What Is A Market Cap In Crypto?

Shopperoo Team
Shopperoo
Published in
3 min readJul 8, 2022

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What is a market cap? Shopperoo walks you through it.

Market capitalisation “or market” cap is a total dollar value of of coin/ token in crypto the market cap is calculated by multiplying the total number of coins in circulation with the price the cryptocurrency is trading at.

Market cap can be used as a rough gauge for how stable an asset is, by all means this isn’t always going to be accurate as we have all seen even the crypto’s with the largest market cap (Bitcoin) is volatile, However, a larger ship can manage hazardous weather in a safe manner.A cryptocurrency with a much bigger market cap than one with a much smaller one is more likely to be a more reliable investment. Digital currencies with smaller market caps, on the other hand, are more prone to the whims of the market and might see significant gains or losses in their wake.

As an aside, you may come across references to “circulating supply” or “fully diluted supply” market caps. With Bitcoin, those two numbers are the 18.5 million that have been mined “circulating supply” and the 21 million that will be mined eventually “fully diluted supply. Depending on their methodology, some observers will calculate market capitalisation using the currently circulating supply, while others will use the fully diluted figure.

What is important about market cap?

Price is only one metric used to assess a cryptocurrency’s worth. Market capitalisation helps investors evaluate the worth of several cryptocurrencies and convey a more complete picture. As a crucial number, it can show whether a cryptocurrency is safe to acquire in comparison to others and its potential for growth.

Let’s compare the market capitalisation of two hypothetical cryptocurrencies to illustrate.

If there are 400,000 coins in circulation of cryptocurrency A, and each coin is worth $1, then its market capitalisation is $400,000.

The market capitalisation of cryptocurrency B is $200,000 if there are 100,000 coins in circulation with a $2 value per coin.

Cryptocurrency A has an overall worth that is twice that of Cryptocurrency B, despite Cryptocurrency B having more expensive individual coins.

However, it’s also crucial to remember that due to their volatility, the market capitalisation of several cryptocurrencies might fluctuate considerably.

What is market cap used for?

By comparing the market capitalisation of several cryptocurrencies, you can make better informed investing choices.

According to their market capitalisation, cryptocurrencies are divided into three groups:

The market capitalisation of large-cap cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, exceeds $10 billion. Because they have a history of growth and frequently have better liquidity, which means they can withstand a bigger volume of individuals cashing out without the price being significantly damaged, investors view them as lower risk investments.

Mid-cap cryptocurrencies are those with market capitalizations between $1 billion and $10 billion; they are typically thought to have greater unrealised upside potential but also higher risk.

Small-cap cryptocurrencies are those with a market valuation of less than $1 billion, and they are the ones that are most prone to sharp swings in price based on mood in the market.

Market capitalisation is a helpful indicator for comparing the entire value of cryptocurrencies, but you should also balance the dangers of any investment against market trends, a cryptocurrency’s stability, and your own financial status.

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Shopperoo Team
Shopperoo

The team behind Shopperoo — a payments and shopping technology provider specialising in web3 solutions for a truly decentralised web.