Months ago, it seemed like the two competing currencies were the only ones that mattered. Now...

The bitter rivalry between Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash was one of the great dramas of the cryptocurrency market last year. The hostile fork attempted a coup against Bitcoin, resulting in further investment in the new big block Bitcoin Cash, but never resulting in a "flippening" of any sorts. Bitcoin has remained the supreme ruler; older, wiser - yes, slower - but definitely still the king.

Bitcoin Cash is still trying to be heard amidst the din of competing currencies, but it's faster, cheaper transactions just don't seem all that unique or compelling any more. There are literally dozens, if not hundreds of coins that offer faster, cheaper transactions. It has to be about more than just network speed and efficiency now to really be compelling. Yes, it does have "Bitcoin" in its name, but that's becoming less and less relevant, especially since there are about a dozen coins with Bitcoin in their name now, anyway.

Since the attempted over-throw of Bitcoin, other currencies have emerged to battle in this game of thrones. Ripple, the corporate banker's coin, made a run for it, and at one point in time, could have been arguably declared the new market cap leader, depending on how you interpreted market cap and coin circulation. Ethereum has most recently made a strong run and has shown incredible potential with the myriad of ERC-20 tokens and ICO's that have launched on its network. In terms of utility, it could be argued that Ethereum is the true ruler of the cryptocurrency world.

But it's come to a point now where one has to wonder, do these petty rivalries really matter? There are so many great projects on the horizon that the race to the top doesn't seem to bear as much importance as it once did. With so many projects with awesome potential, traders are starting to pay more and more attention to other coins with unique features.

This is a good thing. Business is growing. There are more and more opportunities for growth and profit. Bitcoin may still well be in charge and has the greatest influence on the overall market, but the market is diversifying, and quickly. It may well remain the gold of the cryptocurrency world, but the breadth of options and utilities is ever-expanding.

It's as if we lived in a small town with only a MacDonald's and a Burger King for fast-food burgers. The town expanded, and now there are dozens of fast-food places to go. The old rivalry just doesn't matter that much any more. Now we're looking for more choices with more unique attributes. Weak analogy, I admit, but the point is, it's time to start enjoying the range of choices we have in the market.

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