Before you jump into this overview of a few cryptocurrency alternatives, check out our first two articles in this series, "Bitcoin, explained" and "Buying and selling Bitcoin."Bitcoin was the first. Since its release in 2009, it's become the most famous, established and valuable cryptocurrency. But it's not the only game in town.

Litecoin followed in 2011. Created by Charles Lee, an engineer who later helped build Coinbase, the leading cryptocurrency exchange, Litecoin is based on the same code as Bitcoin but with a few tweaks designed to address two of its predecessor's limitations: transaction speed and access to the mining process.

And in 2015, Ethereum made its debut, incorporating Bitcoin's basic blockchain premise and Litecoin's pursuit of faster transaction speed, but adding a few of its own twists -- including the ability to process little chunks of code, called "smart contracts" -- and on its virtual peer-to-peer network as opposed to a dedicated server or mining rig.Which cryptocurrency is the most valuable?
Bitcoin remains the most visible and frequently traded cryptocurrency. After a remarkable surge in November 2017, it crested at just shy of $20,000 in late December 2017, and after settled at around $15,000 for a number of weeks, has dipped to roughly $10,000 after South Korean regulators publicly mulled banning trading. The price of Litecoin, sometimes referred to as the "silver" to Bitcoin's "gold," followed a valuation trend similar to Bitcoin and now sits at around $180. Though all three have increased in value during the past year, Ethereum has charted its own distinct path, spiking in June 2017 and surpassing $1,000 in early January 2018.

Which one's the best for you?
If only it was that easy. No one knows whether any cryptocurrency will increase in value -- or even be around in one year's time (though we think the ones outlined in this article will check both of those boxes). None of them are regulated (yet) and only individuals with the highest capacity for risk should get into the cryptocurrency market. That noted, there are significant differences among these three that could be used to form a rational basis for investing in or mining one over another.

Watch this: Bitcoin: A beginner's guide
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Bitcoin is the mainstream choice. If you're looking for a cryptocurrency with first-mover advantage, unmatched popular visibility and the highest market capitalization, it's a no-brainer. On the downside, it's now nearly impossible to mine profitably, incredibly energy-intensive and, after rising of more than 1,000 percent over the past year, could have expended most of its potential for growth. (This is debatable. No one knows anything.)

Litecoin offers its own advantages. Its creator is a known and active entity in the cryptocurrency community. It has a capacity for faster transactions -- a potential advantage in and of itself, which also provides for a different set of use cases than Bitcoin. And it still offers the potential for profitable mining, unlike Bitcoin.Ethereum has the backing of some boldface names -- which could be a benefit or drawback, depending on your opinion of the modern financial industrial complex. It has the potential for intrinsic value like Litecoin or Bitcoin but also more obvious commercial applications as well. And, like Bitcoin, it has spawned hundreds of other coins that have been built using its underlying blockchain technology.