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It has been a hot year for bitcoin, but it is far from the only option available. When you are seeking the best crypto to buy right now, these are some top options to consider.
However, with constant market fluctuations, it is always best to do your due diligence before making an investment. Contact a financial advisor to explore personalized strategies based on your risk tolerance and financial goals to find the best crypto for your portfolio.
It is not easy to pick short-term investments. In addition to price data, consider using social media sentiment analysis and news to contextualize what price movements might mean and make an educated decision.
Keep in mind that most big run-ups in price are usually followed by a correction, where the price comes back down after reaching a peak. Therefore, it is up to you to implement a strategy that allows you to exit with a profit before the market turns.
If you are investing over the long term, you may want to consider “blue-chip coins” like bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH), which have a relatively well-tested track record. These coins have been adopted by financial institutions worldwide and have utility beyond speculative investing.
The top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap include several potential long-term investments. Let’s take a closer look at why they are a part of so many investment portfolios.
Bitcoin (BTC), released in 2009, is the world’s first cryptocurrency. It was created by a person or persons known only by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. It pioneered blockchain technology and gave birth to a multi-billion-dollar industry.
It is a widely accepted form of currency that is not controlled by any government or corporation and can be sent to anyone, anywhere in the world.
Since its release, Bitcoin has witnessed exponential growth and outperformed every asset class over the past 15 years.
Ethereum (ETH) was crowdfunded in 2014 by a team of software engineers and is the most used blockchain for decentralized applications (dApps).
It introduced smart contracts via a custom programming language called Solidity. Smart contracts allow for the development of automated software and applications that use the Ethereum blockchain for security. You can think of Ethereum as a highly secure financial layer for the internet with thousands of automated services, websites and applications that do not require staff to operate.
Ethereum currently struggles with slow transaction speeds compared to many of its competitors, although it has a robust development cycle set to tackle these issues.
ETH can be staked (locked up) in return for earning yield.
XRP is also one of the oldest, founded in 2012 by Ripple. Ripple originally designed XRP for use in cross-border payments, and the coin remains popular today.
Unlike blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum, where new coins are generated at set intervals via mining or staking, XRP was pre-mined, with all 100 billion tokens being created at launch.
These pre-mined tokens were distributed to individuals and companies in large quantities. Questions and concerns have been raised regarding the true decentralization of XRP, as a large majority of its tokens are held by just a few entities.
Also, in July 2023, Ripple secured a partial legal win when a US court ruled that XRP sales on public exchanges didn’t constitute securities. This led to renewed investor confidence and a price surge.
Binance Coin (BNB) is the native cryptocurrency of the BNB Chain and was created by the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance.
BNB utilizes smart contracts and has an ecosystem of decentralized applications (dApps) built on its network. It operates in much the same way as competitor blockchain Ethereum and was designed to improve ETH’s network throughput and reduce transaction fees.
Solana (SOL) is a Layer-1 blockchain released in 2020 by the Solana Foundation. Much like Ethereum, Solana supports smart contract functionality and the development of dApps.
These projects range from NFT marketplaces, such as Magic Eden, to DeFi trading platforms, including Raydium and Orca.
A large part of Solana’s success as a Layer-1 blockchain and direct competitor to Ethereum is its unique proof-of-history (PoH) consensus developed by Solana founder and lead developer Anatoly Yakovenko. PoH allows for blockchain scalability, as well as fast and cost-efficient transactions.
In late 2022, Solana came under scrutiny following the declared bankruptcy of crypto exchange FTX, which had invested directly in and held a significant portion of the SOL circulating supply.
Dogecoin (DOGE) was developed in 2013 by software developer Billy Markus to put some humor in the crypto space. Although originally released as a joke, Doge has become one of the world’s most well-recognized and popular cryptocurrencies, ranking in the top 10 projects by total market cap in recent years.
Dogecoin operates similarly to Bitcoin and Litecoin as it was created as a clone of these open-source codebases, otherwise known as a fork. Key differences include its uncapped total supply and fast block production time. It is most commonly used as a payment network.
Tron is a Layer-1 blockchain based on a modified version of Ethereum. It is notable for its low transaction fees, which first brought it to prominence in 2018.
It was founded by Justin Sun, a notable and sometimes controversial figure in the crypto space, who was Ripple’s former chief representative in China.
In 2018, Justin Sun purchased BitTorrent and incorporated elements of the Tron blockchain into the popular uTorrent application, helping bolster the blockchain’s success. Tron also hosts several hundred decentralized applications with a strong focus on gaming and entertainment.
Cardano (ADA) is a Layer-1 blockchain that, like Ethereum, supports smart contracts and operates under a proof-of-stake consensus. This means developers can build and deploy decentralized applications (dApps) on top of Cardano’s infrastructure.
Cardano was released in 2017 and rose to popularity almost instantly. Its instant trust and recognition by the crypto community can be partially attributed to its founder, Charles Hoskinson. Hoskinson is a notable figure in the crypto space and one of the core developers behind Ethereum.
While Cardano has a strong roadmap and team, it has fallen victim to development delays and is not considered as user-friendly as competitor networks like Ethereum or Polkadot.
Hyperliquid (HYPE) is a decentralized Layer-1 blockchain designed to improve the efficiency and performance of DeFi apps.
It is a self-funded initiative with creators that include alumni from Harvard, Caltech and MIT. With a concentration on decentralized perpetual exchange services, it enables perpetual futures trading without transaction gas fees. It also features a fully on-chain order book for improved security with verifiable transactions. Its security protocol includes a custom consensus algorithm known as HyperBFT and uses its Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) bridge to secure deposits and withdrawals.
Only 33% of its one billion maximum supply is currently in circulation.
Stellar (XLM) is a decentralized blockchain launched in 2014 by Jed McCaleb and Joyce Kim, following a split from Ripple the previous year.
It is built on its unique Stellar Anchor Network infrastructure to unite blockchain technology with banking systems and payment rails, partnering with companies like MoneyGram International, Franklin Templeton and PayPal. In 2024, Stellar added protocol 20, which enabled full-featured smart contracts for faster and more secure payments. Transaction speeds remain impressive, with confirmation times under 6 seconds and transaction costs of only 0.00001 XLM. Its native digital currency, Lumens (XLM), is used to settle its transaction fees, keeping costs low.
However, circulation is limited — although 100 billion XLM were initially issued, half of that was burned by the Stellar Development Foundation, leaving a total supply of 50 billion XLM.
The crypto market is down — the average price of the top 200 coins dropped 1.49% over the last 24 hours.
Trading volume was, however, up and was 12% higher than the previous 7 days’ average.
Volatility was above average at 0.95%, compared with the 30-day average of 0.88%. Higher volatility can make your profits or your losses larger if you decide to sell. (Data from Finder’s cryptocurrency tracking.)
Finding the best cryptocurrencies to invest in requires staying up-to-date on market developments each day. The tools in this guide are a good starting point but should be just one part of your decision-making process.
These tips can help you find the best cryptocurrencies to buy today.
Use our table to compare cryptocurrency exchanges on features like the number of coins available, payment methods and fees. Click Go to site if you’re ready to create an account.
So, what is the best crypto to buy right now? No one can guarantee the best cryptocurrency to buy — it is up to you to research and monitor the markets, so you can form your own trading plan.
This guide combines key trends and strategies designed to give you a head start, but it is not investment advice. We highly recommend consulting a financial advisor to determine the best strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance.
To start trading, choose one of the best cryptocurrency exchanges, open an account and explore resources that will help you create your investment plan.
Disclaimer: Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements) and consult the relevant Regulators' websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.
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