Bitcoin has thus far remained the largest crypto asset in terms of marketplace capitalization since its launch in 2009. Given the thousands of other cryptocurrencies that have come into existence over the years, could any of them ever become larger than Bitcoin (BTC) in terms of market cap?

"We are in the top half of the second inning of crypto and right at present it looks like BTC will remain at the top however, similar the Red Sox vicious apart this year, we just don't know," managing partner of A&C Advisors LLC, Daniel Strachman, told Cointelegraph. Strachman's experience includes decades of financial work and writing multiple books. "It comes down to market reaction and investor interest," he added. "There is a lot of talk about Eth surpassing BTC and that is a reality merely we demand to play a few more innings to see what happens."

The crypto industry has seen multiple market cycles, growing larger with each. CoinMarketCap, which lists crypto assets co-ordinate to their market cap size, is a common source of data in the digital asset industry. Crypto avails accept achieved massive dollar valuations. Nearly all of the crypto assets in the top 100 on CoinMarketCap behave valuations over $i billion — a sign of the crypto industry's growth and significance.

Engineering science has developed significantly since Bitcoin'due south inception over a decade agone. Discussions and comments regarding a "flippening" — manufacture lingo for a different cryptocurrency surpassing BTC in market cap — have surfaced from fourth dimension to fourth dimension. What might crusade some other crypto asset to surpass Bitcoin in market cap?

"Utility in the marketplace and investor adoption and involvement is what will bulldoze one crypto asset or maybe two to surpass BTC," Strachman said.

Bitcoin has gained prominence in the mainstream eye. The asset has a stock-still and comparatively scarce supply, every bit well as a loyal post-obit in the crypto industry, especially amongst a crowd called "Bitcoin maximalists," who essentially encounter BTC every bit the merely crypto that will succeed long term.

Related: MicroStrategy splashes $177M on Bitcoin, now holds almost 109,000 BTC

"The crypto market is an nugget class that is here to stay," Strachman said when asked nigh the likelihood (or lack thereof) of a BTC flippening and the significance of such an event. He added:

"It is non going away. If a crypto asset surpasses BTC it will exist because of market forces both investor involvement and market place utility. If you look at the pinnacle five companies by market cap in 1980, they were Exxon, GM, Mobil Ford and Texaco, today they are Apple, Microsoft, Google, Saudi Aramco and Amazon – things change and that is ok considering that is how free global markets work."

The likelihood of a flippening remains hard to quantify, although talk over the past several years has questioned Ethereum (ETH) as a potential contender.