2024 in Review: VIRTUAL Leads the Pack with 23,000% Surge; Memecoins Dominate

2024 in Review: VIRTUAL Leads the Pack with 23,000% Surge; Memecoins Dominate

The cryptocurrency market in 2024 witnessed unprecedented growth, with VIRTUAL, the native token of Virtuals Protocol, standing out as the top performer, recording a jaw-dropping 23,000% increase in value.

Memecoins and AI Shape 2024's Crypto Landscape

VIRTUAL, a decentralized platform’s token, emerged as the year's best-performing large-cap cryptocurrency asset. According to a report by Coingecko, this extraordinary growth spanned from January 1 to December 25, driven by the growing popularity of Virtuals Protocol’s artificial intelligence (AI) agent launchpad. This platform attracted crypto investors eager to capitalize on the synergy between AI and memecoins, the dominant trends of the year.

VIRTUAL Hits All-Time High

By December 31, VIRTUAL had soared to a new all-time high of $4.04, cementing its position as the year's top digital asset. The surge reflects the growing enthusiasm for projects blending innovative technologies and decentralized finance.

Memecoins Brett and Popcat Shine

Other notable gainers include memecoins Brett and Popcat, ranking as the second and third best-performing cryptocurrencies, respectively:

• Brett: Launched on February 29, Brett experienced a meteoric rise from $0.0009766 to $0.234 on December 1. Despite a slight correction to $0.145 by December 25, it still recorded a remarkable 14,785% gain.

• Popcat: Starting at $0.007640 on January 1, this Solana-based memecoin surged to $0.8067 by December 25, boasting a 10,459% increase. Popcat also made history on September 27 by becoming the first cat-themed memecoin to achieve a $1 billion market capitalization.

Real-World Asset Tokens Gain Traction

Beyond memecoins, real-world asset (RWA) investments like MANTRA and ONDO also delivered substantial returns, growing by 6,418.3% and 682.8%, respectively. These gains underscore the expanding appeal of blockchain projects linked to tangible assets.

Bitcoin and Ethereum Performance in 2024

While 2024 was another milestone year for Bitcoin (BTC), its annual gain of 133.8% fell short of the 162.5% achieved in 2023. Ethereum (ETH), meanwhile, recorded 53.4% returns, significantly lower than its 98.6% growth in the previous year.