Are you looking to invest in cryptocurrencies but unsure which one to buy? With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to decide how to invest your money. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best crypto to buy now, based on factors such as project developments, price performance, and market capitalization, as well as the overall potential for growth.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the most promising cryptocurrencies, including staples such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, and a combination of several other promising crypto projects. We’ll discuss their features, advantages, and potential drawbacks, as well as provide insights into market trends. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just starting out, this article will help you make an informed decision about the best crypto to buy now.
So, let’s dive in and explore the best cryptocurrencies to invest in August 2026:
- Bitcoin – The world’s oldest and largest crypto
- Chainlink – The largest decentralized oracle network
- Solana – Smart contracts platform with high speeds and low fees
- Cardano – Research-driven smart contract platform
- Ethereum – The leading DeFi and smart contract platform
- Uniswap – The pioneering automated market maker protocol
- XRP – The leading crypto remittance solution
- Zcash – Privacy-focused cryptocurrency
- Worldcoin – Identity-focused crypto project built around biometric verification
- Hyperliquid – Decentralized perpetuals exchange with an efficient order book
- Monero – A privacy-first cryptocurrency with fully obfuscated transactions
- BNB – The native coin of the Binance exchange
The best cryptos to buy right now: Discover top investments for August 2026
The following three cryptocurrency projects highlight our investment selection thanks to important developments and upcoming events that make them especially interesting to follow in the near future. These projects are updated each week based on the most recent developments and trends taking place in the crypto market.
1. Bitcoin
Bitcoin (BTC) is the original decentralized digital currency, enabling peer-to-peer transactions without the need for intermediaries such as banks or financial institutions. It was created in 2009 by an unknown person or group of people using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin was the first digital currency to eliminate the double spending problem without resorting to any central intermediaries.
Bitcoin transactions are recorded on a public ledger called the blockchain, which is maintained by a network of computers around the world. This means that the transactions are secure and transparent, as anyone can view them, but they are also anonymous, as the identity of the participants in the transaction is not revealed.
Bitcoin is often referred to as “digital gold” or a store of value, as it has a limited supply of 21 million coins, and its value is determined by market demand. Some people also see it as a hedge against inflation or a way to diversify their investment portfolio. It is by far the largest cryptocurrency by market cap in the industry, accounting for the value of more than 50% of all digital assets in circulation combined, making it arguably the most popular crypto to buy.
Why Bitcoin?
Bitcoin remained resilient over the past week, rising 3.8% across the 7-day period in a steady upward move. Still, selling pressure has emerged each time BTC has tried to break decisively above the $65,000 mark.
Spot Bitcoin ETF flows remained strong, recording 5 consecutive days of net inflows that added up to $865 million for the week. The moderately positive sentiment across the crypto market was likely connected to strength in equities, with the S&P gaining 3.3% and reaching new all-time highs last week, largely driven by an earnings season that was received favorably overall.
Bitcoin’s recent strength is particularly noteworthy considering that Strategy has continued reducing its Bitcoin holdings. The company, which had previously provided a steady source of buying pressure, sold 1,690 BTC last week for around $108.6 million.
Strategy also sold 6.5 million MSTR shares, raising approximately $653 million. Funds generated from the BTC and MSTR sales were used to repurchase STRC preferred stock, which continues to trade roughly 5% below its $100 target price.
Outside of market activity, another noteworthy Bitcoin-related development was the apparent failure of the BIP-110 proposal, which aimed to limit the storage of non-financial data on the Bitcoin network.
The minority chain that adopted the BIP-110 upgrade came to a halt after only two blocks, indicating an almost total absence of miner support. This can likely be viewed as an overall bullish development for Bitcoin, as it reinforces the case for the stability and predictability of the Bitcoin protocol.
2. Chainlink
Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network that enables blockchains and smart contracts to securely access trustworthy data from external sources. It is designed to solve the so-called “oracle problem,” which describes the challenge blockchains face when trying to obtain information that exists outside their own environments. By linking on-chain applications with off-chain data, Chainlink makes it possible to support use cases that could not rely on blockchain-native information alone.
Chainlink has established itself as the dominant oracle solution in decentralized finance and is also seeing growing adoption in areas such as real-world asset tokenization. DeFi protocols can use Chainlink to provide smart contracts with cryptocurrency price data from centralized exchanges, while RWA platforms can obtain accurate market valuations with a lower risk of manipulation. This can help tokenized real estate, commodities, and other assets maintain dependable and current valuations on-chain.
Why Chainlink?
Crypto investors may want to keep a close eye on Chainlink as it continues to establish itself as essential infrastructure for tokenized finance. BitGo’s move to select Chainlink CCIP as the sole cross-chain infrastructure for WBTC and future assets issued by BitGo is a notable vote of confidence in Chainlink’s security and interoperability technology.
Chainlink is already operating on a substantial scale. Its infrastructure has facilitated more than $32 trillion in transaction value, protects over $110 billion across DeFi and cross-chain applications, and underpins approximately 70% of oracle-dependent DeFi value worldwide. CCIP is expanding rapidly as well, with quarterly volume climbing to $4.9 billion in Q2 2026.
The bigger potential opportunity comes from the expansion of real-world asset tokenization. Standard Chartered forecasts that tokenized onchain assets could reach $4 trillion by the end of 2028 and believes Chainlink is particularly well placed to deliver the data, interoperability, and compliance infrastructure needed to support these assets.
This outlook prompted Standard Chartered to assign LINK a $200 price target for the end of 2030, partly based on projections that Chainlink’s fee generation could increase by roughly 25 times. A $200 LINK price would imply upside of more than 2,300% from its current level.
Chainlink’s expanding network of institutional relationships, including Swift, DTCC, JPMorgan, Mastercard, UBS, Fidelity and BitGo, further strengthens the investment thesis. The case is straightforward: if a larger share of the global financial system shifts onchain, Chainlink could emerge as one of the major infrastructure providers enabling that transition.
3. Solana
Solana is a smart contract platform known for its distinctive architecture, enabling it to handle thousands of transactions per second while maintaining very low costs. It accomplishes this by using a combination of a unique Proof-of-History algorithm and a Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism. SOL, the native cryptocurrency of the platform, is one of the cheapest to transfer, with users typically paying less than $0.001 per transaction.
Founded in 2018 by Anatoly Yakovenko, Solana’s mainnet went live in March 2020 and experienced a surge in adoption throughout 2021. Despite a significant drop in value during the 2022 bear market, Solana remains one of the most robust ecosystems in the cryptocurrency space and continues to be seen as a potential candidate for significant future growth.
Why Solana?
Solana validators are showing support for two proposals intended to strengthen SOL’s supply dynamics by lowering issuance and increasing the amount of tokens burned.
SIMD-0553 would implement resource-based transaction fees, which could raise daily SOL burns from roughly 650 SOL to between 7,500 and 9,000 SOL. Meanwhile, SIMD-0550 would speed up Solana’s disinflation schedule by increasing the annual disinflation rate to 30%, allowing the network to reach its long-term inflation floor of 1.5% by 2029 rather than 2032.
Combined, these changes could significantly reduce the amount of new SOL entering circulation. However, Solana would still remain inflationary in the near term, as current issuance of around 60,000 SOL per day would continue to surpass the amount being burned.
It is also worth noting that asset management giant BlackRock has broadened its tokenization efforts to Solana with the launch of the BlackRock Daily Reinvestment Stablecoin Reserve Vehicle (BRSRV), a money market fund created to act as a high-quality reserve asset for stablecoin issuers.
Ownership of the fund’s tokenized shares can be registered on Solana, as well as Ethereum and Tempo, through a permissioned system operated by Securitize.
BRSRV invests exclusively in cash, short-term U.S. Treasuries, and Treasury-backed overnight repurchase agreements, while requiring investors to use whitelisted wallets that have undergone identity verification. The fund is also designed to meet the requirements for an eligible stablecoin reserve asset under the U.S. GENIUS Act.
For Solana, the launch brings another major institutional asset manager into the network’s expanding tokenized-finance ecosystem. According to RWA.xyz data, more than $3.7 billion in tokenized real-world assets is currently held on the Solana network.
4. Cardano
Cardano is a decentralized, open-source blockchain platform designed for smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps), with a strong emphasis on scalability, security, and sustainability. Launched in 2017 by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, Cardano uses its native cryptocurrency, ADA, for transactions, staking, and network governance. Unlike many blockchain projects, Cardano follows a research-driven development process, with its core technologies undergoing academic peer review before implementation.
Cardano is powered by Ouroboros, one of the first peer-reviewed Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanisms, allowing the network to achieve security while consuming only a fraction of the energy required by Proof-of-Work blockchains such as Bitcoin. The blockchain is divided into two layers: the Cardano Settlement Layer (CSL), which handles ADA transactions, and the Cardano Computation Layer (CCL), which executes smart contracts and decentralized applications through the Plutus platform.
The Cardano ecosystem supports hundreds of decentralized applications spanning decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs, gaming, wallets, and other blockchain services. The maximum supply of ADA is capped at 45 billion coins, with staking rewards distributed to network validators who help secure the blockchain. As one of the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, Cardano continues to evolve through a multi-stage roadmap focused on decentralization, scalability, governance, and interoperability, positioning itself as one of the leading smart contract platforms in the crypto industry.
Why Cardano?
Cardano is trading at $0.1876 after gaining nearly 10% as investors shifted their focus to the blockchain’s next major development phase. Following the successful Van Rossem upgrade in July, attention has turned to the upcoming Dijkstra era, which aims to significantly improve scalability through features such as Nested Transactions, Linear Leios and Peras. While these upgrades are not expected to reach mainnet until late 2026, the roadmap has strengthened confidence in Cardano’s long-term technical direction.
The rally has also been supported by renewed accumulation from large investors. According to Santiment, whale wallets acquired more than 240 million ADA over the past five days, helping fuel a 22% price increase. The combination of growing whale activity and optimism surrounding Cardano’s development roadmap suggests investors are beginning to position ahead of future network upgrades, although analysts note that long-term price performance will ultimately depend on successful execution and broader ecosystem growth.
Despite the recent gains, Cardano remains well below its previous all-time high, leaving plenty of room for recovery if network upgrades translate into higher developer activity, stronger on-chain adoption and increased demand for the ecosystem.
5. Ethereum
Launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and a team of developers, Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain platform that allows developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts.
Ethereum has a wide range of use cases beyond just a store of value or medium of exchange. Ethereum’s smart contract functionality allows developers to build dApps that can run without the need for intermediaries, like centralized servers or institutions.
The Ethereum platform has gained widespread adoption and has become the backbone of the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry. DeFi applications built on Ethereum allow users to access financial services without relying on traditional banks or financial institutions. Ethereum’s smart contract functionality has also enabled the creation of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which have gained popularity in the digital art and gaming worlds.
While Ethereum has a strong community and has been highly influential in the cryptocurrency industry, it also faces challenges, such as scalability issues and high gas fees. These issues have spurred the development of various Layer 2 scaling solutions. In the long run, future updates are supposed to massively increase Ethereum’s throughput bringing the transaction per second (TPS) figure from 15 to 100,000.
Why Ethereum?
Ethereum is trading at $1,963.20 after reclaiming the key $1,900 resistance level, although momentum cooled after US spot Ethereum ETFs recorded $70.6 million in net outflows, ending a five-day inflow streak. Despite the daily reversal, the funds still posted more than $100 million in net inflows for the week, extending their weekly inflow streak to three and suggesting institutional demand remains intact even as investors take profits following Ethereum’s recent rally.
While Ethereum’s price has recovered sharply over the past month, on-chain activity remains subdued. Decentralized exchange volumes and decentralized application revenue have fallen to multi-month lows, highlighting slower network usage. However, long-term fundamentals continue to strengthen as a record 34% of ETH’s circulating supply is now staked, reducing liquid supply and potentially easing selling pressure if demand continues to improve.
Ethereum is also becoming increasingly attractive to traditional investors through staking-enabled investment products. Grayscale plans to introduce regular cash distributions from staking rewards generated by its Ethereum ETF, allowing shareholders to receive staking income without directly managing crypto assets. The move reflects growing institutional interest in yield-bearing digital assets and could further strengthen Ethereum’s appeal as more regulated investment products incorporate staking into their offerings.
6. Uniswap
Uniswap is the leading decentralized exchange (DEX) built on Ethereum, allowing users to swap cryptocurrencies directly from their wallets without relying on centralized intermediaries. The protocol pioneered the automated market maker (AMM) model, which replaces traditional order books with liquidity pools supplied by users who earn fees for providing liquidity.
The protocol is governed by the UNI token, which gives holders the ability to propose and vote on changes affecting Uniswap’s development and ecosystem. Since its launch in 2020, Uniswap has become one of the largest decentralized finance (DeFi) applications by trading volume and continues to expand through innovations such as Uniswap v4, introducing customizable liquidity pools and new infrastructure for tokenized real-world assets and institutional adoption.
Why Uniswap?
Uniswap is trading at $3.90 after gaining more than 3% as investors responded to a series of governance proposals aimed at strengthening UNI’s tokenomics. The biggest catalyst has been votes to expand protocol fee collection across Uniswap v4 pools and direct more trading fees toward buybacks and UNI token burns, reinforcing the narrative that UNI is evolving from a governance token into an asset that benefits directly from protocol activity.
Beyond tokenomics, Uniswap is expanding its institutional ambitions with the launch of Permissioned Pools on Uniswap v4.
The new framework allows issuers of tokenized funds, equities and other regulated assets to restrict trading to approved investors while maintaining on-chain liquidity. Launch partners including Superstate, Securitize and Dowgo are using the new standard to bring compliant real-world assets onto decentralized markets, positioning Uniswap as a key infrastructure provider for tokenized finance.
The combination of improving tokenomics and expanding institutional use cases has helped UNI outperform much of the broader cryptocurrency market. Analysts note that continued adoption of Uniswap v4, higher protocol fee generation and successful implementation of the proposed burn mechanisms could provide additional support for UNI, particularly if the ongoing rotation into decentralized finance projects continues.
7. XRP
XRP is a digital cryptocurrency that was created by Ripple Labs in 2012. It is used as a means of payment and transfer of value on the Ripple payment protocol, which is designed to enable fast and secure transactions between financial institutions as well as individuals.
XRP is unique in that it is not based on the blockchain technology used by many other cryptocurrencies. Instead, it uses a distributed consensus ledger called the XRP Ledger, which is maintained by a network of validators. This allows for faster transaction processing times and lower fees compared to traditional payment methods.
XRP has been popular among cryptocurrency traders and investors due to its high liquidity and clear potential for broader adoption, especially as a remittance solution. However, it has also been the subject of controversy and legal action, with US regulators alleging that it is a security and should thus be subjected to securities regulations. This has somewhat hindered the potential of XRP as an investment, and handcuffed Ripple’s growth as a company.
Why XRP?
XRP is trading at $1.10 as it approaches a pivotal technical level following several weeks of consolidation. The token continues to trade within a symmetrical triangle pattern, where a series of higher lows is meeting descending resistance. With volatility steadily declining and the pattern nearing its apex, analysts believe XRP could be preparing for a significant breakout in either direction.
Beyond the technical setup, Ripple continues to strengthen its presence in institutional finance through partnerships with companies including Mastercard, JPMorgan, OKX and Ondo Finance. The company recently completed the first cross-bank, cross-border redemption of tokenized US Treasuries on the XRP Ledger, highlighting the network’s growing role in tokenized finance. Ripple also reiterated that XRP and its RLUSD stablecoin will work together to provide institutions with efficient cross-border settlement and on-demand liquidity.
While Ripple’s institutional adoption continues to build, traders remain focused on XRP’s technical outlook. A decisive move above the triangle’s resistance could trigger fresh buying momentum, while losing the rising support trendline would likely delay a broader recovery. With regulatory sentiment improving and selling pressure gradually fading, many analysts expect XRP’s next major move to occur as the current consolidation phase comes to an end.
8. Zcash
ZCash (ZEC) is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that was launched in 2016 by Zooko Wilcox-O’Hearn. It is a fork of Bitcoin, designed to enhance privacy and anonymity for its users. Unlike Bitcoin, where transaction details (such as sender, recipient, and amount) are publicly visible, ZCash allows users to choose between two types of transactions: transparent and shielded.
Transparent transactions work similarly to Bitcoin, where all transaction details are recorded on the blockchain and visible to everyone. However, shielded transactions use a cryptographic technology called zk-SNARKs to allow fully private transactions. In shielded transactions, the details are encrypted, meaning that only the parties involved have access to the information, while the validity of the transaction is still verifiable by the network.
ZCash is particularly valued by those who prioritize financial privacy and security, as it offers optional anonymity in a way that few other cryptocurrencies do.
Why Zcash?
Zcash is trading at $535.58 after gaining more than 8% over the past day, outperforming most major cryptocurrencies. The rally has been fueled by improving market sentiment ahead of the upcoming Ironwood upgrade, while technical momentum has strengthened after ZEC broke above a short-term descending trendline. Analysts are now watching the $550 resistance level, with a breakout potentially opening the door to a move toward the $650-$690 region.
Another recent catalyst is the launch of Zakura, a new full-node implementation developed by Valar Group and Project Tachyon. Designed as a compatible replacement for the retiring Zcashd client, Zakura introduces faster blockchain synchronization, native pruning, and snapshot-based setup that dramatically reduces node initialization times. The software also includes experimental networking improvements aimed at accelerating block propagation while maintaining compatibility with existing wallets, exchanges, and infrastructure.
Looking ahead, investors remain focused on the Ironwood network upgrade, which is expected to activate later this month. Ironwood introduces a new shielded pool, a version-six transaction format, and further strengthens Zcash’s privacy architecture following the Orchard vulnerability addressed earlier this year. If the upgrade is implemented successfully and ZEC clears resistance around $550, analysts believe the cryptocurrency could extend its recovery and continue outperforming other privacy-focused digital assets.
9. Worldcoin
Worldcoin is a blockchain-based identity and cryptocurrency project focused on building a global proof-of-human system. Co-founded by Sam Altman, the project aims to differentiate real human users from bots in an increasingly automated digital environment. At the center of its ecosystem is World ID, a privacy-oriented digital identity credential that allows users to verify they are unique individuals without revealing personal data. The project distributes its native token, WLD, to verified participants as part of its broader vision of expanding financial and digital inclusion.
Worldcoin operates on a combination of biometric verification hardware and blockchain infrastructure. Users verify their identity through a device known as the Orb, which scans biometric data to confirm uniqueness, while cryptographic techniques are used to preserve privacy. The WLD token is used for governance, ecosystem incentives and network participation. The project is often discussed in the context of AI-driven automation, digital identity and universal basic income concepts, with its long-term value tied to adoption of its proof-of-human framework and regulatory acceptance of biometric identity systems.
Why Worldcoin?
Worldcoin (WLD) is trading at $0.3732 after rebounding sharply on renewed attention around its real-world identity use case. The latest catalyst came from a partnership between World Network and the band Thirty Seconds to Mars, allowing verified World ID users to access human-only ticket allocations. The initiative aims to reduce bot-driven ticket scalping by verifying that buyers are unique individuals without requiring traditional account-based identity checks. The announcement triggered an intraday spike toward $0.38, accompanied by elevated trading volume and renewed retail participation.
From a technical perspective, WLD is attempting to build a recovery structure after prolonged downside pressure. The token remains well below its historical highs but has gained momentum over the past month. The $0.30–$0.32 range now acts as immediate support, while the $0.40–$0.45 zone represents near-term resistance. Momentum indicators remain constructive, with MACD in bullish territory and RSI holding above neutral levels, though the latest rejection suggests upside is slowing into supply.
Structurally, Worldcoin’s valuation continues to hinge on adoption of its proof-of-human model and broader acceptance of biometric identity infrastructure. Narrative-driven rallies have characterized WLD’s price action in the past, often tied to AI themes and digital identity debates. Sustained upside will likely require consistent user growth and practical integrations beyond promotional campaigns, while failure to hold support would risk a return to consolidation within the broader downtrend.
10. Hyperliquid
Hyperliquid is a decentralized perpetual futures exchange built to rival centralized trading platforms in speed, liquidity, and user experience—all while remaining fully on-chain. Unlike traditional DEXs that often struggle with performance bottlenecks, Hyperliquid uses a custom high-performance layer-1 blockchain specifically optimized for trading. This allows it to offer ultra-low latency, high throughput, and a seamless trading experience without relying on external validators or rollups.
One of Hyperliquid’s key innovations is its order book-based model, which is uncommon among decentralized platforms. While many DEXs use automated market makers (AMMs), Hyperliquid implements a central limit order book (CLOB), giving traders more control over order execution and tighter spreads. This design makes it particularly appealing to professional and high-frequency traders who expect the responsiveness of centralized exchanges but want the trustlessness of DeFi. Its deep liquidity pools and tight integration with crypto-native assets further enhance its trading dynamics.
Why Hyperliquid?
Hyperliquid’s HYPE token is trading at $63.27 after a strong multi-week advance, with momentum accelerating alongside rising ETF activity. US-listed HYPE ETFs from 21Shares (THYP) and Bitwise (BHYP) have now recorded nearly $41 million in total trading volume since launch, with daily turnover jumping roughly 50% this week. For newly launched ETFs, that kind of post-debut volume expansion is atypical, as most products see front-loaded interest before fading. Instead, HYPE-linked funds are building participation during a broader risk-off environment in equities, bonds, gold and even Bitcoin.
The timing has amplified the narrative. While major asset classes have stalled or pulled back, HYPE has outperformed, rising sharply year to date and attracting capital rotation. The two ETFs posted their strongest combined net inflow day this week at $25.5 million, suggesting institutional exposure is increasing beyond launch-week speculation. At the same time, reports indicate wallets linked to Grayscale accumulated and staked roughly $25 million worth of HYPE, reinforcing the view that asset managers are positioning ahead of potential additional ETF approvals.
Structurally, Hyperliquid’s appeal extends beyond token price momentum. The protocol has captured a dominant share of onchain perpetual futures activity, positioning itself as a high-throughput derivatives venue rather than a single-asset trade. If ETF inflows persist and onchain volumes remain elevated, HYPE’s valuation case will increasingly hinge on sustained fee generation and ecosystem expansion. However, given the speed of the recent rally, near-term volatility should be expected as leveraged positioning adjusts to higher price levels.
11. Monero
Monero is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency designed to offer anonymous and untraceable transactions. Launched in 2014 as a fork of Bytecoin, Monero was introduced through a whitepaper written by the pseudonymous “Nicolas van Saberhagen.” Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, Monero conceals sender and receiver identities, as well as transaction amounts, through advanced cryptographic techniques such as stealth addresses and ring signatures. This strong focus on privacy has made Monero a favorite among users seeking true financial confidentiality.
Monero runs on a Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism and is deliberately resistant to ASIC mining to support decentralization. It can be mined efficiently using consumer-grade hardware, and its privacy-preserving features also improve fungibility—individual XMR coins are indistinguishable from one another and can’t be blacklisted. Despite its strong standing within the crypto community, Monero has been the subject of regulatory scrutiny due to concerns over its potential use in illicit activities. Nonetheless, it remains the most widely adopted privacy coin in the market today.
Why Monero?
Monero surged to its highest level since 2021 this week, reclaiming the spotlight among privacy-focused cryptocurrencies as XMR briefly pushed past $590 and entered fresh price discovery. The rally coincided with renewed interest in privacy assets and a sharp contrast with governance turmoil at rival Zcash, where internal disputes triggered developer resignations and a steep sell-off. With ZEC faltering, traders appeared to rotate toward Monero as the more stable and decentralized privacy exposure, lifting XMR back toward levels not seen in nearly five years.
Beyond relative strength against peers, Monero’s move also reflects a broader shift in sentiment around financial privacy. Institutional commentary from firms such as Grayscale and Coinbase has increasingly highlighted privacy as a structural theme for 2026, driven by tighter compliance rules, onchain transparency concerns, and growing demand for confidential transactions. While Monero faced scrutiny in 2025 following a large block reorganization and ongoing debates around mining concentration, those concerns have faded from price action as the network continued to operate without lasting disruption. As Zcash’s roadmap faces uncertainty, Monero has regained its position as the largest privacy coin by market capitalization.
From a technical perspective, XMR is now testing a historically critical zone. Previous attempts to break above the $500–$520 range have failed multiple times over the past decade, often followed by sharp corrections once momentum stalled. That history suggests near-term volatility remains likely unless Monero can decisively hold above former resistance. A confirmed breakout would invalidate the bearish fractal and open the door to higher targets around $750, based on long-term Fibonacci extensions. While pullbacks cannot be ruled out after such a steep rally, Monero’s reclaiming of its privacy crown and entry into price discovery place it among the more closely watched large-cap setups heading into 2026.
12. BNB
BNB (formerly Binance Coin) is a cryptocurrency created by the popular cryptocurrency exchange Binance. Binance is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, allowing users to buy, sell, and trade a wide range of digital assets.
BNB was initially one of the ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain but has since migrated to its own blockchain, known as BNB Chain. BNB is used as a utility token within the Binance ecosystem and has a variety of use cases. For example, users can use BNB to pay for transaction fees on the Binance exchange, receive discounts on trading fees, participate in token sales on Binance Launchpad, and purchase goods and services from merchants that accept BNB as payment.
One of the unique features of BNB is that it has a deflationary model. Binance uses a part of its profits each quarter to buy back and burn BNB tokens, reducing the total supply of the token over time. This mechanism is designed to create scarcity and increase the value of BNB over time, with the end goal of reducing the circulating supply of BNB from the initial 200 million to 100 million BNB.
Why BNB?
BNB reclaimed $900 this week after bouncing sharply from the $800–$820 demand zone, with multiple bullish technical structures now aligning behind a potential push back toward $1,000 in December. A double-bottom pattern on the 4H chart, combined with a clean breakout from a multi-week falling wedge, signals fading seller momentum and renewed appetite from dip-buyers. Liquidation heatmaps reveal over $112 million in short liquidations clustered near $1,020, suggesting a move toward that level could accelerate quickly if BNB breaks and holds above $900–$920.
However, BNB’s narrative this week also revolved around turbulence in the corporate treasury sector. CZ’s YZi Labs launched a formal attempt to overhaul the board of CEA Industries — the largest public BNB-holding company — accusing management of destroying shareholder value after the stock plunged 89% from its July peak. YZi aims to reverse recent bylaw changes, expand the board, and install its own nominees, arguing that CEA has failed to execute on its strategy of becoming the leading BNB treasury company. CEA responded by reaffirming its commitment to the BNB strategy while opening a dialogue with YZi to resolve concerns.
CEA stock collapses as YZi Labs pushes for a board takeover. Source: Google FinanceDespite governance drama and broader market pressure, BNB has held up better than many large-cap assets this quarter, outperforming even as it trades well below its mid-October all-time high of $1,367. CEA’s reported holdings of 515,054 BNB at an average entry of $851 place its treasury slightly underwater, yet BNB itself remains up 17.8% year-to-date, reinforcing its relative strength during the latest downturn. If bullish technicals continue to hold — and especially if liquidation clusters begin to trigger — analysts say BNB could feasibly revisit the $1,020–$1,115 range before year-end.
Best cryptocurrencies to buy at a glance
| Native Asset | Launched In | Description | Market Cap* | |
| Bitcoin | BTC | 2009 | A P2P open-source digital currency | $1.30 tln |
| Chainlink | LINK | 2017 | The largest decentralized oracle network | $6.22 bln |
| Solana | SOL | 2020 | Smart contracts platform with high speeds and low fees | $44.52 bln |
| Cardano | ADA | 2017 | Research-driven smart contract platform | $7.22 bln |
| Ethereum | ETH | 2012 | The leading DeFi and smart contract platform | $229 bln |
| Uniswap | UNI | 2020 | The pioneering automated market maker protocol | $2.50 bln |
| XRP | XRP | 2015 | The leading crypto remittance solution | $64.2 bln |
| Zcash | ZEC | 2016 | Privacy-focused cryptocurrency | $8.51 bln |
| Worldcoin | WLD | 2023 | dentity-focused crypto project built around biometric verification | $1.23 bln |
| Hyperliquid | HYPE | 2024 | Decentralized perpetuals exchange with an efficient order book | $13.82 bln |
| Monero | XMR | 2014 | A privacy-first cryptocurrency with fully obfuscated transactions | $7.43 bln |
| BNB | BNB | 2017 | The native coin of the Binance exchange | $79.6 bln |
Best crypto to buy for beginners
If you are just starting out in crypto, it is advisable to stick to cryptocurrency projects that are less prone to volatility and are generally more established. While this approach does have a downside, as it becomes much more difficult to expect triple-digit or larger gains, the major upside is that you are not exposed to projects that have a chance of failing and, thus, losing your entire investment.
In order to identify projects that are stable and thus feature low volatility, you can start by following the parameters listed below:
- The crypto asset has a market capitalization that places it into the cryptocurrency top 100 (roughly $500 million as of summer 2026)
- The crypto asset is available for trading on the best crypto exchange platforms and can be exchanged for fiat currencies
- The crypto asset boasts healthy liquidity ($100M/day and more), which allows you to execute buy and sell orders quickly and without slippage
- The crypto asset is part of a reputable crypto project with clear goals, a realistic roadmap, and products and services that look to address real-world problems
Some of the best cryptos to buy for beginners are those that follow the above criteria and have earned their standing in the crypto market due to robust security, popular products and services, and clear growth potential. Some beginner-friendly crypto investments are:
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- Litecoin
- Cardano
- BNB
It is worth noting that cryptocurrency investments are inherently risky, even if you stick to the biggest and most reputable projects. The reason for this is simple – the crypto sector is relatively new, and the landscape might look completely different in the future.
Best crypto for long-term
When deciding which cryptocurrency to buy for the long term, it’s important to consider projects that are well-established, have a strong community, are highly liquid, have a large market cap, and have a clear reason for existing (such as solving a real-life problem, introducing new functionality, etc.). Without these characteristics, a project might fail to survive in the long term, rendering it a bad long-term investment.
It is worth noting that, typically, most long-term crypto investors are looking for projects that have the potential to generate decent returns but also provide a degree of investment stability. Roughly speaking, only the largest cryptocurrencies fit the bill, as others have a low market cap and liquidity that doesn’t bode well for a long-term commitment (unless you’re prepared to take on more risk).
In addition to Bitcoin and Ethereum, there are a number of other cryptocurrencies that fit the criteria of being low-risk, long-term crypto investments.
If you are planning to hold onto your digital assets for a longer period of time, it is best to take care of crypto custody yourself. Holding large amounts of crypto on an exchange can be risky, as we’ve seen over the years with the collapse of high-profile exchanges like Mt. Gox and FTX. Use one of the reputable crypto hardware wallets to store your crypto. Ledger hardware wallets, for instance, allow you to manage your crypto holdings easily and provide a much higher degree of security than crypto exchanges or even software crypto wallets.
Best place to buy crypto
One crucial aspect to consider when choosing which platform to use to buy crypto is the range of cryptocurrencies and trading pairs available. Since different exchanges support varying digital assets, it’s important to choose a platform that accommodates the specific cryptocurrencies you intend to trade.
Additionally, assessing an exchange’s liquidity and trading volume is essential. Higher liquidity generally results in improved price stability and faster trade executions. Furthermore, it is prudent to examine the fees charged by the exchange, encompassing deposit, withdrawal, and trading fees. Comparing fee structures across different exchanges can help you identify the most cost-effective option that aligns with your trading style. With that said, here are some of the best exchanges on the market right now:
- Binance – The best cryptocurrency exchange overall
- KuCoin – The best exchange for altcoin trading
- Kraken – A centralized exchange with the best security
By diligently considering these factors, you can make an informed decision and select a cryptocurrency exchange that meets your requirements for security, variety, liquidity, and affordability.
How we choose the best cryptocurrencies to buy
At CoinCheckup, we provide real-time prices for over 40,000 cryptocurrencies, with the list growing by dozens each day. As you can imagine, making a selection of a dozen top cryptocurrencies to buy out of such an immense dataset can be difficult and will for sure lead to some projects that should be featured being omitted. To minimize the chance of that happening, we follow certain guidelines when trying to identify the best cryptocurrencies to invest in.
Availability
One of the most important factors for any cryptocurrency investment is the crypto asset’s availability, meaning how easy it is to buy and sell it across various cryptocurrency exchanges. We tend to stay away from assets that are not available on major exchanges and require complex procedures to obtain.
Market Capitalization
Another important metric for identifying whether a crypto project is worth covering its market cap. A high market cap means that the project has reached a certain level of adoption from users, making it less risky to invest in.
Growth Potential
While this metric is mostly subjective, it is still an important metric on which we curate our selection. We won’t feature projects that we think are stagnating or have no real upside in the future.
Purpose and Use Case
We consider the purpose and use case of cryptocurrency, particularly in a real-world setting. Some cryptocurrencies focus on specific industries or applications, such as decentralized finance, gaming, or supply chain management.
Team and Development
The team and people involved in the project can tell you a lot about the potential of a particular cryptocurrency project. We examine the team’s experience, expertise, and track record and evaluate the development activity and updates to ensure the project is actively maintained and evolving.
The bottom line: What crypto should you buy right now?
The decision of which crypto to buy now is dependent on your own risk profile and investment goals. For some, investing in a crypto asset with a proven track record like Bitcoin is the only type of exposure to crypto they are willing to take on.
Meanwhile, those with a higher risk tolerance might see Bitcoin as too stable, looking instead toward newer and smaller projects that carry a higher degree of upside.
If you are looking for more investment ideas, check out our crypto price predictions section.
