One of the most popular cryptocurrencies in the world, Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) has created massive wealth for long-term investors. Ethereum is the second-largest cryptocurrency globally valued at a market cap of US$478 billion. The price of the ETH token has risen from just US$0.75 in August 2015 to US$3,900 at the time of writing. In fact, the digital token touched a record high of US$4,890 in November 2021.
But there is another recently launched cryptocurrency that is fast gaining traction and should be on top of your shopping list for 2022. VLaunch was introduced last week, and its digital token, called VPAD, has gained 33% in market value in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
Let’s see if VLaunch can surpass Ethereum in total gains over the next 12 months.
The bull case for VLaunch
Blockchain influencers MMCrypto and CryptoMo launched the VLaunch blockchain, which is a metaverse-focused product. VLaunch allows individuals all over the world to invest in tier-one projects that are backed by leading crypto leaders.
The exponential increase of trends across verticals such as NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and DeFi (decentralized finance) has led to the launch of multiple blockchain-backed products and networks in the last two years.
Most players in this space also aim to launch crypto project aggregators known as launchpads. Basically, the blockchain community can discover early-stage crypto projects via launchpads, which are then leveraged to onboard a user base to promote their new venture through an initial decentralized offering, or IDO.
VLaunch is not limited to a particular blockchain but can support projects from a range of networks, thereby centralizing quality projects from all chains onto a single launchpad. Another unique proposition of VLaunch is that the network is built and supported by thought leaders, which is likely to result in significant project exposure, precise marketing strategies, and broader distributions.
VLaunch’s allocation distribution system ensures the number of IDO participants and supporters is as large as possible, which will lower staking requirements.
The VLaunch blockchain network is backed by several investors that include Metaverse Capital, Altcoin Daily, and Crypto Lark.
The bull case for Ethereum
Ethereum has gained over 400% in 2021 and is up over 50,000% in the last five years, easily outpacing the returns of other asset classes including equities and commodities. The Ethereum blockchain has risen in popularity, as the network can execute smart contracts on its platform.
During a four-month period, spanning between August and November more than US$9 billion worth of NFT transactions were executed on the Ethereum blockchain. Further, the number of DeFi transactions completed on Ethereum is set to surpass US$100 billion soon.
We can see that Ethereum is the safest bet for crypto investors looking to capitalize on innovation and utility in the DeFi space. The network already commands a dominant position in DeFi and offers the best risk/reward profile compared to most other digital assets.
The Foolish takeaway
It might be difficult for Ethereum to replicate its historical gains given its massive market cap. While VLaunch is a much smaller player, the VPAD token is well poised to derive outsized gains compared to Ethereum, for long-term investors.
