Current Bitcoin Price: $3917 (as of 9:00 AM PST)

Cryptocurrencies have jumped up in value today. Bitcoin is trading green by more than 3% — XRP performing similarly — while Ethereum is up over 11%. This represents quite a change from the rest of the year, during which Ethereum has consistently underperformed.

Other top performers include Maker, up nearly 9%, Monero, up more than 9%, and IOTA, up just under 8%. On the flip side, there’s not a single coin in the red among the top-20.

Top Bitcoin & Crypto News Stories for 2nd January 2018

Ethereum overtakes XRP in market cap

Ethereum has previously been the second largest cryptocurrency by market cap, but its poor performance — especially in this bear market — has caused it to drop to third place, behind Bitcoin and XRP.

Following a few weeks of upwards momentum, Ethereum has reclaimed its spot as the world’s second largest cryptocurrency as measured by total market capitalization.

Fortnite store to accept Monero

Fortnite is the popular video game which took 2018 by storm, while Monero is a privacy-oriented cryptocurrency which boasts complete anonymity, as compared to the pseudonimity offered by other currencies.

The Fortnite merchandise store has added Monero as a payment option, so avid Fortnite gamers can now purchase their favorite branded items with cryptocurrency!

TX Highway shows BCH disuse

TX Highway is a website that was designed by Bitcoin Cash proponents to promote the higher throughput and usage of Bitcoin Cash over Bitcoin Core.

Looking at the website now shows the embarrassing disuse of Bitcoin Cash, as dozens of cars (representing transactions) drive across the website’s metaphorical Bitcoin “highway” in comparison.