2024 has been a remarkable year for cryptocurrencies, marked by both explosive growth and groundbreaking developments. The global cryptocurrency market witnessed an overall growth with its market cap almost on the verge of touching 4 Trillion for the first time in history driven by widespread adoption and innovations. 

In this blog, we focus on the "movers"—projects with exceptional year to date performance—and the "shakers"—those that disrupted the market through innovation or controversy. All price data is based on Year-to-Date (YTD) performance as of December 18, 2024, with data sourced from CoinMarketCap.

Top Crypto Movers of 2024

The year 2024 has been transformative for the crypto market, with several projects delivering exceptional Year-to-Date (YTD) returns. In this section, we highlight the top-performing cryptocurrencies from the top 100 by market cap, showcasing their standout achievements and the key drivers behind their success.

Leading Projects with Best YTD Returns From Top 100

1. Mantra (OM)

Current Rank: #41

Price: $4

Market Cap: $3.7 billion

YTD Performance: +6730.07%

Mantra, a DeFi powerhouse, has emerged as one of 2024’s biggest winners. Built to empower Web3 enthusiasts, the platform offers innovative solutions for staking, lending, and governance. Its robust community, coupled with continuous upgrades and strategic partnerships with leading blockchains, fueled its meteoric rise. What truly caught investor attention were its high-yield staking rewards, providing users with significant returns on their investments.

If you had invested $100 in OM at the start of 2024, your investment would now be worth an astounding $6,830. That’s the magic of crypto investing—turning small bets into massive gains.

2. Pepe (PEPE)

Current Rank: #22

Price: $0.000021

Market Cap: $9 billion+

YTD Performance: +1,578.8%

Pepe, the memecoin inspired by the iconic Pepe the Frog meme, continues to prove the power of community-driven projects. Despite its humorous beginnings, Pepe captured the crypto world’s attention with its strategic exchange listings and viral marketing campaigns. The coin’s ability to remain culturally relevant and build a strong, active community solidified its place among the top gainers of 2024. Its impressive YTD performance reflects the balance it struck between humor and serious market traction.

3. Dogwifhat (WIF)

Current Rank: #55

Price: $2.87

Market Cap: $2.6 billion

YTD Performance: +1,627.85%

Dogwifhat successfully blended the charm of a meme token with practical DeFi functionality, creating an ecosystem that appealed to both retail investors and crypto enthusiasts. By integrating gamification elements and collaborating with NFT projects, Dogwifhat cultivated a unique user base. Its combination of entertainment and utility positioned it as a standout performer, gaining significant traction and achieving remarkable growth throughout the year.

4. Bitget Token (BGB)

Current Rank: #27

Price: $4.10

Market Cap: $5 billion

YTD Performance: +607.9%

As the native token of the Bitget exchange, BGB experienced robust growth thanks to the platform’s global expansion and aggressive marketing strategies. The exchange introduced innovative trading features and provided token holders with attractive incentives, including reduced fees and exclusive access to trading benefits. These perks boosted the token’s utility, drawing in a broader range of traders and investors. Bitget’s commitment to staying ahead of the curve solidified BGB’s position as a top gainer of 2024.

5. SUI

Current Rank: #15

Price: $4.47

Market Cap: $13 billion

YTD Performance: +475%

SUI, a next-generation blockchain platform, continued to make waves with its focus on scalability, speed, and low transaction costs. Its ecosystem saw significant growth, driven by the launch of high-profile decentralized applications (dApps) that attracted developers and users alike. SUI’s developer-friendly approach, combined with its ability to handle high transaction volumes without compromising efficiency, positioned it as a key player in 2024’s blockchain advancements.

Leading Projects with Best YTD Returns From Top 1000

Beyond the top 100, the crypto market saw remarkable performances from emerging projects in the top 1000. These hidden gems achieved impressive YTD returns, driven by unique use cases, strong community backing, and viral momentum. Let’s dive into the standout performers that made waves in 2024.

1. PaLM AI (PALM)

Current Rank: #561

Price: $1

Market Cap: $75 million

YTD Performance: +103,658%

PaLM AI has emerged as a trailblazer in the fusion of blockchain and artificial intelligence. The project specializes in enabling decentralized machine learning, offering businesses and developers access to powerful AI models without centralized control. This innovation tapped into two booming industries—blockchain and AI—capturing massive investor interest. The platform's unique value proposition and viral buzz among tech enthusiasts drove its incredible YTD performance. To put its growth into perspective, a $100 investment at the start of 2024 would now be worth a staggering $103,650, highlighting the project’s meteoric rise.

2. Spectre AI (SPECTRE)

Current Rank: #766

Price: $4.43

Market Cap: $40 million

YTD Performance: +9,500%

Spectre AI has carved out a unique space in the decentralized financial ecosystem by offering blockchain-based financial products. Unlike traditional platforms, Spectre AI is designed for transparency, leveraging blockchain technology to eliminate counterparty risks in trading. Its user-friendly interface and innovative tools, such as smart contract-powered trading pools, resonated with retail and institutional traders alike. This strong foundation and growing community support pushed its YTD gains to an impressive 9,500%, solidifying its place as a leader among emerging DeFi projects.

3. Popcat (POP)

Current Rank: #108

Price: $1

Market Cap: $1 billion

YTD Performance: +12,000%

Popcat took the crypto world by storm with its gamified token rewards system, merging entertainment and blockchain seamlessly. The project quickly became a favorite in the gaming community, offering players token incentives for participating in its ecosystem. Its engaging gameplay mechanics and strong social media presence contributed to widespread adoption. With a billion-dollar market cap and a YTD performance of 12,000%, Popcat exemplifies how a creative use case can drive exponential growth in the crypto market.

4. SPX6900 (SPX)

Current Rank: #137

Price: $0.69

Market Cap: $650 million

YTD Performance: +8,273%

SPX6900 has established itself as a go-to platform for decentralized predictions, offering users the ability to stake tokens on the outcomes of various events. Its innovative approach attracted a loyal user base, especially among traders seeking speculative opportunities. By leveraging blockchain technology for transparency and fairness, SPX6900 created a reliable prediction market that stood out in a crowded space. Its YTD growth of 8,273% is a testament to its success, with a $100 investment at the start of the year now worth an impressive $8,370.30!

5. KiboShib (KIBSHi)

Current Rank: #777

Price: $0.00003826

Market Cap: $38 million

YTD Performance: +3,480%

KiboShib, a meme token with a community-first ethos, has proven that grassroots campaigns can still thrive in the crypto space. By collaborating with content creators and leveraging viral marketing, KiboShib built a loyal following that propelled its market cap to $38 million. Its partnerships within the crypto and entertainment industries kept it relevant throughout the year, driving a YTD gain of 3,480%. While its humor-based branding appeals to meme enthusiasts, its consistent growth indicates the serious support behind this playful project.

Top Shakers: Projects That Disrupted the Market in 2024

The crypto market saw a transformative year in 2024, with several projects not only achieving remarkable growth but also reshaping the industry with their innovations and adoption. Here’s a closer look at the top market shakers of the year.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Price: $105,000

Market Cap: $2 trillion

YTD Performance: +145%

Bitcoin reaffirmed its dominance in 2024, breaking new price records and doubling its market cap to a staggering $2 trillion. Institutional adoption was a major driver, with companies like Tesla and BlackRock increasing their Bitcoin holdings. Regulatory clarity in key markets, including the U.S. and Europe, also played a significant role in boosting investor confidence. Additionally, the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs provided a flood of new liquidity, making Bitcoin more accessible to retail and institutional investors alike.

Impact on the Market:

Bitcoin’s rise set a bullish tone for the entire crypto industry. Its performance encouraged increased capital inflows into altcoins and brought renewed attention to the long-term viability of cryptocurrencies as a whole.

Ethereum (ETH)

Price: $3,900

Market Cap: $460 billion

YTD Performance: +68.30%

Ethereum’s steady growth in 2024 was fueled by the successful implementation of its "Surge" scalability upgrade. The introduction of zk-rollups and sharding reduced transaction fees and increased network throughput, making Ethereum more attractive to developers and enterprises. Key dApps in DeFi, gaming, and NFTs continued to thrive, reinforcing Ethereum’s position as the backbone of decentralized applications. Moreover, Ethereum's ability to maintain decentralization while achieving scalability strengthened its market position.

Impact on the Market:

Ethereum’s upgrades revitalized DeFi and NFT markets, with several new Layer-2 solutions flourishing. This progress underscored Ethereum’s importance in the broader crypto ecosystem, influencing innovation across multiple sectors.

Solana (SOL)

Price: $220

Market Cap: $103 billion

YTD Performance: +113.34%

Solana made a dramatic comeback in 2024, establishing itself as the go-to blockchain for high-performance applications. Its unmatched speed and low transaction fees positioned it as the ideal platform for hosting meme tokens, including new players that gained massive traction. Beyond meme tokens, Solana Pay’s integration into major retailers added real-world utility, driving adoption among merchants and consumers. The blockchain also expanded its reach into gaming and decentralized social media, further diversifying its use cases.

Impact on the Market:

Solana’s performance showcased how alternative Layer-1 blockchains could thrive alongside Ethereum, providing scalability and efficiency for specific use cases. Its success influenced investor sentiment, shifting attention toward ecosystems with practical applications.

Key Takeaways from 2024’s Movers and Shakers

The crypto market of 2024 highlighted critical patterns and lessons that can guide both investors and enthusiasts in understanding what drives success in the ever-evolving blockchain landscape. Here are the key takeaways from this year’s standout movers and shakers:

1. Utility Wins

Projects that offered real-world use cases and robust ecosystems were the clear winners in 2024. Cryptocurrencies that went beyond speculative value and addressed real problems gained the most traction. For instance:

• Mantra (OM) succeeded by providing high-yield staking rewards and governance options for DeFi enthusiasts.

• Solana (SOL) thrived due to its practical applications in meme tokens, gaming, and payment solutions like Solana Pay.

The lesson? Coins that integrate seamlessly into existing industries or introduce novel utilities attract both users and investors. As adoption grows, these utility-driven projects often enjoy sustained market momentum.

2. Community Matters

2024 reaffirmed that a strong and active community is one of the most powerful drivers of a cryptocurrency’s success. Viral buzz, grassroots campaigns, and consistent engagement kept projects like Pepe (PEPE) and KiboShib (KIBSHI) relevant throughout the year.

• Pepe’s meme-driven culture and clever marketing initiatives sustained its place in the top 100 despite being initially dismissed by skeptics.

• KiboShib leveraged partnerships with content creators and a dedicated following to achieve significant gains.

A loyal community not only provides a project with organic marketing but also creates a sense of trust and belonging, making it resilient against market volatility.

3. Innovation Leads

Blockchain projects that tackled pressing challenges or introduced groundbreaking solutions emerged as market leaders. Key areas of innovation included:

• Scalability: Ethereum’s “Surge” upgrade addressed transaction bottlenecks, making it more attractive to developers and enterprises.

• AI Integration: Projects like PaLM AI (PALM) combined blockchain and artificial intelligence, showcasing the potential of decentralized machine learning.

• Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Spectre AI’s transparent and smart contract-powered trading tools reshaped how traders interacted with blockchain-based financial products.

Investors are drawn to projects with forward-thinking technology that pushes boundaries, especially those addressing scalability, efficiency, and user experience.

Wrapping Up

2024 was a year of dynamic growth and transformation in the crypto market. Movers like Mantra and Pepe impressed with staggering YTD returns, while shakers like Bitcoin and Ethereum set new benchmarks for innovation. As we move into 2025, staying informed and prepared will be key to identifying the next big opportunities in this ever-evolving space.