How many cryptocurrencies are there?
The honest answer is three different numbers, depending on what deserves to be counted. Here they are — with the chart of how we got from one coin to all of this in seventeen years.
18,090
actively tracked coins (CoinGecko), across 1,508 exchanges
10M+
tokens ever created, counting DEX mints — most already dead
~100
coins holding the overwhelming majority of all crypto value
Coins listed on major trackers, by year
Approximate year-end listings on major trackers (CoinMarketCap/CoinGecko records); 2026 is the live CoinGecko count at our last daily rebuild. Counting every token ever minted on decentralised exchanges would put the line in the tens of millions — see below for why nobody charts that seriously.
Why the number exploded
Creating a cryptocurrency used to require building a blockchain; then the 2017 ICO era made it a smart contract; now memecoin launchpads mint a token in seconds for near-zero cost — thousands per day, most never trading beyond their first hours. That's why "how many cryptos exist" answers range from eighteen thousand to tens of millions: the gap is almost entirely tokens nobody will ever hold, many minted purely as lottery tickets or bait.
The number that actually matters
Value tells the real story: Bitcoin alone is over half the entire market — the dominance page tracks it daily — and the top 100 coins hold the overwhelming share of the rest. Everything beyond that fights for scraps of liquidity, which is why most of crypto's population is destined for the coin graveyard. We track 50 coins, verified properly, because past the majors the risk-per-coin rises far faster than the information does.
FAQ
So how many cryptocurrencies are there, really?
It depends entirely on what you count. Coins actively tracked by major data providers: roughly 18,090 on CoinGecko right now. Tokens ever created, counting everything minted on decentralised exchanges: estimates run into the tens of millions, most with no users, liquidity or purpose. Coins with meaningful markets: a few hundred — the top 100 alone represent the overwhelming majority of all crypto value.
Why does CryptoList only track 50?
Because coverage isn't the same as usefulness. Our 50 coins span essentially everything with real liquidity and AUD relevance for Australian investors — beyond that, each additional coin adds more risk than information. We'd rather verify 50 coins properly (prices every 10 minutes, a year of AUD history, where to buy each one) than list 15,000 we can't vouch for.
Does a new coin appearing mean opportunity?
Statistically, it means the opposite. Thousands of tokens launch every day, and the overwhelming majority go to zero — the coin graveyard documents how even billion-dollar projects die. The few genuine successes were still around years after launch, which is a luxury a buyer can afford to wait for.
How many of them are scams?
No honest number exists, but studies of expired tokens consistently find that rug pulls and abandoned projects make up a large share of everything ever launched — and the faster tokens become to create, the worse the ratio gets. The practical defence isn't counting scams; it's the checking habits in our scams hub, applied to the one coin in front of you.
Counts are approximate and definitions vary by data provider. Market data by CoinGecko. General information only, not financial advice.