If you’ve been hanging around the crypto space, even for a short while, you’ve probably wondered, “How many cryptocurrencies are there?” It’s a fair question. After all, it seems like a new project shows up every day, and people often talk about thousands of “coins” and “tokens” without much explanation. In this blog, we’ll learn on how many crypto currencies are there and why the number is still growing.
A Quick View on the Crypto industry:
Before counting the actual number, let’s start with the overall crypto industry. When Bitcoin launched in 2009, it was the one and only cryptocurrency. That’s it—no altcoins, no DeFi tokens, no meme tokens, no stablecoins. Fast forward to 2025, and you’ll find tens of thousands of digital assets floating around. Websites like Coinmarketcap and CoinGecko, track crypto projects, and often list over 15000+ cryptocurrencies.
That’s a big change from a single digital coin. You might wonder: how did we get from a single Bitcoin to such a massive numbers of tokens? The truth is, this growth reflects the creativity and hype of the crypto community. Anyone with proper technical knowledge can create a new token. There’s no official body that decides who gets to launch a cryptocurrency. As a result, you’ll see everything from serious, well-researched projects aiming to solve problems to pure meme coins designed for fun.
Defining Cryptocurrencies: Coins vs. Tokens
Before we proceed, let’s get one concept straight: when we say cryptocurrencies, we’re are grouping together two main categories—coins and tokens.
- Coins
A “coin” (also called a native coin) is tied to it’s own blockchain. For example, Bitcoin has the Bitcoin blockchain, Ethereum has the Ethereum blockchain, and Solana has the Solana blockchain. These coins are used to pay network transaction fees or to reward miners. - Tokens
A “token” is built on top of an existing blockchain. It doesn’t have its own separate network. For example, ERC-20 tokens like Chainlink or Uniswap exist on Ethereum’s blockchain. These tokens rely on the Ethereum’s network for transactions. Similarly, BEP-20 tokens rely on BNB Chain.
Why does this distinction matter? Because when you look at that a huge number of cryptocurrencies, the majority are tokens on big networks like Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Avalanche, and more. A few of them are running on their own chain.
If you’re new, this difference helps you understand why there’s so much variety. Creating an new blockchain is tough—coding, protocols, community building, security, and more. Creating a token on an existing blockchain is simpler, that’s why so many new tokens are hitting the market every week.
How Many Cryptocurrencies Are There in 2025?
Let’s address the core question directly: How many cryptocurrencies are there? There isn’t a single database that tracks every digital asset. But major platforms like CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko are usually considered as valid references. They keep real-time lists of active cryptocurrencies and capture data such as market cap, trading volume, and price movements.
According to Congecko, there are 16,670 cryptocurrencies in the market till date ( February 1,2025). This number changes because new tokens launches, while abandoned or scam projects get delisted.
So, if you ever see someone asking, “How many different crypto coins are there?” be ready to answer: “It depends on who’s counting, but it’s well into the tens of thousands.”
So, Why the Number Isn’t Fixed?
- Frequent Launches: The technical barrier for creating a token on an existing blockchain is low.
- Rug Pulls and Scams: Some tokens are created for scamming and vanish quickly.
- Project Mergers: Occasionally, teams merges , leading them to “swap” tokens or rebrand.
All these factors cause the total count to fluctuate.
Why Do So Many Cryptocurrencies Exist?
Let’s go deeper into why there are so many:
- Innovation and New Use Cases
In early crypto days, Bitcoin introduced the world to decentralized money. Then Ethereum brought in smart contracts. This initiated the use of tokens for governance, stablecoins, layer-2 scaling solutions, gaming tokens, social tokens, and so on. - Low Entry Barrier
Ethereum and BNB Chain allows to issue new tokens very easily. You don’t need to build a new blockchain from scratch. That has helped entrepreneurs launch everything from meme tokens to specialized DeFi tokens, often with just coding and a proper whitepaper. - Speculation and Hype
Speculation is a huge part of the crypto scene. Whenever a token increase in price, it inspires new tokens trying to replicate that success. You’ll see communities hype up the next “Shiba Inu killer” or “the next big layer-1 protocol.” Sometimes these projects hold legitimate promise. Other times, they’re purely capitalizing on hype to scam the quick money. - Community Governance
Some tokens exist primarily as governance tools. They allow holders vote on project proposals and development decisions. Decentralized organizations (DAOs) often create tokens as a way to involve their community in decision-making.
Where can I find the Changing Numbers of Crypto Currencies?
If you’re curious about the exact (or near-exact) tally at any moment, you can visit aggregator sites. Two popular ones are:
- CoinMarketCap
- CoinGecko
Both platforms track thousands of coins and tokens and offer data on market cap, trading volume, circulating supply, and historical charts. They also have a listing process, so you can find brand-new tokens or well-established ones.
A Note on “Dead Coins”:
Alongside the big aggregator sites, you might see references to “dead coins.” These are tokens that are no longer active for reasons like abandonment by their development team, a collapsed price (trading at $0). According to CoinGecko, over 50% of the coins are already dead. The year 2021 was a rough time for the crypto industry, as the industry recorder 5724 dead coins that year. BitConnect , Aeron, VegasCoin are some popular dead coin. In 2023, the number of dead coin was 289.
Are All Cryptocurrencies Legitimate?
In a word: no. This is one of the more uncomfortable truths of the crypto universe. With so many different crypto coins available, a portion of them are legitimate, well-researched projects that deliver value, but there’s also a sea of questionable tokens.
- Scams and Rug Pulls: A team launches a token, hypes it, collects funds from excited investors, then disappears with the money. This is known as a rug pull.
- Pump and Dump Schemes: Certain groups artificially pump a token’s price and then sell their holdings at the top, leaving latecomers with devalued tokens.
- Low Liquidity Projects: Some tokens might be genuine attempts but end up with little liquidity or trading volume, making them nearly impossible to sell.
How many different crypto coins are there?
According to CoinGecko, there are 508 total categories of crypto currencies in the market in 2025. Here are some of the popular categories:
- Payment Coins:
These are designed primarily as digital cash, with Bitcoin being the most obvious example. Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Dash also fall here. - Stablecoins:
Tokens pegged to stable assets like the U.S. dollar or gold. Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), Binance USD (BUSD), and Dai (DAI) are well-known stablecoins. - Utility Tokens:
These give users access to a product or service, or they might be used to pay fees on a particular network. Basic Attention Token (BAT), for example, is used in the Brave browser ecosystem. - Governance Tokens:
These let holders vote on changes within a protocol or platform. Uniswap (UNI) and Aave (AAVE) let users propose upgrades or decide fee structures. - Security Tokens:
Essentially digital representations of real-world assets. These might be subject to stricter regulations. - Meme Tokens:
Often launched with no specific use case other than community hype (think Dogecoin, Shiba Inu). Meme tokens can gain enormous popularity quickly but also remain highly volatile. - Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs):
While not typically listed in the same manner as coins, NFTs represent unique assets like digital art, collectibles, or in-game items. They reside on blockchains (often Ethereum), but each NFT is unique.
The Role of Blockchain Platforms
A good amount of tokens revolve around major blockchain platforms. Ethereum, being the pioneer of smart contracts, has naturally helped to create countless ERC-20 tokens. BNB Chain (BEP-20 tokens), Polygon (MATIC-based tokens), Avalanche (ARC-20), and Solana (SPL tokens) also host hundreds or thousands of projects.
Each platform has its own mechanism, transaction speeds, fees, developer community, and ecosystem tools. That’s why some developers choose to launch on Ethereum for its community and established security, while others prefer BNB Chain for lower fees, or Solana for faster transactions.
Are We Headed for Even More Cryptocurrencies?
The total count of cryptocurrencies will keep going up. The crypto community is expanding on innovation, and a desire to find (or create) the next big thing. Decentralized finance (DeFi), Web3 gaming, the metaverse, and tokenized real-world assets all point to the arise of new tokens.
At the same time, the market could become more regulated in different parts of the world. Regulators may take control over tokens that break securities lawsand force strict guidelines.
The Bottom Line
So, how many different crypto coins are there? The question might actually be: do you really need to keep a track on them all? Probably not. What matters more is how they work and which have genuine value.
No one can predict how large the crypto universe will be a few years from now, but one thing is for sure: it will not shrink. More coins, tokens, forks, layer-2 solutions, NFT projects, and cross-chain innovations will come. So the next time someone asks you, “How many cryptocurrencies are there?” you’ll have a more confident answer—Over 16000 and more coming.