Market Cap
다른 명칭: Market Capitalization, Mcap
The total market value of a cryptocurrency, calculated by multiplying the current price by the circulating supply.
Market capitalization (market cap) is the total value of a cryptocurrency in the market, calculated by multiplying the current token price by the number of tokens in circulation. It's the most common metric for comparing the relative size of different cryptocurrencies.
Formula: Market Cap = Current Price × Circulating Supply
Example: If Bitcoin price = $100,000 and circulating supply = 19.5 million BTC: Market Cap = $100,000 × 19,500,000 = $1.95 trillion
Market Cap Tiers (general classification):
| Tier | Market Cap | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Large Cap | Greater than $10B | Established, lower volatility |
| Mid Cap | $1B-$10B | Growth potential, moderate risk |
| Small Cap | $100M-$1B | Higher risk/reward |
| Micro Cap | Less than $100M | Very high risk, illiquid |
Why Market Cap Matters: - Indicates overall investment in a project - Allows comparison across cryptocurrencies - Suggests liquidity and stability - Used in index construction
Limitations: - Doesn't reflect liquidity: Can't sell all tokens at current price - Circulating supply debates: Different sources count differently - Wash trading: Fake volume can inflate perceived value - Price manipulation: Easier in small caps
Market Cap vs. Price: A common mistake: assuming low price means "cheap"
- Token A: $1 price, 1 billion supply = $1B market cap
- Token B: $100 price, 10 million supply = $1B market cap
- Same market cap, very different prices
Related Metrics: - Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV): Market cap if all tokens existed - Volume/Market Cap ratio: Liquidity indicator - Realized Cap: Based on when tokens last moved