryptocurrencies in the UK?
Hundreds of crypto exchanges - both reputable and shady, local and international - have all set up camp in the UK. And before you register with either of these, we advise you to do your due diligence and conduct background checks on their reputation.
Want to jump straight to investing? Then use these three highly reputable trading platforms:
eToro - best for beginners
eToro is one of the most beginner-friendly trading platforms. It lists the most popular cryptocurrencies in the UK and worldwide and has one of the most intuitive user interfaces. It is also transparent with its crypto trading fees and has an easy and straightforward onboarding process.
Related: Buy crypto assets with eToro
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Coinbase - best for instant buying
Coinbase lets you buy any of the top cryptocurrencies highlighted above instantly. It too has an easy and straightforward registration process, is deeply liquid, supports a wide range of payment options, and you can buy crypto on both their web or mobile app.
Binance - best for low fees
Binance is ideal for retail and institutional investors looking to invest in the best cryptocurrencies, while paying the lowest transaction fees. Here, crypto trading fees start from 0.1% and can drop to as low as 0.035% (for high volume traders who enjoy the 25% discount on transaction fees). Binance is also massively liquid, supports the widest range of crypto assets - including all the top cryptocurrencies, and has a highly responsive customer support team.
Final Word - top cryptocurrency 2022
There goes everything you need to know about the best cryptocurrency in the UK. Hereinabove, we have discussed what we consider the 10 top cryptocurrencies, factors to examine when looking for the best crypto assets, the best exchanges to buy crypto in the UK, and provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to buy any digital assets.
FAQs
What is a cryptocurrency?
A cryptocurrency, also known as virtual currency, is a form of currency that only exists digitally (digital copies). And unlike fiat currencies that are issued and controlled by central banks, cryptocurrencies are secured through cryptography.
Is crypto investing legal in the UK?
Yes, crypto trading and investing is legal in the UK. In late 2021, however, the FCA banned the sale and promotion of all crypto derivatives i.e. CFDs, futures, and options, to retail investors.
Is crypto investing safe?
Well, like all other asset classes, crypto investments are risky. But unlike most other forms of investment, crypto-assets carry a significantly higher level of risk because your investment is consistently exposed to hackers, crypto scams, and massive price volatilities.
Which crypto will explode in 2022?
Well, the massive volatile nature of crypto assets and the unpredictability of the overall crypto market make it impossible for anyone to determine with utmost accuracy what crypto will explode in 2022. However, we have - in this pool of the best cryptocurrencies UK - featured the 10 crypto assets that we believe will most likely do well should the market resume its 2021 price run.
Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
This content is for information and education purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice or a personal recommendation. Any references to past or future performance of a crypto instrument, index or a packaged investment product are not, and should not be taken as, a reliable indicator of future results.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article