: Often called the "silver to Bitcoin's gold," Litecoin surged by over 5,000% , appealing to users as a faster and cheaper alternative for daily transactions.
2017 was the year cryptocurrency broke into the mainstream, with total market capitalization skyrocketing from at the end of 2016 to over $600 billion by late December. This massive bull run was fueled by the rise of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and growing institutional interest, such as the launch of Bitcoin futures. The Best Performing Cryptocurrencies of 2017
While Bitcoin led the charge in popularity, several altcoins delivered even more staggering returns for early investors.