According to our research, the best crypto to buy in September 2025 spans both large-cap established coins and early-stage presale opportunities.

Large-cap cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Solana offer stability through institutional adoption and proven blockchain infrastructure, while early-stage tokens like Bitcoin Hyper and Maxi Doge provide high-risk, high-reward exposure to emerging narratives.

Bitcoin hit a new all-time high of $124,496 before a correction to $109K (snapshot from CoinGecko, September 26, 2025), but is now on the rise again, which could have a positive impact on both established assets and low-cap coins.

Our methodology is built on a multi-factor framework that evaluates growth potential, tokenomics strength and utility, go-to-market strategy, and price action and history.

Best Crypto to Buy Key Takeaways

• Bitcoin remains the best choice among established assets amid the correction after reaching its ATH.

• Bitcoin Hyper shows strong potential for low cap projects given the interest in BTC Layer 2 infrastructure.

• Solana and XRP are large caps gaining from ETF speculation and treasury allocations, with SOL$204.3 trading near January 2025 highs after a $1.65B Forward Capital plan.

• Maxi Doge and Snorter Bot are early-stage projects signalling growth potential, up by +3.80% and +13.48% since their presales began.

• When investing in tokens of either category, consider your risk tolerance. For a balanced portfolio, allocate more to established large-caps and a lower amount to early-stage tokens.

Top Crypto List to Invest in 2025

Let’s dive straight into the best crypto to buy now.

Best Crypto to Invest In Reviewed

Want to know more about what makes these tokens the best crypto to buy now? We’ll dive into the key features, pros, and cons of each coin so you can decide which ones to add to your portfolio.

1. Bitcoin (BTC) – Market Leader Poised for Growth in 2025 and Beyond

Bitcoin is the world’s first and largest cryptocurrency, serving as digital gold for institutional portfolios and retail investors. BTC maintains its dominant position despite trading at BTC$109 656 after August’s $124,496 all-time high.

Bitcoin is currently facing its historically weakest month, with September historically averaging 3.77% losses since 2013, as institutional adoption accelerates through $33.6 billion in ETF holdings.

Bitcoin Price Chart. Source: CoinGecko

Key Points on Bitcoin:

• Why It Stands Out: Proven resilience, strong institutional adoption, and improving regulatory clarity

• Target Audience: Long-term holders, institutional investors, and macro-focused traders

• Risks & Considerations: Extreme volatility with a potential 8% decline to $100K if current support breaks

• Access: BTC is available on every major exchange

Learn More about Bitcoin

Available in Best Wallet

2. Solana (SOL) – High-Speed Blockchain Powering the Next Wave of Web3 Apps

Solana is a large-cap Layer 1 blockchain using Proof-of-History consensus to process 100,000+ transactions per second at ultra-low fees. The network trades at SOL$204.3 after reaching highs of $295 in January 2025, driven by rapid growth in the DeFi ecosystem.

Solana achieved the milestone of becoming the first major blockchain to process 100,000 TPS on mainnet. Meme coin trading accounts for 90-92% of DEX volume, raising both opportunity and sustainability concerns.

Live data and stats from the Solana homepage. Source: Solana website

Key Points on Solana:

• Why It Stands Out: Treasuries’ adoption, $30B DeFi ecosystem, and 95% chance of spot ETF approval by end-2025

• Target Audience: Large-cap holders, traders, developers, and meme coin speculators

• Risks & Considerations: Over-reliance on meme coin speculation, which could affect liquidity and usage

• Access: On every major exchange

Learn More about Solana

Available in Best Wallet

3. Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER) – High-APY Bitcoin Layer 2 Presale Token with Meme Momentum

Bitcoin Hyper is an early-stage Layer 2 scaling solution for Bitcoin using Solana Virtual Machine architecture to enable 65,000+ TPS versus Bitcoin’s 3-5 TPS. The presale launched in May 2025 and has raised $18.57M million at the current price $0.012985, targeting Q3-Q4 2025 exchange listings.

The project offers 66% APY staking rewards. It promises Bitcoin-native DeFi through bridge technology that locks BTC on the Bitcoin blockchain while minting wrapped tokens on its SVM Layer 2.

Bitcoin Hyper Official Website. Source: Bitcoin Hyper

Key Points on Bitcoin Hyper:

• Why It Stands Out: First Bitcoin Layer 2 using Solana VM, up by +12.91% in 4 months

• Target Audience: High-risk DeFi investors, Bitcoin maxis, and presale speculators

• Risks & Considerations: Anonymous team, missing technical documentation, unverified claims about Bitcoin-Solana integration

• Access: Currently available on the Bitcoin Hyper presale page. Planned Q3-Q4 2025 exchange launches

Learn More about Bitcoin Hyper

4. Maxi Doge (MAXI) – Meme Token Blending Bodybuilding Imagery and High-Risk Trading Themes

Maxi Doge is an early-stage ERC-20 meme coin positioning itself as the “ultra-ripped alpha Doge”. The presale launched July 30, 2025, and has raised $2.58M million at the current price $0.0002595, targeting $15.76 million hard cap across 50 stages.

The project combines bodybuilding aesthetics with trading culture, offering 137% staking APY and potential planned futures platform partnerships, for 100x-1000x leverage trading on MAXI itself.

Maxi Doge Official Website. Source: Maxi Doge

Key Points on Maxi Doge:

• Why It Stands Out: Raised $2.58M in weeks, combines proven dog-meme narrative with humor

• Target Audience: High-risk meme coin speculators, leverage trading enthusiasts, and crypto degens

• Risks & Considerations: Extreme leverage narrative could attract financially vulnerable individuals, leading to big losses

• Access: Available via the presale website using crypto or bank cards

Learn More about Maxi Doge

5. PEPENODE (PEPENODE) – Meme Coin with High-Yield Ethereum Staking and Dynamic APYs

PEPENODE is an ERC-20 early-stage meme coin that doubles as a high-APY staking protocol. The token is currently in presale, with over $1.48M raised so far out of a $441,330 soft cap. Investors can stake immediately through the platform’s on-chain dApp.

The project features 970% APY staking reward system that adjusts based on user participation and ETH block timing. More than 813 million tokens have already been staked.

PEPENODE Official Website. Source: PEPENODE

Key Points on PEPENODE:

• Why It Stands Out: Mine-to-earn meme coin with deflationary tokenomics, burning 70% of upgrade tokens

• Target Audience: DeFi users, meme coin fans wanting utility, and gamified crypto enthusiasts

• Risks & Considerations: The virtual mining concept may be unsustainable, limiting long-term growth

• Access: From the presale homepage, accepts ETH, BNB, USDT, or credit cards with staking for ERC-20 purchases

Learn More about PEPENODE

6. Wall Street Pepe (WEPE) – Trading-Focused Meme Coin with Exclusive Community Access

Wall Street Pepe is an Ethereum-based meme coin providing trading insights to the “WEPE Army” community. WEPE is trading at [NC] after launching in February 2025.

The project raised $60M+ in original presale and is expanding to Solana through a dual-chain migration that burns Ethereum tokens 1:1 for new Solana coins, maintaining the 200 billion total supply. WEPE offers token-gated access to market calls and insights, educational content, and trading competitions.

Wall Street Pepe price chart. Source: CoinGecko

Key Points on WEPE:

• Why It Stands Out: The project raised over $60M in its presale and expanding to Solana

• Target Audience: Retail traders seeking alpha, meme coin speculators, and community-driven investors

• Risks & Considerations: Dual-chain migration creates technical complexity that could result in lost tokens or confusion during transition

• Access: On exchanges like MEXC and Uniswap V3, with the Solana version launching through 1:1 ETH token burns

Learn More about WEPE

7. XRP (XRP) – Leading Cross-Border Payments Cryptocurrency with Banking-Grade Infrastructure

XRP is an institutional-grade cryptocurrency created for cross-border payments, processing transactions in 3-5 seconds, compared to traditional banking systems that take days.

Trading at around XRP$2.81 with a $168 billion market cap, XRP has surged amid ETF speculation. Eight major firms have submitted spot ETF applications, with 95% approval probabilityby October 2025 according to Bloomberg analysts, potentially attracting $5-8 billion in institutional inflows.

Info about the XRP Ledger. Source: XRPL.org

Key Points on XRP:

• Why It Stands Out: 95% ETF approval odds, 300+ banking partnerships processing $1.3T in payments, SEC legal victories

• Target Audience: Retail intersecting with TradFi, and crypto spot ETF investors

• Risks & Considerations: Policy reversals could impact adoption. Vulnerability to large holder sell-offs

• Access: On all major exchanges

Learn More about XRP

Available in Best Wallet

8. Snorter Token (SNORT) – Telegram-Native Trading Bot Shaping Solana Meme Coin Trading

Snorter Token is an early-stage Telegram-native trading bot created for Solana meme coin trading, offering automated swaps, sniping, stop-losses, and copy trading within Telegram. The presale has raised $4.14M at the current price $0.1061, targeting October 20, 2025, completion across 60 stages ending at $0.1053.

The bot features sub-second execution speeds, MEV protection, and proprietary scam detection, claiming 85% accuracy against rug pulls. SNORT holders get reduced trading fees (0.85% vs 1.5% for non-holders) and unlimited snipes.

Snorter Token Official Website. Source: Snorter Token

Key Points on Snorter:

• Why It Stands Out: Raised $4.14M with Solana whale backing, fast speeds, and scam detection

• Target Audience: Solana traders and degens, copy traders, crypto users seeking protection with speed and convenience

• Risks & Considerations: Bot remains unproven in live market conditions. An extended TGE timeline creates momentum uncertainty

• Access: On the presale website and through Best Wallet

Learn More about Snorter

9. Best Wallet (BEST) – Web3 Wallet with Investor Rewards Features

Best Wallet is a non-custodial, multi-chain wallet that supports over 50 blockchains. The presale has raised $16.15M at the current price $16.15M, targeting a completion date of December 31, 2025, unless sold out earlier.

BEST holders receive reduced transaction fees, a staking APY on 83%, early access to the presales, governance rights, and enhanced cashback when using the planned crypto debit card. BEST follows proven wallet token models, such as TWT TWT$1.28 and 1inch 1inch$0.24 .

Best Wallet Official Website. Source: Best Wallet

Key Points on Best Wallet:

• Why It Stands Out: Raised $16.15M with 500K+ users claimed by the team, first presale-focused wallet

• Target Audience: Presale investors, multi-chain crypto traders seeking convenience

• Risks & Considerations: Faces competition from established players. Debit card can face regulatory hurdles

• Access: On the Best Wallet presale homepage

Learn More about Best Wallet

10. Hyperliquid (HYPE) – High-Performance Layer 1 DEX with Institutional-Grade Trading Infrastructure

Hyperliquid is a large-cap, custom Layer 1 blockchain and ecosystem designed for decentralized perpetual trading, featuring sub-second finality via HyperBFT consensus. Trading at HYPE$46.39 with a $13 billion market cap, HYPE gained massive attention following its November 2024 airdrop, distributing $1.6 billion to 94,000 users without VC allocation.

The platform offers derivatives DEX trading with $22 billion daily volume according to DefiLlama, while offering on-chain perpetual futures and spot markets with no gas fees and up to 40x leverage.

Hyperliquid price chart. Source: CoinGecko

Key Points on Hyperliquid:

• Why It Stands Out: $750M+ TVL, no gas fees, Layer 1 blockchain with high volume, strong public presence

• Target Audience: Derivatives traders, DeFi users seeking institutional-grade infrastructure

• Risks & Considerations: Critics argue the platform lacks transparency and public validators

• Access: On exchanges like Bitget, Bybit, and KuCoin

Learn More about Hyperliquid

Available in Best Wallet

11. SpacePay (SPY) – Crypto Payment Infrastructure for Real-World Transactions

SpacePay is a London-based fintech enabling businesses to accept crypto payments through existing Android POS terminals without new hardware, supporting 325+ cryptocurrency wallets with instant fiat settlement. The presale has raised $1.3 million at the current price of $0.003181.

SpacePay is targeting merchants who pay traditional 2–3.5% credit card processing fees by offering 0.5% transaction costs. The platform automatically converts crypto to local currency instantly, eliminating volatility risks for merchants. SPY token holders will receive revenue sharing, governance rights, and monthly loyalty airdrops.

SpacePay Official Website. Source: SpacePay

Key Points on SpacePay:

• Why It Stands Out: Raised $1.3M towards enabling easy payment with crypto, works with existing POS terminals

• Target Audience: Merchants seeking lower costs, investors bullish on crypto payment adoption

• Risks & Considerations: Merchant reluctance, regulatory uncertainty, consumer payment habit inertia

• Access: Via the SpacePay Presale homepage with ETH, BNB, USDT, USDC, and bank cards

Learn More about SpacePay

12. Arbitrum (ARB) – Leading Ethereum Layer 2 Token with Growing Development

Arbitrum has established itself as a leading Ethereum Layer 2 solution with around $5.2 billion in total value locked (TVL). According to L2beat, it is the largest Ethereum rollup by total value secured.

The protocol has 3.8 million monthly active users (MAU), after BASE, which has 20.6 million MAU, and opBNB with 14.8 million MAU, according to Token Terminal. Its optimistic rollup technology has proven reliable for both users and developers across over 950 deployed applications.

Arbitrum total value locked Source: DefiLlama

Key Points on Arbitrum:

• Why It Stands Out: Low fees, fast speeds, proven reliability, high MAU

• Target Audience: DeFi users seeking low fees and investors interested in staking utility

• Risks & Considerations: Arbitrum could become obsolete if BASE and other blockchains continue to grow

• Access: Available on major exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, and Uniswap

Learn More about Arbitrum

Available in Best Wallet

Best Crypto to Buy by Market Segment

Not every crypto investor has the same goals. Some prioritize long-term stability, while others chase outsized returns from early-stage projects.

One strategy is to allocate a portion of capital towards early-stage projects and a portion to larger-cap projects. Other investment strategies may focus entirely on larger projects (a lower risk/reward strategy, but still comes with inherent considerations) or solely on early-stage opportunities (a very high risk/reward strategy).

Below is a comparison of the differences and implications of buying large-cap cryptocurrencies vs early-stage projects in September 2025, depending on your investment strategy and risk appetite.

Regardless of your investment style, it’s essential to consider all the risks. Always avoid investing more than you can afford to lose, and keep in mind these important principles.

How to Pick the Best Crypto to Buy Right Now – Our Methodology

Now that you know more about the top cryptocurrencies to invest in 2025, it’s time to narrow down your selection. Below, we outline the key factors we consider when evaluating which type of crypto to buy today and how to build a solid investment approach that includes both large caps and early-stage opportunities.

Price Action and History

For most investors, the main goal is price appreciation. Some tokens offer value through staking or utilities, but potential price growth is the primary factor to consider.

Since traditional valuation metrics don’t apply, look at a token’s market cap compared to others in its category. You can also compare its current price to past highs, though this isn’t always reliable – not all tokens revisit ATHs.

Catalysts are another important element. Are there upcoming releases, updates, partnerships, or new use cases that could drive attention and utility? Could broader market trends, like a bull run, amplify this effect?

Don’t ignore negative catalysts either – regulatory changes, project delays, or macro risks can also affect price.

With newer small-cap projects, there is often little to no valuable past price data to go on, so other factors, such as potential for growth or project roadmap delivery, need to be considered.

Staking Rewards

Staking lets users earn passive income by locking tokens to help secure a network. APYs vary by project and can add to total returns. Some platforms require fixed lockups, while others offer flexible terms.

Top Staking Assets. Source: Staking Rewards

High staking rewards can enhance a token’s appeal, especially when paired with price gains. Early-stage projects often offer very high APYs to encourage adoption. However, reward rates can change suddenly, or the underlying price of the asset can plunge dramatically, so staking shouldn’t be the only reason to buy a token.

Large-cap proof-of-stake coins like Ethereum and Solana provide lower but more stable staking yields, and more stability around the price, although even these coins can (and have) dropped dramatically in the past.

Utility

Utility matters. Many tokens grant access to features or discounts unavailable otherwise.

For instance, BEST from Best Wallet offers trading fee discounts and better staking terms. SNORT provides access to Telegram-native trading tools with reduced fees and MEV protection. These real-use cases can add value even if price growth is slower, especially for active users.

More established mega caps such as Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and Arbitrum all have clear utility, which can lead to price appreciation as adoption increases.

Analyst Predictions

Price forecasts from crypto analysts can help spot promising tokens. These experts study the market daily and often catch early trends.

That said, approach predictions with caution. Some analysts may be biased or have financial interests. Always check multiple viewpoints and review both bullish and bearish cases.

We monitor predictions and analysis from trusted sources, such as Bloomberg analysts or well-known crypto influencers such as Ali Martinez.

Tokenomics

Tokenomics shows how a token is structured – how it’s distributed, unlocked, and inflated.

Studying tokenomics reveals how decentralized a project is, who controls the majority of the supply, and whether inflation could erode value over time. It’s essential to understand before making an investment. More established projects tend to have balanced tokenomics, although token unlocks can affect the price.

Newer projects may have unbalanced tokenomics, such as OFFICIAL TRUMP, which causes undue selling pressure.

Our assessment includes detailed reviews of tokenomics and token unlocks, and how that may affect the price.

Best Crypto to Buy in September 2025 – Market Snapshot

According to CoinGecko (Snapshot from September 22, 2025), Bitcoin dominance dropped from 64.5% earlier in the year to 57.24% in September, making September 2025 a critical inflection point. Combined with the performance of the top 100 altcoins vs BTC, over 30, 60, and 90-day periods, the data points toward the start of the altcoin season. CMC’s altcoin index confirms this, recording September as the peak of altcoin sentiment in 2025.

Institutional Flows into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana continue to dominate institutional flows, thanks to the spot and staking crypto ETFs. They remain good long-term choices for large-cap currencies, as institutional treasuries continue to accumulate BTC, ETH, and SOL. As CoinShares explains, Bitcoin’s 4-year cycle has broken, as the ETF demand outstrips mining output. This suggests continued bullishness for crypto into 2026. Solana is capturing a large share of meme coin trading, totalling a $10.6B Solana meme market cap.

Presale Tokens and Early-Stage Opportunities

Meanwhile, early-stage projects and presale tokens, such as Bitcoin Hyper, target investors seeking altcoin gains and 10x+ potential returns. Bitcoin Hyper offers 66% APY and is up by +12.91% since the beginning of the presale. PEPENODE offers high-yield Ethereum staking with 970% APY. Rewards may be substantial, but risks include the potential for total loss.

Macroeconomic Factors Driving Crypto Prices

From a macroeconomic perspective, analysts such as Bank of America economist Aditya Bhave note that weak jobs data signals Fed rate cuts in September and again in December, which could push crypto prices higher. CME’s FedWatch indicates a 92% chance of a September rate cut.

Portfolio Strategies and Entry Points

Potential strategies for the best crypto to buy include allocating 70% to Bitcoin/Solana for stability, 20% to established altcoins like XRP (95% ETF approval odds), and 10% to vetted presales or early-stage projects.

Our analysis suggests that buying Bitcoin when it dips below $112,000 and accumulating Solana under $200 could be a viable strategy.

However, investors must be aware that all cryptocurrencies are highly volatile, and both established and newer projects are subject to dramatic drawdowns and even total loss.

Why Aim for a Balanced Cryptocurrency Portfolio?

A key question many new investors in the crypto world have is, “Why should I buy large-cap cryptocurrencies when they have less growth potential than other coins?” Or, what is the advantage of a portfolio balanced between early-stage opportunities? The answer lies in managing risk and stability and optimising for overall wealth growth, regardless of market conditions or specific project occurrences.

The Foundation – Large-Cap Anchors

Large-cap assets are the stable core of a diversified portfolio. They tend to have less volatility and a proven track record.

Stability and Proven Performance

Bitcoin, for example, is the only cryptocurrency that has always reached new all-time highs in every bull run. Large caps have deep liquidity, which adds to price stability, and often have large teams of developers, ecosystem grants, and foundations to ensure continued technical success and marketing partnerships.

Many analysts, such as @Innerdevcrypto on X, Marion Laboure, from Deutsche Bank Research, and Kraken’s Dan Held, believe that within the next 10 years, BTC will reach at least a 10x from here, giving it a market cap roughly equal to or even significantly above physical gold.

Gold and Bitcoin price correlation over a 3-year period. Source: LongtermTrends

Institutional Adoption

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana all have ETFs, which enable mainstream adoption and investment from TradFi institutions like hedge fund managers, banks, and company treasuries. These ETFs have been a dominating force in the growth of large caps like BTC, ETH, and SOL.

More ETFs are (likely) on the way for well-established large caps such as XRP, Dogecoin, Cardano, Litecoin, and Hedera. Although not guaranteed, Bloomberg analysts predict an SEC approval rating of over 90% in 2025 for these coins and more.

Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart is tweeting odds for large-cap ETF approvals. Source: X

Positioning in a Portfolio

Ultimately, the percentage of large caps to early-stage cryptos is dependent on every investor’s strategy and risk appetite. However, a balanced approach could include 60%–80% of an investment portfolio allocated to large caps.

The Opportunity – Early-Stage Plays

Early-stage plays include new or relatively undiscovered cryptocurrencies and presales / ICOs.

Huge Growth Potential

New currencies tend to have a low market capitalization, from micro caps to small caps. This means that a relatively small amount of capital can move the price significantly, leading to potential gains of 10x – 1000x and more.

For example, from 2017 to 2025, Bitcoin (which at that time was worth $998) has grown by 114,000%. This is an exceptional case, as the first-ever crypto. But a recent example of an early-stage coin that launched from Binance Alpha as an ICO is MYX Finance. The token is up by 36,685% since May 2025, with most of the growth occurring in September 2025.

There are very few stocks that have delivered such gains over such a short period.

Community and Innovation

Cryptocurrencies are the gateway to web3, the decentralized internet. They provide investment returns as well as access to new ways of interacting with people and technology around the world.

For example, decentralized utilities provided by a token can spur new ways of thinking or financial and social relationships that were previously impossible. These interactions can create value for individual investors but can also be worthwhile regardless of their profit-making potential.

Investors may enter the cryptocurrency market in search of gains, but many remain invested even during downturns because of the utilities their tokens provide.

Balanced Portfolio Allocation for Growth

How to allocate early-stage and presale cryptos into a portfolio depends on risk appetite. Investors must take into account that early-stage coins are best suited as speculative positions.

For most investors who want to know the best crypto to buy for a balanced portfolio, early-stage coins should amount to a smaller percentage of the overall holdings. This allows investors to seek asymmetric returns, without exposing their entire portfolio to significant risk.

While famous investor Warren Buffett was not a fan of cryptocurrencies, his approach to risk and growth involved buying undervalued businesses with long-term potential, investing in an S&P 500 index fund for the long term, and allocating 10% to short-term bonds to reduce portfolio volatility.

Where to Find the Top Crypto to Buy

Another important part of investing in both established and early-stage cryptocurrencies is developing new ideas for the best crypto to invest in now. This guide serves as an important starting point, but investors can expand their portfolios to include more than just the cryptocurrencies we have covered.

So, where can investors find ideas? We’ll cover four broad categories of sources to explore.

Social Media

Social media channels like X and Reddit are frequented by crypto investors, traders, and analysts. These platforms can be excellent for monitoring crypto news, gaining insights into market movements, or discovering the latest new and early-stage cryptocurrencies.

Investors can directly communicate with one another on social media about cryptos to buy. In addition, almost all major crypto projects – and most new projects – have a presence on social media. So, checking social media can be a good way to evaluate established and new tokens, find out what they’re all about, and assess how much community support they have.

Crypto Analysts and Influencers

Crypto analysts and influencers can be very good sources of information about the best crypto coins to buy in any market condition. They spend their days searching for exciting new tokens and analyzing factors that could be bullish or bearish surrounding existing coins.

In many cases, analysts and influencers are public with their analysis. They share price predictions and technical analysis on social media, on YouTube, or through their channels. Finding analysts who have an investment style that matches your own and following their latest insights can be a great way to generate ideas for cryptocurrencies to invest in.

However, discernment is needed to identify genuine experts from less experienced or less authoritative sources.

Crypto News Platforms

Following crypto market news is another key way investors can stay informed about the market and identify tokens to buy. Market news may highlight tokens that are pulling back or new crypto projects, for example, creating buying opportunities. Or outlets might cover new developments that make an existing large cap project more valuable.

Investors should check multiple news platforms to ensure they never miss a big story. It’s also possible to set up news alerts for specific tokens, which can be great for investors looking for an entry point into one of the best cryptocurrencies to invest in.

Exchange and Presale Aggregators

Investors can also monitor token prices, news, new launches, and more on crypto exchanges and presale aggregators like DEXTools. These exchanges and aggregators serve as hubs for the crypto market, and they typically display information about trending tokens to help investors see what’s hot.

DEXtools interface. Source: DEXtools

Investors can also use these sites to conduct basic analysis, such as comparing tokens to other cryptos in the same market sector or performing basic technical analysis. While exchanges and aggregators don’t replace dedicated research tools, they can be a starting point for finding the best cryptocurrencies to buy.

Potential Risks of Investing in Crypto

Although investing in crypto has the potential to yield strong returns, this market also involves risks that investors need to be aware of.

Risks of Investing in Large-Cap Cryptocurrencies

Large market capitalization cryptocurrencies have a different set of risks than early-stage investments.

Macro Risks

All of crypto, particularly large caps, are affected by macroeconomic conditions, such as black swan events (the 2008 financial crisis) or stronger-than-expected economic data from the Fed, which leads to interest rate hikes. Even large-cap crypto like Bitcoin are considered risky assets, so institutional investors may reduce their positions in times of uncertainty.

Regulatory Concerns

Positive US regulations have played a significant role in the current bull run and price appreciation of large-cap cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Solana. This is because of the ease of investment from TradFi and clarity from the SEC around what is legal.

However, if the US government were to dramatically change its stance on crypto regulations, this could result in a sharp drawdown of large caps as traditional finance investors liquidate their positions.

Network Outages

As crypto becomes more mainstream, it will be held to a higher standard of scrutiny. Network outages. like those experienced by Solana in its early stages, could be catastrophic for the price of the underlying asset, as investors lose trust in the technology.

Risks of Investing in Early-Stage Cryptocurrencies

Small caps and early-stage cryptocurrencies are also affected by macro and regulatory changes, but can still perform exceptionally well in times of broader financial uncertainty. However, they face a unique set of challenges.

Scams and Security Threats

While there are thousands of legitimate tokens and web3 services in the crypto market, this environment is also rife with scams seeking to take advantage of unsuspecting investors.

It’s very important to do your own research about new projects, make sure you only click on trusted links, and always do your research before making a transaction. Even well-intentioned new projects may encounter hacks and rug pulls, often without the resources or will to refund investors.

Without a proven track record or battle-tested smart contracts, the risks of scams and security threats are higher for early-stage projects.

High Volatility

Early-stage cryptocurrencies are notoriously volatile, meaning they can undergo large price swings in very short periods. This volatility can be great for investors when the net direction of a price movement is up. However, high volatility can also work against investors, as token prices can fall rapidly.

Low liquidity and a small number of holders mean that in the worst-case scenario, investors may not be able to cash out of their positions at all, or do so at an enormous loss.

Execution Risk

Many early-stage projects and presales involve the execution of a good idea. Just as 20% of regular US businesses fail within the first year of business, new blockchain projects also have a high rate of failure due to poor execution or unexpected hurdles and challenges.

Business survival rates in the US. Source: Commerce Institute

Presales and early-stage businesses may promise more than they can realistically deliver, or may fail to receive adequate funding to continue past the early stages.

Risk Management for Both Established and New Projects

There is no way to eliminate the potential risk of losses. However, investors can use a balanced portfolio, due diligence, careful monitoring of volatile investments, and stop-loss orders to limit the amount of money they lose on any single position.

It’s also important for investors to be mindful of the risk and only invest with money they are willing to lose.

Things to Consider Before Buying Crypto

Before buying crypto, investors should ensure they’re fully prepared and set up for success. Here are a few things to consider.

Set a Budget

Setting a budget for how much you plan to invest is a good way to manage your risk. Only invest money you can afford to lose – never invest money you need to pay for essential expenses.

A good rule of thumb is to start out investing a small percentage of your portfolio in crypto. Once you’re comfortable investing 1% or 5% of your total portfolio, you can consider whether a larger investment makes sense for your goals.

Identify Your Risk Tolerance – Large Caps vs Early Stage Projects

Cryptocurrency is a high-risk investment compared to stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. Token prices are highly volatile, and there are risks related to wallet security that don’t exist for other investments.

That said, there’s also a wide range of risk profiles for different cryptocurrency tokens. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to invest in high-risk, high-reward tokens like presale coins or whether a more conservative mega-cap crypto makes more sense for your portfolio. To make this decision, think about how much you plan to invest and how you would feel if your entire investment were lost.

Define Your Crypto Investing Goals

Your cryptocurrency investing goals should align with your risk tolerance and broader investment objectives. For example, is your aim to generate long-term profits from holding large-cap tokens or short-term profits from investing in early-stage projects? Are you trying to generate passive income from staking?

Defining your goals can help you identify what types of cryptos to invest in and how to diversify your portfolio across different coins.

Crypto Trends Driving the Top Coins to Invest in 2025

Here are several trends to watch in 2025 that could have a big impact on token prices and even which coin is the top cryptocurrency to buy.

Loosening Crypto Rules

The Trump administration has launched “Project Crypto”, a commission-wide initiative to modernize securities rules and regulations to enable America’s financial markets to move on-chain. SEC Chair Paul Atkins has made developing a “rational regulatory framework” for crypto asset markets his key priority, establishing clear rules for issuance, custody, and trading.

This is a massive shift from the previous administration’s enforcement-heavy approach, with the SEC rescinding restrictive rules like Staff Accounting Bulletin 121 and issuing guidance that most meme coins aren’t securities. In addition, Trump himself is involved in several crypto projects, which could mean a greater role for the White House in advertising crypto as an emerging industry.

Official White House fact sheet on President Donald J. Trump signing the GENIUS Act into law. Source: The White House

The GENIUS Act, signed by Trump in July 2025, establishes the first federal stablecoin framework, requiring 100% reserve backing with U.S. dollars or Treasuries. It limits issuance to licensed banks and Fed-approved entities, mandates monthly reserve disclosures, and prioritizes stablecoin holders in bankruptcy, while also strengthening the dollar’s global dominance.

Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

In March 2025, President Trump signed an executive order establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve capitalized with Bitcoin held by the Department of the Treasury from criminal and civil asset forfeiture proceedings. The reserve includes five cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and Cardano, marking the first time a major nation has created a multi-asset crypto reserve.

However, the order doesn’t include plans for active government Bitcoin purchases, which disappointed some investors expecting more aggressive accumulation.

Meme Coin Supercycle

The meme coin supercycle is a long-term trend characterized by rising meme coin prices and increasing trading volume. Crypto analyst Murad Mahmudov originally proposed the idea at the TOKEN2049 conference, and has since become very popular within the crypto community.

According to the supercycle theory, meme coin communities are highly valuable, and the growth of meme coin users will drive exponentially higher value in this sector.

Decentralized AI

The AI crypto sector has surpassed $30 billion in market cap, making it one of the fastest-growing sub-markets in crypto. Projects like Virtuals Protocol have launched over 21,000 agent tokens with daily launches exceeding 1,000, creating autonomous AI agents that earn revenue through inference calls on social platforms, gaming, and finance.

Leading projects like the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (merging Fetch.ai, SingularityNET, and Ocean Protocol) are advancing decentralized AI development, while new tokens like ai16z have reached billions in market cap.

Bitcoin Cycle Evolution

Bitcoin’s traditional four-year price cycle is showing signs of breaking due to institutional adoption through ETFs, which brought in long-term holders with deep pockets. Bitcoin ETFs accumulated 51,500 BTC in December 2024 alone, almost three times the 13,850 BTC mined that month, creating a 272% demand-supply gap.

This institutional demand, combined with more supportive macroeconomic conditions and regulatory clarity, is replacing the volatile boom-bust patterns with more stable, macro-correlated behavior.

How to Buy Crypto

Ready to start building your crypto portfolio? We’ll walk you through the steps to buy the most promising crypto on the market today.

Step 1: Create a Wallet or Exchange Account

To get started, you’ll need either a crypto wallet like Best Wallet or an account at a crypto exchange like Binance or Coinbase. We recommend using Best Wallet because it gives you full control over your crypto tokens and offers access to a wider range of coins than many exchanges. You can also sign up for Best Wallet with just an email address, whereas exchanges require you to go through Know Your Customer checks.

Best Wallet App. Source: Best Wallet

Step 2: Choose Your Payment Method

On Best Wallet, you’ll choose your payment method and make a payment instantly as part of the crypto buying process. You can pay with a credit or debit card, PayPal, bank transfer, Neteller, or Skrill.

Best Wallet App. Source: Best Wallet

At an exchange, you’ll need to deposit funds before purchasing. Payment methods vary, but most exchanges accept bank transfers, and some accept e-wallets.

Step 3: Choose Your Cryptocurrency

Select the cryptocurrency you wish to buy and enter the amount to purchase. With Best Wallet, you can convert directly from dollars to thousands of cryptocurrencies. On many exchanges, you have to first buy Tether (USDT) and then swap that for the cryptocurrency you want.

Best Wallet App. Source: Best Wallet

Step 4: Confirm Your Order

Once your order is ready, click or tap Buy to complete the transaction. Your purchased tokens will appear in your crypto wallet or exchange account immediately.

Best Wallet App. Source: Best Wallet

When to Sell Crypto

Once you buy one of the top cryptocurrencies, you can hold it for any amount of time and then sell it whenever you want. You can sell your crypto through the same wallet app or exchange you used to buy crypto in the previous steps.

It’s important to think about your investment time frame when selling. Some investors look to hold tokens for years and don’t worry about day-to-day pullbacks. Others take a more active approach, buying and selling the same token repeatedly to try to maximize profits.

To turn a profit, you need to sell tokens at a higher price than you bought them for – and the price difference needs to be enough to offset any transaction fees you paid along the way. If you sell tokens at a price lower than you bought them for, you’ll lose money on your investment.

That said, it doesn’t always make sense to hold tokens until they turn a profit. Some never will. It’s better to sell cryptocurrencies that aren’t living up to your expectations and put the money into a different token than to ride a coin down and lose your entire investment.

Is Cryptocurrency Investment Legal in 2025?

Before you decide to make any investment, it is crucial to understand your local laws and regulations, as legal status directly affects your ability to buy, hold, trade, and use crypto assets. Below, we will discuss the regulations in various countries and continents.

United States

Cryptocurrency investment is legal in the United States. Significant regulatory clarity arrived in 2025. As we mentioned, President Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law, establishing federal standards for stablecoins and requiring 100% reserve backing with U.S. dollars or Treasuries.

The regulatory framework operates under a dual structure where Bitcoin is regulated by the CFTC as a commodity, while other cryptocurrencies may be regulated by the SEC as securities, depending on their characteristics. In 2025, anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) requirements continue to be core elements of these regulations for cryptocurrency businesses.

United Kingdom

Cryptocurrency investment is also legal in the UK, with a comprehensive new regulatory framework taking effect in 2025. On April 29, 2025, HM Treasury published draft legislation establishing a financial services regulatory regime for crypto assets under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 Order 2025.

The new regulations create specific requirements for crypto businesses:

• Authorization Requirements: Firms providing cryptoasset services in or to the UK must be authorized and supervised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Authorization applications take 6-12 months, with firms needing to file by Q4 2025 for operations starting January 2026.

• Retail Access Expansion: In August 2025, the FCA announced that firms can soon provide retail consumers access to crypto exchange-traded notes (cETNs), significantly expanding investment options for ordinary investors.

• Regulatory Scope: The FCA’s authority now covers stablecoin issuance, custody of cryptoassets, trading platform operations, and staking activities, with strict regulatory perimeters around most crypto activities targeting UK consumers requiring UK-authorized entities.

When it comes to Individual investors, they can legally buy, hold, and trade cryptocurrencies, but must use FCA-authorized platforms and comply with tax obligations on crypto gains.

Europe

The Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation is now fully in effect as of 2025, establishing comprehensive rules for crypto-asset issuers, service providers, and investors across the European Economic Area. This legislation makes cryptocurrency investment legal but highly regulated across EU member states.

Starting January 2025, Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs) must obtain licenses to operate within the EU. Key MiCA provisions include:

• Issuers must maintain sufficient reserves to cover all issued tokens and provide detailed information about token functionality and risks

• CASPs approved in one EU country can extend operations to other EU countries

• DORA regulations became applicable on January 17, 2025, introducing digital operational resilience requirements for crypto service providers

Asia

Asia has mixed regulations, with dramatic differences between countries. Let’s explore some of the most important countries:

• China maintains some of the strictest cryptocurrency legislation worldwide, with a complete ban on cryptocurrency trading, mining, and all crypto-related activities since 2021. Such activities are considered illegal financial operations.

• Japan recognizes cryptocurrency as a type of money and legal property. Crypto and yen transactions are both managed by the Financial Services Agency, and citizens are free to own or invest in crypto. Japan continues to strengthen its regulatory framework, with enhanced oversight measures implemented throughout 2025.

• Taiwan announced dedicated VASP legislation in March 2025, focusing on minimum capital thresholds and enhanced consumer protection. Countries like Singapore and Hong Kong continue to develop comprehensive crypto-friendly regulatory frameworks.

Africa

Despite growing digital financial service activity across Africa, many governments remain cautious about including cryptocurrencies in their economic frameworks. The continent shows various approaches:

• Nigeria has implemented restrictions on bank cryptocurrency transactions while allowing peer-to-peer trading

• South Africa maintains a relatively permissive approachwith ongoing regulatory development

• Egypt has implemented restrictions on cryptocurrency use under Law No. 194/2020

Conclusion

Cryptocurrencies are a popular investment class because they offer more growth potential than stocks and other traditional asset classes. Building a strong crypto portfolio with both large-cap cryptocurrencies and new projects can be a way to achieve financial success. However, cryptocurrencies are also risky, so it’s important to have a strong grasp of how this market works and what tokens to buy.

According to our analysis, the best tokens to buy today include Bitcoin, Solana, Maxi Dogecoin, Bitcoin Hyper, and Arbitrum. Check out the rest of our crypto coverage to get the latest updates on these coins and start building your crypto portfolio today.