![5-cryptocurrencies-2018.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSqgwqtyyfGFEd8FKjgUZZefLg6cXjAjWyGnpyK2R1D6k/5-cryptocurrencies-2018.jpg) All signs point to 2018 being *the year of the altcoin*. Let's take a brief look at 5 of the altcoins I have recently reviewed. Some or all of these **5 altcoin cryptocurrencies could explode in value in 2018**.

1) IOTA (IOT)

https://steemitimages.com/0x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmaMh1LwQY1UrccdDrhffPz3kZFx76GK2ywjbGoSfwCx7y/iota-tangle-review.png When conducting my research for my reviews, IOTA was for me as a layman by far the most interesting technologically. This IOTA project seeks to be the backbone for the Internet-of-Things (IoT). Among other things it features potentially infinite scalability and *The Tangle* - a blockless distributed ledger.

My Full IOTA Review HERE

2) Monero (XMR)

https://steemitimages.com/DQmTkc9VKRuaVcgLuiMfG2CiBCKwa7VUNcyFZLvrhC7aCDx/monero-benefits.png The privacy-centric Monero coin (XMR) is focused on anonymity. It strengths include privacy, security and decentralization. I see XMR as a long term HODL.

My Full Monero Review HERE

3) DASH (DASH)

https://steemitimages.com/0x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmVqLesZaeqZfCUxZZd3LTNy6ihyZ3JEcM1rtRWcQ1mCTy/dash-cryptocurrency-review-2018-retailers.jpg DASH is compelling in that it is a *live currency*. In other words, unlike Bitcoin which has become a store of wealth and popular with traders, and Ethereum that is a popular platform for ICOs, DASH seeks to be a true currency and has an ever expanding list of retailers that accept DASH for payment.

My Full DASH Review HERE

4) HIVE (HVN)

https://steemitimages.com/DQmaXqZjQ3Ck8QsvnL5Bt8jzt9xN1c2em7hkZUmsRzXbD1D/how-hive-hvn-crypto-works.png HIVE is a little-known fintech niche coin. It's being marketed as the world's first cryptocurrency invoice financing platform. While scalability and adoption might be an issue for this project/coin, if those hurdles can be overcome, there is a lot of upside with this one in my opinion.

My Full HIVE Review HERE

5) CoinDash (CDT)

https://steemitimages.com/DQmXvoSzxDqwqJETY29vora1JUvsYHUiLp7hZABbs6SG7PW/coindash-token-review.png CoinDash is another niche, very little known project and coin that could really take off if things go right. It seeks to be a Crypto based social trading platform and is currently running in beta with a growing user base. This for me is a very interesting project with a compelling roadmap; if the CoinDash team can execute it well and if it catches on, the sky's the limit.

My Full CoinDash Review HERE

Of course I would add STEEM to the list as well ;) I'm not sure Ripple can even be considered an altcoin anymore with its huge market cap, but lots of upside potential with its XRP coin as well. See my Ripple review for more thoughts on that coin. If you enjoyed this article on altcoin cryptocurrencies that could explode in 2018, please upvote, resteem and be sure to follow me for more altcoin reviews!

Obligatory Disclaimer

*The recommendations contained in this article are my personal opinions. I am not an investment advisor or professional. Cryptocurrency investing is risky and I urge you to conduct extensive research when making your own investments.*