Cryptocurrencies were one of 2018's worst-performing investments, as most experienced steep declines for the year amid a government clampdown and a lack of large-scale institutional support. For instance, the widely traded bitcoin plummeted over 70 percent for the year.
The new year, however, could bring some relief, according to a survey of six panelists by the financial product comparison website Finder.com. The panel of fintech leaders assessed 11 cryptos, including eight of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market value as well as three top-trending coins: Monero, Dogecoin and NEO.
Rally Around The Corner?
All but three of the 11 coins considered by the panel are expected to see year-over-year growth in 2019, with the Finder.com panel projecting 260-percent growth for the Stellar Lumens cryptocurrency.
Stellar Lumens recently overtook Litecoin to become the sixth-most active cryptocurrency. New exchange listings, strong partnerships and fast transactions are likely to propel a bull run in Stellar Lumens, Seeking Alpha reported, citing Stellar backers.
Bitcoin is expected to end 2019 at $6,947, an 87-percent gain, according to Finder.com. The panel forecast a 53.1-percent market cap gain.
Cardano is likely to be another standout performer, the panel said, predicting 91-percent growth in 2019.
On the other hand, Dodge, Litecoin, NEO and TRON are likely to be among the laggards, with projected declines of 75 percent, 23 percent, 26 percent and 0.32 percent, respectively, for the year.
A Chilly Near-Term Forecast
February does not offer much promise, with nine of 11 coins forecast to extend their lean patch, the panel said. Stellar Lumens and Cardano are expected to buck the trend, with gains of 84 percent and 43 percent, respectively, during the month.
The roughly 8-percent gains for bitcoin so far this year likely reflect renewed optimism toward cryptos after a dismal 2018. The next big catalyst could come in the form of the SEC vetting a crypto ETF application.
If an approval comes through, institutions could finally warm to the asset class.
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