12 Best Crypto to Buy Right Now — December 2025

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 November 2025:

1. XRP – The leading crypto remittance solution
2. Ethereum – The leading DeFi and smart contract platform
3. Bitcoin – The world’s oldest and largest crypto
4. Zcash – Privacy-focused cryptocurrency
5. Solana – Smart contracts platform with high speeds and low fees
6. Hyperliquid – Decentralized perpetuals exchange with an efficient order book
7. BNB – The native coin of the Binance exchange
8. Monero – A privacy-first cryptocurrency with fully obfuscated transactions
9. Ethena – Ethereum-based stablecoin protocol
10. Cardano – A peer-reviewed blockchain built for smart contracts and scalable dApps
11. LayerZero – One of the best blockchain interoperability protocols
12. Kaia – A fast-growing L1 chain designed for high performance and cross-chain integration

The best cryptos to buy right now: Discover top investments for November 2025

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 remains under pressure, as last week’s surge above $90,000 completely faded over the weekend. Following Sunday’s sharp drop from $91,000 to $86,000, the decline carried into the new week, with the cryptocurrency trading near $85,500 at the time of writing. The key question now is whether Bitcoin will revisit the November 21 low of $80,800 or whether buyers will step in to establish a higher low on the chart.

Despite its current struggles, Bitcoin is still outperforming much of the broader crypto market. Its price is roughly unchanged compared to a week ago, whereas altcoins have suffered significantly steeper losses. Out of the top 200 crypto assets by market cap, 84 have fallen by at least 5% over the past seven days, and 25 have dropped by more than 10%.

According to CoinShares research head James Butterfill, Bitcoin-based exchange-traded products recorded $461 million in net inflows last week. However, these figures came before the flash crash, meaning this week may instead see substantial outflows.

It’s also notable that Michael Saylor’s company, MicroStrategy (MSTR), made another relatively small Bitcoin acquisition by its own standards, spending $11.7 million to purchase 130 BTC. This brings the firm’s total holdings to the milestone of 650,000 BTC.

The crypto flash crash may have been sparked by hawkish remarks from Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda, who hinted at possible interest rate hikes in December. Additionally, MicroStrategy CEO Phong Le stated that the company would need to sell some of its Bitcoin if its mNAV fell below 1 and it lacked access to other funding options.

Looking ahead, it will be important to watch major U.S. economic indicators, including ISM PMIs, ADP employment data, JOLTS job figures, and the PCE inflation reading.

2. 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 roughly $2,800, sitting just above the November 21 low of $2,630. Although the price briefly reclaimed the $3,000 level for about four days, buyers failed to generate meaningful momentum, as ETH couldn’t even break past $3,100.

Meanwhile, Ethereum treasury firm Bitmine Immersion (BMNR) continues its aggressive accumulation, having purchased 96,798 ETH over the past week. This brings the company’s holdings to more than 3% of the total ETH supply and strengthens its position as the largest Ethereum digital asset treasury (DAT) in the market.

The Ethereum community is now looking forward to the Fusaka upgrade, which is scheduled to go live on the mainnet on December 3. The upgrade has already been running smoothly on the Hoodi testnet, contributing to a sense of confidence ahead of its mainnet rollout.

Fusaka includes 12 Ethereum Improvement Proposals, with the standout being EIP-7594, known as PeerDAS (Peer Data Availability Sampling). This mechanism allows validators to verify only selected portions of data rather than entire blobs, significantly reducing bandwidth demands and lowering costs for both validators and layer-2 networks. As a result, Ethereum will become more efficient and more cost-effective for users and developers alike.

Looking further ahead, Ethereum is well positioned to benefit from the expanding tokenization of real-world assets. Standard Chartered’s global head of digital asset research, Geoffrey Kendrick, recently projected that the RWA market cap will rise from $35 billion today to $2 trillion by 2028. Kendrick expects the “vast majority” of this growth to occur on Ethereum, highlighting the network’s reliability and noting that it has operated for over a decade without any mainnet outages. In his words, the fact that other blockchains may offer lower costs or higher speeds “is irrelevant, in our view.”

3. 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?

Grayscale has taken steps to convert its long-standing Zcash Trust into a spot ETF by submitting an S-3 filing to the SEC, indicating that ZEC may soon join the expanding group of altcoins gaining institutional-grade investment products.

The filing underscores Zcash’s defining feature: unlike Bitcoin, it provides selective, cryptographically verifiable privacy using zk-SNARKs, which hide transaction amounts and participant identities. While the current trend of altcoin ETF approvals suggests that a green light is possible, Zcash’s emphasis on privacy may invite heightened regulatory scrutiny, as no privacy-focused cryptocurrency has yet secured an ETF approval in the United States.

Meanwhile, Cypherpunk Technologies has emerged as a significant buyer of ZEC. Supported by the Winklevoss twins, the company already holds over 233,000 ZEC (around 1.4% of the total supply) and aims to grow that stake to 5%. With approximately $68 million invested and an average cost around $291 per coin, their continued accumulation could contribute to ongoing upward pressure on the market.

Zcash is also becoming more user-friendly and accessible. The Zashi wallet’s integration with NEAR Intents enables users to swap assets from multiple blockchains directly into ZEC while simplifying the process of using Zcash’s shielding capabilities.

The amount of shielded ZEC has climbed to nearly 5 million coins, up from less than 2 million at the beginning of 2025, expanding Zcash’s anonymity set and reinforcing the network’s core privacy proposition.

4. 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 dropped 12.3% this week to $175.79, bringing its market capitalization to $97.07 billion, even as it saw continued demand from institutional investors. According to SoSoValue, spot Solana ETFs recorded $44.5 million in inflows on Friday, marking their fourth consecutive day of gains and bringing total assets to more than $500 million. The Bitwise Solana ETF (BSOL) led the trend, boosted by a 7% staking yield and growing attention from investors rotating capital out of Bitcoin and Ether funds. Kronos Research’s Vincent Liu described the move as a “capital rotation” phase, as traders seek exposure to newer narratives and staking opportunities while major assets consolidate.

Solana ETF inflows. Source: SoSoValue

Institutional optimism around Solana remains strong. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said Solana offers investors “two ways to win” — by betting on both the expansion of the stablecoin and tokenization markets and Solana’s rising share of those sectors. He expects the blockchain to become a preferred network for stablecoin settlements and tokenized assets, citing its speed, cost-efficiency, and developer-driven ecosystem. Hougan also pointed to growing adoption, including Western Union’s decision to build a stablecoin settlement system on Solana, as proof of the network’s traction with traditional financial players.

Still, analysts note that Solana’s price decline reflects profit-taking after months of strong gains rather than fundamental weakness. Ethereum continues to dominate by overall network value, with over $85 billion in TVL and $163 billion in stablecoins, while Solana trails with $11.3 billion in TVL and $14.9 billion in stablecoins. Yet, the ongoing ETF inflows, institutional partnerships, and staking-driven demand suggest that Solana’s long-term outlook remains intact — even as short-term volatility pressures price action in the near term.

5. 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 slipped to $2.06 this week, down 9.14%, even as the token entered a milestone moment with the debut of its first U.S.-listed spot ETFs. Bitwise confirmed its new XRP ETF will trade under the ticker “XRP” on the NYSE — a move that sparked both excitement and confusion as the ticker overlaps with the underlying asset. Despite that debate, demand was strong: the fund pulled in $105 million on launch day, while Canary’s XRPC added another $12.8 million, pushing combined XRP ETF inflows above $410 million to date.

The resilience stands out. While Bitcoin and Ether ETFs faced some of their heaviest multi-day outflows this year, XRP and Solana ETFs have not recorded a single outflow day since launch, signaling rare investor conviction as capital rotates deeper into altcoin narratives. Analysts say XRP’s established payment use case, low fees and strong community support make it one of the more appealing ETF-era plays.

XRP ETF inflows. Source: SoSoValue

Despite this, XRP’s spot price hasn’t yet reflected the ETF momentum. The asset is down more than 16% on the week and over 21% in the past month amid broad-market weakness. Still, on a 12-month basis, XRP remains one of the stronger large-caps, up nearly 50%. With multiple additional ETF approvals expected soon — including potential products from Grayscale and Franklin Templeton — traders will be watching to see if growing institutional access can stabilize price action and spark the next leg of demand for the XRP Ledger ecosystem.

6. 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 rallied 22.5% this week to $47.07, lifting its market capitalization to $15.86 billion and marking one of the strongest performances among large-cap DeFi tokens. The jump followed confirmation that Hyperliquid Strategies, the merger entity formed by Sonnet BioTherapeutics and Rorschach I LLC, has filed to raise $1 billion to expand its treasury and purchase more HYPE tokens. Once completed, the merged company is expected to hold 12.6 million HYPE—worth roughly $470 million—plus another $305 million earmarked for future accumulation. The move positions Hyperliquid Strategies as the largest corporate HYPE holder, signaling growing institutional interest in DeFi-native assets beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Hyperliquid Strategies’ planned equity raise. Source: SEC

At the same time, the decentralized perpetuals market crossed a record $1 trillion in October trading volume, with Hyperliquid leading all platforms at $317.6 billion, according to DefiLlama data. Rivals Lighter, Aster, and edgeX followed at $255 billion, $177 billion, and $134 billion respectively, highlighting a broader boom in decentralized derivatives. Analysts attribute this surge to the appeal of perpetual swaps—24/7 markets with leverage, no expirations, and flexible long/short exposure—which have drawn speculative traders away from centralized exchanges. Infinex founder Kain Warwick described Hyperliquid as the “first DeFi perp exchange to truly get it right,” adding that MetaMask’s recent integration with Hyperliquid will further boost accessibility and adoption.

Monthly decentralized perps volume since 2021. Source: DefiLlama

On the technical side, HYPE confirmed a bullish breakout from a multi-week falling wedge pattern, extending gains following its listing on Robinhood. The token reclaimed its 200-day EMA near $38, establishing a strong support base, and now targets an upside move toward $56.50—a potential 40% rally by November if momentum persists. Analysts, including Crypto Patel, see $50–$56 as the next resistance zone, while a dip below the $38 support could invalidate the setup and trigger a retest of the $32–$34 range. Despite short-term volatility, sentiment around Hyperliquid remains strongly bullish, underpinned by institutional inflows, surging platform activity, and expanding exchange accessibility.

HYPE/USDT daily breakout structure. Source: TradingView / bitcoinwallah

7. 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 has remained into four-digit territory despite falling by 2% in the past week to trade at $1,006. The price surge was driven by a mix of long-term investor sentiment and bullish onchain signals. One standout story came from a “diamond hand” holder who turned a $1,000 BNB purchase in 2017 into a $1 million unrealized profit — and continues to hold. Meanwhile, traders are pointing to breakout patterns that could propel BNB to as high as $1,250–$1,565 by year-end.

Token returns of the “0x850” wallet. Source: Nansen

On a technical level, BNB recently cleared the key 1.618 Fibonacci level near $1,037 and has flipped it into support. Analysts are now watching for a continuation of the rally, with the token potentially eyeing the 2.618 Fib level at $1,565. Despite short-term RSI overbought signals, onchain data like Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL) shows sentiment leaning bullish — a setup that last occurred during the early stages of the 2020–2021 bull run.

Weekly BNB/USD price chart. Source: bitcoinwallah/TradingView

The fundamentals behind BNB also appear strong. Utility on the Binance exchange remains a core driver, while broader institutional interest in high-quality altcoins is picking up. Trading volume recently hit $3.28 billion, and long-short ratios continue to favor the bulls. BNB’s resilience and unique position as both an exchange token and DeFi asset contribute to its growing narrative as one of the cycle’s top performers.

In the short term, analysts see $970 as a key support level that could spark a bounce toward $1,150 if retested. As the year progresses, the confluence of technical patterns, onchain optimism, and real-world use cases may keep BNB on a strong upward trajectory — even if price discovery includes intermittent pullbacks.

8. 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 rallied over 7% this week despite facing one of the largest security incidents in its history. On Sunday, the privacy-focused network experienced an 18-block reorganization that reversed 117 transactions—an event triggered by Qubic, a layer-1 AI blockchain that had previously amassed over 51% of Monero’s hashrate. The attack renewed long-standing concerns about Monero’s vulnerability to 51% attacks and the structural risks of low-hashrate proof-of-work networks.

Notably, the price of XMR barely reacted during the reorg, then spiked from $287.54 to $308.55 just hours later, bucking broader market weakness. Some community members speculated that Qubic may have engineered the event to prevent further price drops, although this remains unconfirmed.

The incident has intensified internal debates around Monero’s decentralization model. Developers are now weighing temporary centralization measures like DNS checkpoints to prevent deep reorganizations in the future. Others have floated longer-term changes such as transitioning to merge mining or integrating ChainLocks—a technique used by Dash to mitigate similar threats.

While Monero has historically been seen as the gold standard among privacy coins, this second major reorg in a month has sparked public skepticism. Prominent developers and community members are now calling for urgent consensus changes, warning that failure to act could undermine Monero’s reliability as a censorship-resistant payments network.

Despite the network instability, Monero has held up relatively well price-wise since July, down less than 6% over that period even as hash rate centralization worsened. The resilience highlights a loyal user base but also the precarious balance the network must now strike between decentralization and security.

9. Ethena

Ethena is a protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain that issues a synthetic dollar known as USDe, along with a yield-bearing counterpart called sUSDe. The stability of USDe is maintained through the protocol’s strategy of hedging its collateral with futures contracts.

By aligning the size of these hedges with the price exposure of the underlying assets, Ethena reduces the effects of market volatility as losses or gains in the assets are generally offset by opposite movements in the hedge.

This mechanism helps ensure that the collateral’s synthetic USD value remains relatively stable, even in shifting market conditions.

Why Ethena?

ENA is positioned to benefit from the growing trend of crypto-focused treasuries. TLGY Acquisition Corp. and StablecoinX Assets Inc., which plan to merge and debut on Nasdaq under the StablecoinX (USDE) name, have secured a fresh $530 million PIPE round, raising their total funding to $890 million.

The round attracted investors such as YZi Labs, Brevan Howard, Susquehanna Crypto, IMC Trading, and existing backers.

The capital will be used to purchase locked ENA tokens, Ethena’s native asset, from a subsidiary of the Ethena Foundation. Proceeds from this sale will be reinvested into spot ENA purchases. StablecoinX already holds 7.3% of ENA’s circulating supply and intends to grow that share to 13% with the new financing. The tokens will remain locked, with any potential sales after the SPAC merger requiring Ethena’s approval to avoid excess market pressure.

According to CEO Young Cho, the strategy enables StablecoinX to establish a long-term ENA position while providing investors with transparent exposure to the Ethena ecosystem.

The announcement has fueled strong momentum in ENA markets. The token has climbed 21% against the U.S. dollar over the past week, though it still trades about 49% below its $1.51 all-time high—suggesting there could be considerable room for further upside.

10. Cardano

Cardano is a decentralized proof-of-stake blockchain platform that aims to offer a more sustainable and scalable infrastructure for smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). It was launched in 2017 by Input Output (IOHK), co-founded by Charles Hoskinson, one of the original creators of Ethereum. Cardano stands out for its strong academic roots, with its protocol development guided by peer-reviewed research and formal verification methods.

Unlike proof-of-work systems like Bitcoin, Cardano uses a unique proof-of-stake consensus mechanism called Ouroboros, which allows it to achieve network security and decentralization with significantly lower energy consumption. ADA, the native cryptocurrency of Cardano, is used for staking, paying transaction fees, and participating in governance.

Cardano’s development is organized into multiple phases, focusing on areas such as decentralization, scalability, and interoperability. Its layered architecture separates settlement and computation, making it easier to upgrade and maintain. The platform supports smart contracts through its Plutus framework and is actively expanding its DeFi and NFT ecosystems.

Why Cardano?

Cardano surged nearly 11% over the past week, briefly breaking above $0.97 and reaching a five-month high. The move comes amid strong altcoin momentum, with ADA outperforming much of the market as capital rotated out of Bitcoin and Ethereum following their respective highs. ADA has traded in a tight range recently, but technical analysts are eyeing a confirmed breakout above resistance as a setup for an extended rally.

Chart watchers have flagged a multi-month bull flag breakout pattern on Cardano’s three-day chart. If the move holds, projections by Clifton Fx suggest the token could gain as much as 150% in the coming weeks, potentially targeting the $1.60–$1.75 range. Trader sentiment is being reinforced by on-chain data showing over 15 billion ADA — roughly 45% of total supply — has remained unmoved for more than a year, signaling long-term conviction. Retail interest is also on the rise, with Google Trends data showing “Cardano” searches at a five-month high.

Cardano’s latest rally also comes after Grayscale registered a “Grayscale Cardano Trust ETF” entity in Delaware — a move that typically precedes an S-1 filing with the SEC. While no official filing has yet been submitted, such developments hint at increasing institutional attention toward ADA. If approved, a Cardano ETF could help boost demand further, particularly among U.S.-based investors.

Adding to the week’s activity was the Glacier Drop airdrop, which distributed NIGHT tokens across eight chains including Cardano. Despite initial technical hurdles for Ledger users, the issue was quickly resolved, allowing Cardano to reclaim a spot in the top 10 cryptos by market cap and surpass Tron. ADA is now one of the biggest gainers both daily and weekly, with analysts watching closely for a potential run toward the $1.30–$1.60 region if momentum continues.

11. LayerZero

LayerZero is an interoperability protocol built to connect different blockchains in a secure, seamless manner. It enables decentralized applications (DApps) to interact across multiple blockchains without relying on traditional, often risky, bridging methods.

Its technology allows developers to create “omnichain” applications that work across various blockchain ecosystems while maintaining strong security and decentralization. By using ultra-light nodes and a unique message-passing system, LayerZero supports trustless cross-chain communication.

As the blockchain space becomes increasingly fragmented, LayerZero’s capacity to unify networks positions it as a key infrastructure project. Its integration into major DeFi and NFT ecosystems has further strengthened its reputation as one of the top interoperability solutions.

Why LayerZero?

LayerZero’s ZRO token could be one to watch this week following the LayerZero Foundation’s $110 million proposal to acquire the Stargate protocol.

The plan involves swapping Stargate’s STG tokens for ZRO at a fixed exchange rate. If approved, the move could bring the two projects closer together under a unified platform. The announcement already sparked a surge in ZRO’s price — up 27% in 24 hours and 39.3% over the past week.

By regaining control of Stargate, LayerZero aims to accelerate its development and expand its use cases beyond bridging, potentially increasing the value proposition of the ZRO token.

While some STG holders have voiced concerns about the fairness of the exchange ratio, the market’s reaction has been largely positive, as traders anticipate the deal’s approval.

The coming days will be pivotal as Stargate’s community discusses and votes on the proposal. If it passes, ZRO could see further upside, making it a coin worth monitoring closely.

12. Kaia

Kaia is a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain designed for speed, scalability, and seamless cross-chain interaction. Initially launched as part of the Klaytn ecosystem, Kaia emerged in 2024 following a strategic merger between Klaytn and Finschia—two major blockchain platforms backed by Korean tech giants Kakao and LINE, respectively. The goal behind Kaia is to create a unified infrastructure optimized for mass adoption in both Web2 and Web3 environments, particularly across Asia.

Kaia uses a Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism that enables fast block times and low transaction fees, making it well-suited for high-throughput applications like gaming, NFTs, and consumer-facing dApps. Its architecture supports EVM compatibility, allowing developers to easily deploy existing Ethereum-based smart contracts with minimal adjustments.

One of Kaia’s core features is its strong emphasis on interoperability and regional adoption. The chain is built to connect various blockchain ecosystems while also partnering with enterprise players and public institutions to drive real-world use cases. Kaia’s governance is handled by the Kaia Council, a group of ecosystem partners responsible for key protocol decisions and treasury management.

Still in the early stages of expansion, Kaia is gaining attention for its steady price growth and rising on-chain activity. With strong backing, technical flexibility, and a focus on real-world integrations, it aims to become a major player in the next phase of blockchain adoption.

Why Kaia?

Kaia has surged from roughly $0.15 to $0.20 and is currently trading around $0.19. That’s about a 33% move in days, putting Kaia on the radar as one of the fastest-rising mid-cap tokens right now.

The rally gained a boost from Phase 2 of the $100K Kaia × KaitoAI Yapper campaign, which just kicked off. The campaign adds $38,200 in rewards—combining leftover funds from Phase 1 with a new $30K injection.

Technically, Kaia broke through resistance around $0.17–$0.18, clearing the 50-day and 200-day averages on solid volume. Its RSI is climbing but not overheated, suggesting room for another leg up. Analysts point to bullish chart patterns, with possible targets up to $0.26–$0.30 if the rally continues.

On-chain activity supports the move too: Kaia’s TVL has jumped nearly 50% in the past 30 days to about $121 million, while stablecoin supply on its network rose to $41 million. These metrics show developers and users are engaging more, an encouraging sign for Kaia’s growth story.

Best cryptocurrencies to buy at a glance