Best performing cryptocurrencies of 2019
11 large cryptocurrencies with price data from the first week of 2019, ranked by their calendar-year change (from the last weekly close of 2018). 5 of 11 ended the year up.
| # | Coin | Start of 2019 | End of year | 2019 change | From Jan 2019 to today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chainlink (LINK) | $0.4834 | $1.80 | +271.5% | +2,849.5% |
| 2 | BNB (BNB) | $6.27 | $14.05 | +124.2% | +13,919.7% |
| 3 | Bitcoin (BTC) | $3,988 | $7,359 | +84.5% | +2,305.2% |
| 4 | VeChain (VET) | $0.00424500 | $0.00546500 | +28.7% | +140.2% |
| 5 | Litecoin (LTC) | $38.30 | $43.30 | +13.1% | +127.5% |
| 6 | Ethereum Classic (ETC) | $5.39 | $4.88 | -9.4% | +115.2% |
| 7 | Ethereum (ETH) | $154 | $135 | -12.0% | +2,255.3% |
| 8 | Cardano (ADA) | $0.0482 | $0.0346 | -28.2% | +525.3% |
| 9 | TRON (TRX) | $0.0225 | $0.0135 | -39.8% | +1,516.3% |
| 10 | XRP (XRP) | $0.3604 | $0.1945 | -46.0% | +378.9% |
| 11 | Stellar (XLM) | $0.1187 | $0.0454 | -61.7% | +121.5% |
Only coins with a USDT market on Binance from the first week of 2019 are included, which excludes assets launched later in the year. Ranking reflects past prices only and says nothing about future performance.
Figures are derived from weekly closing prices (USDT pairs, Binance public market data, latest point refreshed daily): highs and lows are the highest/lowest weekly close, not intraday extremes. Informational only — not financial advice. Methodology.
FAQ
Which cryptocurrency performed best in 2019?
Among the 11 large cryptocurrencies tracked here with data from the start of 2019, Chainlink (LINK) had the highest calendar-year return: +271.5%.
Which crypto performed worst in 2019?
Stellar (XLM) had the weakest return at -61.7%. 5 of 11 coins finished the year in positive territory.
Did altcoins beat Bitcoin in 2019?
2 of the 10 other coins in this list did better than Bitcoin's +84.5% in 2019.
Other years
2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026
Data updated: 2026-10-01 09:08 UTC.