For the past few years, cryptocurrency has been the top-performing asset class. Of all time.
Nothing pops on the scene and sees the level of gains that bitcoin and a handful of other cryptocurrencies has. And while many say that crypto is a passing fad, it’s clear that crypto is here to stay.
Some of the world’s largest financial institutions have either invested in crypto themselves or offered crypto-related products to their customers. And as we enter 2022, things are only getting started.
So what is the best crypto to invest in now? What are the best crypto coins that are poised for the most growth and highest rate of adoption? There are so many to choose from, but we’ve narrowed down the list of candidates below.
Just remember that this is not financial advice and you should always do your own research when making crypto investments.
Bitcoin
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Bitcoin is the most obvious crypto to feature on this list. But it needs to be repeated.
Bitcoin is the king of crypto and always will be. It was the first to launch back in 2009, the godfather of the current cryptocurrency industry.
It has also become the “safe haven” investment of the crypto market, even though its value can still fluctuate quite a bit.
Bitcoin is primarily used as a store of value. People invest in it to beat inflation at a minimum. Optimistic investors are also hoping for the next big bull run that takes bitcoin over the $100K mark.
Many people thought that milestone would happen in 2021, but we live in a turbulent world and nothing is predictable right now.
El Salvador declared bitcoin as legal tender in the fall of 2021. And while it hasn’t been a perfect process, it’s likely that other nations will follow suit in the near future.
It’s the most promising cryptocurrency since it has a finite supply, increasing demand, and no ceiling. With greater institutional demand and more nations looking to adopt it as legal tender, we could see bitcoin’s value skyrocket once more.
And it’s one of the few cryptocurrencies that you can buy with cash, at a crypto ATM, anywhere around the US. Head to a Byte Federal ATM to load up on bitcoin today.
Ethereum
Ethereum also isn’t a new cryptocurrency. It hit the public market in 2015 and has since gone on to claim the number two spot on the most valuable crypto list.
But is Ethereum all that it’s cracked up to be? Is it just trying to be like bitcoin? Not at all.
Unlike bitcoin, the Ethereum network was built to facilitate other forms of financial activity. Ethereum envisioned itself as the decentralized blockchain foundation that other developers could build upon to launch new products and services.
And that’s exactly what is happening right now. Countless companies have launched their own crypto tokens on Ethereum.
And many others have built fully functional financial apps allowing users to borrow, lend, earn interest, and do a lot more with their money than the modern financial system would ever allow.
It’s all this activity that has driven the price of Ethereum up to more than $3,000 per coin. The ETH coin is at the heart of all the activity on the Ethereum network.
So as more development happens on the network, you can expect this promising crypto to continue rising.
Polygon
If you believe in Ethereum, then you also need to believe in Polygon. Ethereum is ambitious, but it isn’t perfect.
With so much network activity, largely due to the Defi ecosystem and the NFT market, the network has become incredibly congested. This high level of activity drives the price per transaction way up.
It isn’t uncommon to spend more than $100 just to complete a single NFT purchase, due to rising gas prices (transaction cost).
The solution is what is referred to as “Layer 2 Scaling Solutions.” These layer two solutions aim to take most of the customer-facing activity off of the Ethereum blockchain and onto layer two blockchains like Polygon.
The Polygon blockchain will work on top of Ethereum, interacting with it to confirm transactions on Ethereum. But customers will primarily interact with Polygon directly, which will virtually eliminate transaction costs and delays.
It’s likely we will see these layer two solutions unfolding in the latter half of 2022. And this will directly impact the value proposition of Polygon.
Solana
While not brand new, Solana is still considered the best new crypto to invest in. Especially if you aren’t a fan of Ethereum.
Solana is often called the “Ethereum killer.” Everything that Ethereum can do, Solana can do better. In some ways, this is true. But in others, it isn’t.
In general, Solana is a direct competitor of Ethereum. It has become a developer’s playground, attracting many companies to build their tokens and applications on the Solana network.
Currently, fees on Solana are still very low. And transactions are way faster than on Ethereum, as the blockchain can handle way more transactions per second.
Solana boasts its own NFT ecosystem as well. One of the biggest drivers of Ethereum’s success over the past two years has been the rise of NFTs. NFTs are becoming the on-ramp for new people to get into crypto for the first time.
While most NFT activity happens on Ethereum, Solana is actively fighting to establish its space in the NFT community. For artists and collectors who don’t want to spend tons of money on transaction fees, the Solana ecosystem is worth checking out.
As more and more development happens on the network, and as more users get fed up with Ethereum, Solana is likely to appreciate in value.
Avalanche
Avalanche (AVAX) is the other Ethereum killer. For non-tech nerds, it’s very similar to Solana. But it has created its own ecosystem.
The blockchain facilitates countless Defi applications as developers flock to this developer-friendly network.
It touts itself as blazingly fast with tiny fees. It’s also an eco-friendly network, taking care of its carbon footprint from day one. It’s a proof-of-stake cryptocurrency with no need for the bulky, inefficient mining process that coins like bitcoin use.
Developers love it because it’s compatible with Solidity, the smart contract programming language used on Ethereum.
Along with decentralized apps that allow consumers to do a lot more with their money, Avalanche caters to institutions looking to use blockchain technology for their organizations.
For example, the Congress of Quintana Roo in Mexico uses Avalanche for legislative documentation, transforming the file management system and improving transparency on a public level.
AVAX is currently a powerhouse and will only increase over time as more and more institutions adopt the network.
Cronos
The Crypto.com coin recently changed its name to Cronos. It’s the native token of this popular crypto exchange.
And it was originally based on the Ethereum blockchain. But now Cronos has its own blockchain, and ERC-20 CRO tokens can move seamlessly to it.
Crypto.com is one of the fastest-growing cryptocurrency exchanges. Based in Hong Kong, this exchange has been around for a few years before taking off within the last year.
In 2021, Crypto.com invested heavily into sponsorship deals with some of the biggest names in sports. They purchased the rights of the Staples Center in Los Angeles, home of the Lakers NBA team.
It’s now called the Crypto.com Stadium and will be for at least 20 more years. With news like this hitting news headlines, the CRO coin saw some massive pumps.
And US sports aren’t the only focus. In March 2022, Crypto.com announced that they are an official sponsor of the Fifa World Cup, happening in Qatar this year.
Their name is spreading like wildfire across the globe as they seek to become the number one exchange in the world. And as they do, their CRO coin is going to explode.
Lucky Block
Looking for something fresh and new? Then consider a con like Lucky Block. This network is still in its launch phase and sold out its presale tokens way ahead of schedule.
The development team raised millions of dollars as a result. So what are they building?
Lucky Block is the lottery of the blockchain world. By launching a lottery system on the Lucky Block network, there will be far higher levels of transparency and greater levels of fairness.
This will encourage countless lottery players to leave the old system of playing the lotto to embrace the new. And not only will it benefit those who play the lottery, but it’s an investment in and of itself.
Token holders are participants in the platform and will be able to generate passive income with their stake.
The network will be open to everyone worldwide. It’s a new lottery system that isn’t subject to geographical borders and limitations placed on it by the traditional financial system.
The first jackpot is set to be won in April 2022. And because the entire platform is owned by the people (token holders), everyone wins a certain amount of each jackpot.
Soon there will be an iOS and Android app to play on the platform. If this platform becomes the lottery service it hopes to, LBLOCK tokens will be worth a lot of money.
Binance Coin
This is another coin that is based specifically on a cryptocurrency exchange. This time, it’s the native token of the Binance exchange and the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) network.
Binance is one of the largest exchanges in the world. They weren’t founded in the US, but have since released a US version of the platform that allows US users to access Binance.
The platforms are slightly different since the US has stricter laws regarding crypto. But either way, it’s still one of the best platforms to use as it boasts low commissions and a large number of coins and tokens to buy.
But why is BNB so valuable? It’s the token you need to use the Binance network. If you have some BNB in your exchange account, you get discounts on every buy and sell order you make on the platform.
But the Binance network isn’t just about their exchange. They have created their own ecosystem where developers can build apps and platforms, just like Ethereum or Solana.
The Defi ecosystem on Binance is growing, as is the NFT market share of Binance. And you need the Binance Coin to use all of it.
As long as the exchange continues to grow its user base, and more developers begin building on Binance (like Lucky Block), the price of this coin is likely to increase.
Stellar
The Stellar Network is all about sending money across the world as fast and cheaply as possible. It sounds like another cryptocurrency, right?
In some ways, Stellar is similar to Ripple in that it exists as a method of moving funds without friction across an interconnected planet. The founder of Stellar once worked for Ripple but eventually left to start this project.
If you’re looking to move funds around between accounts or send money to others, Stellar Lumens (XLM) is currently one of the cheapest ways to do so. Transactions are lightning fast as well.
And while retail users benefit from all of this, the network exists to serve large corporate institutions who need to move massive amounts of money.
Transactions from one financial institution to another can often take days and cost considerable amounts of money. But when using Stellar, they cut out the fees and middlemen and have their money moved in seconds or minutes.
As more and more corporate adoption takes place, the Stellar Lumen is a coin you’ll want in your wallet.
Meme Coins
Two meme coins have established themselves as contenders in the hectic crypto world: DogeCoin and Shiba Inu. Both of these coins had their season in 2021.
Investors saw insane gains with these meme coins, even though they don’t serve any purpose.
Meme coins are dangerous. Their value is based purely on hype and speculation. Is it likely they will surge again in 2022? Absolutely. Is it possible they can die out completely? Yes.
Tread carefully when it comes to investments that don’t have a true value proposition. And be especially wary of the new meme coins that launch on a daily basis promising riches only to pump and dump in a matter of hours.
What Is the Best Crypto to Invest in Now?
So what is the best crypto to invest in now? That’s the golden question. No one really knows.
If you’re willing to hold your investment long-term, any of these options will be a good play. Over time, with true value propositions, they will appreciate.
What is the coin that will make you the most money in the next few weeks? Well, be very skeptical of anyone that can answer that question for you.
Looking to do more research on investment opportunities? Head over to our blog to keep reading.