A bullish 2017 for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has helped spur the overall cryptocurrency market cap through a series of highs this year, to nearly scale $28 billion over the weekend.
On Sunday, April 2, the collective market cap from Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies (alt coins) reached an all-time high of $27.9 billion. In the lead-up to that figure, combined cryptocurrency trading volumes exceeded $860 million in a 24-hour period. The swell has been helped by strong showing from a number of cryptocurrencies including Litecoin and Ripple, both of which have witnessed tremendous gains over the past week. Litecoin prices have doubled in a 5-day period, while Ripple prices soared to a 2 year high, scaling beyond $800 million in total market capitalization. A record-setting March for Ethereum also helped the combined altcoin market to push beyond $10 billion for the first time ever over the weekend.