Best Crypto to Buy Now in January 2025 – Top Crypto to Invest In

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Ines S. Tavares

Senior Web3 Writer

Ines S. Tavares

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Ines is a Senior Web3 Writer at Cryptonews. She writes research-driven, value-packed guides and reviews covering cryptocurrencies, exchanges, and other Web3 topics. Ines is constantly on the lookout...

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January 26, 2025 02:30 EST

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Now is an opportune moment to invest in crypto, with major developments reshaping the market. U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to office could pave the way for new regulatory support, and policies favoring crypto adoption are gaining traction worldwide. But out of all the crypto on the market, what are the best cryptocurrencies to buy now?

According to our research, the best cryptos to buy on January 2025 are Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, Pepe, Cardano, Dogecoin, BNB, and Notcoin.

Our rankings of the best crypto to buy now are grounded in a scientific, data-driven approach. We analyze each project by applying a proprietary methodology — we normalize evaluations with Z-scores to remove biases and ensure a fair comparison across varied market cap sizes, liquidity, and development stages.

Best Crypto to Buy Right Now List

Crypto	24-Hour Price Change	Year-to-Date Return	Current Price	Risk Level	Investment Type
Bitcoin	BTC -1.72%	+164.65%	$104,320.00	Low to Moderate	Long-term
Ethereum	ETH -2.09%	+47.29%	$3,273.98	Moderate	Long-term
XRP	XRP -1.70%	+523.26%	$3.19	Moderate	Medium-term
Solana	SOL +2.44%	+209.81%	$257.33	High	Long-term
Pepe	PEPE -4.91%	+1402.20%	$0.000015	High	Speculative, short-term
Cardano	ADA -2.33%	+112.74%	$0.99	Moderate to High	Medium-term
Dogecoin	DOGE -6.21%	+365.94%	$0.36	High	Speculative, short-term
BNB	BNB +0.02%	+133.96%	$694.37	Moderate	Long-term
Notcoin	NOT -1.68%	-45.78%	$0.0053	High	Speculative, short-term

💡 All information in the table above is updated daily to ensure the most accurate and current data is provided. The table was updated on January 22, 2025.

Best Cryptocurrencies to Invest in Today

Below are in-depth reviews of the best cryptocurrencies to buy now, with large-cap crypto coins that could provide the most reliable returns in the short to long term. We update our list according to market trends and performance, as well as evolving utility and adoption.

Each factor in our ranking methodology is weighted, reflecting its importance in predicting success and reliability. This ensures that the crypto assets with the strongest performance across all metrics make the top of the list.

1. Bitcoin (BTC) — Overall Best Crypto to Buy Now

Bitcoin is the world’s oldest cryptocurrency and the largest by market cap. It’s the only cryptocurrency officially recognized by many major governments, including the US. It’s even used as legal tender in countries like El Salvador.

The first Bitcoin ETFs began trading on US stock exchanges on January 11, 2024, leading to massive capital inflows. Other major events, such as cuts in US Federal Reserve interest rates and Bitcoin crossing $100,000, have also had a positive impact on its price.

Key Highlights:

• Bitcoin price as of January 22, 2025: $104,320.00
• Market cap: $2.07T
• All-time high: $109,079.00
• Last 24 hours change in price: BTC -1.72%
• Bitcoin’s price has increased in the last week with a change of +5.27%
• Year-over-year (YoY) return: +164.65%

2. Ethereum (ETH) — Best for Staking

Ethereum is the world’s second-largest crypto by market capitalization and the most widely used blockchain network for dApp development. When it launched in 2015, the project was the first to introduce smart contracts.

Ethereum transitioned from a PoW to a PoS consensus mechanism in 2022. The first spot Ether ETFs were approved earlier this year and started trading on July 23. Despite initial net outflows, Ethereum ETFs have registered solid inflows since the US Federal Reserve started cutting interest rates in late September 2024.

Key Highlights:

• Ethereum price as of January 22, 2025: $3,273.98
• Market cap: $394.48B
• All-time high: $4,867.17
• Last 24 hours change in price: ETH -2.09%
• Ethereum price has decreased in the last week with a change of -2.18%
• Year-over-year (YoY) return: +47.29%

3. XRP (XRP) — Best Medium-Term Crypto Investment

XRP is the official token of the Ripple payment network, which was built to make international payments faster and cheaper. The project is coming off a win against the SEC, which alleged that XRP was an unregistered security and is now being sued for overreach. XRP is now the fourth-largest crypto by market cap.

Key Highlights:

• XRP price as of January 22, 2025: $3.19
• Market cap: $183.22B
• All-time high: $3.92
• Last 24 hours change in price: XRP -1.70%
• XRP price has increased in the last week with a change of +9.69%
• Year-over-year (YoY) return: +523.26%

4. Solana (SOL) — Best for High-Speed, Low-Cost Transactions

Solana is a fast and cost-effective blockchain created as a challenger to Ethereum. It’s been one of the most successful crypto tokens of the resurgent crypto bull market, having increased +209.81% in value in the last 12 months. Solana is now the fifth-largest crypto by market cap and still has significant growth potential.

Key Highlights:

• Solana price as of January 22, 2025: $257.33
• Market cap: $124.60B
• All-time high: $295.40
• Last 24 hours change in price: SOL +2.44%
• Solana price has increased in the last week with a change of +29.42%
• Year-over-year (YoY) return: +209.81%

5. Pepe (PEPE) – Best for Speculative, Short-Term Gains

Pepe is a unique coin based on the iconic “Pepe the Frog” meme, which remains a core part of internet culture in 2025. This has helped Pepe amass one of the strongest communities in crypto. Pepe is also one of the only meme coins with a deflationary supply, meaning that the total number of tokens decreases over time.

Key Highlights:

• Pepe price as of January 22, 2025: $0.000015
• Market cap: $6.50B
• All-time high: $0.000028
• Last 24 hours change in price: PEPE -4.91%
• Pepe price has decreased in the last week with a change of -15.31%
• Year-over-year (YoY) return: +1402.20%

6. Cardano (ADA) – Best for Balanced Risk/Growth Potential

Cardano is a third-generation blockchain platform known for its scientific approach to development and an emphasis on interoperability and sustainability. It utilizes a PoS consensus mechanism, which is far more energy-efficient than the traditional PoW model used by older cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Key Highlights:

• Cardano price as of January 22, 2025: $0.99
• Market cap: $35.04B
• All-time high: $3.10
• Last 24 hours change in price: ADA -2.33%
• Cardano price has decreased in the last week with a change of -5.83%
• Year-over-year (YoY) return: +112.74%

7. Dogecoin (DOGE) – Best for Meme Coin Enthusiasts

Dogecoin is the original meme coin, having launched in 2013. It was mostly unheard of until 2020-21, when it gained the attention of major celebrities, including Tesla founder Elon Musk. Since Dogecoin’s explosive gain during the 2021 bull market, it’s inspired thousands of copycat meme coins — including highly successful ones like Shiba Inu and Pepe.

Key Highlights:

• Dogecoin price as of January 22, 2025: $0.36
• Market cap: $53.36B
• All-time high: $0.73
• Last 24 hours change in price: DOGE -6.21%
• DOGE price has decreased in the last week with a change of -2.90%
• Year-over-year (YoY) return: +365.94%

8. Binance Coin (BNB) — Best for Discounts on Trading Fees

BNB is the official cryptocurrency of Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange. It offers discounts on trading fees and benefits like early access to crypto launches on Binance. It’s the sixth-largest crypto by market capitalization and has continued to perform strongly in 2025.

Key Highlights:

• BNB price as of January 22, 2025: $694.37
• Market cap: $102.47B
• All-time high: $792.40
• Last 24 hours change in price: BNB +0.02%
• BNB price has decreased in the last week with a change of -1.06%
• Year-over-year (YoY) return: +133.96%

9. Notcoin (NOT) — Best for High-Risk Traders

Notcoin is an innovative platform designed to support decentralized content creation and distribution, empowering users to earn directly from their work.

Known for its low transaction fees and rapid confirmation times, Notcoin has gained traction among independent creators and influencers seeking an alternative to traditional media monetization platforms.

Key Highlights:

• Notcoin price as of January 22, 2025: $0.0053
• Market cap: $543.37M
• All-time high: $0.029
• Last 24 hours change in price: -1.68%
• Notcoin price has increased in the last week with a change of +5.27%
• Year-over-year (YoY) return: +164.65%

Crypto Market: Key Trends and Forecast (January 22, 2025)

Bitcoin remains highly resilient, with a compound annual growth rate of 165% since 2011. Its price climbed 77% in 2024, fueled by institutional inflows and ETF adoption. While volatility persists, current trends suggest BTC may exceed $200,000 in 2025.

Ethereum surged 37% in 2024, aided by spot ETFs launching in mid-year, contributing $2.7 billion in inflows. ETH remains a leader in NFTs, with $3.1 billion in sales for 2024. Its 2025 roadmap includes institutional-focused products, which could further expand its ecosystem.

Top altcoins like Cardano and Solana outperformed other major tokens last week, driven by DeFi and TVL milestones. However, altcoins (excluding ETH) contributed only 18% of 2024’s total inflows, showing continued BTC and ETH dominance.

Watch for U.S. regulatory updates, Morgan Stanley’s crypto platform expansion, and rising institutional adoption. With NFTs recovering and broader macro trends improving, 2025 promises continued market growth.

What Is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a type of digital or virtual money that uses cryptography for security, making it difficult to counterfeit. Unlike traditional currencies, crypto assets operate without a central authority, such as a government or bank. Transactions are recorded on a digital ledger called blockchain, which is maintained by a network of computers known as crypto nodes.

Bitcoin, launched in 2009, is the first and most well-known cryptocurrency. Other examples include Ethereum and XRP.

Cryptocurrencies can be used for online purchases, investments, and transferring money across borders without the need for traditional banking services. The value of cryptocurrencies can vary widely due to factors like investor interest, regulation, and technological advancements.

How to Find the Best Cryptos to Buy

In this section, we explain some of the factors that investors need to take into account when searching for good crypto to buy now for their portfolio. These include:

1. Long-term potential
2. Crypto presales
3. Utility
4. Market capitalization
5. Competition
6. Trading volume, signals, and bots
7. Trends

1. Assess Long-Term Potential

First, it’s wise to consider assets’ potential as long-term crypto holdings. For example, Bitcoin will likely remain a ‘store of value’ in the long run, while Ethereum operates as the de facto smart contract blockchain, making it incredibly useful.

The long-term potential of both Bitcoin and Ethereum looks strong. Analysts at VanEck, a leading asset management firm, project that Bitcoin could reach $180,000 by mid-2026, citing increased investor interest and a lack of bubble-like conditions. A strong Bitcoin typically signals health for the broader crypto industry as investment flows into alternative and riskier tokens.

For this reason, many other established crypto coins should have a bright future ahead of them. For instance, XRP has formed partnerships with over 200 banks in its quest to become the world’s bridge currency.

There are dozens of examples of major brands investing in Web3 and blockchain technology. It is expected to become a much larger part of mainstream life by the end of the decade. In fact, ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood has predicted that the total cryptocurrency market — currently worth just over $3.3 trillion — will be worth as much as $25 trillion by the end of the decade.

2. Keep an Eye Out for New Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrency presales allow early investors to acquire coins at a discount before they’re listed on crypto exchanges and available for public trading.

Most investors missed out on the opportunity to buy BTC for less than $100 or Ethereum for less than $1. Fortunately, new high-potential crypto presales pop up weekly, giving investors opportunities to target similar gains.

For example, Wall Street Pepe is a newly launched presale that will offer token holders insider-only signals, a private group for sharing trading strategies and insights, annual staking rewards of 24%, and a DEX.

The project has garnered a lot of attention, raising over $53.0 million within 2 weeks of its presale. This reflects strong investor interest and confidence.

Still, you must be diligent in your research to ensure you only purchase tokens that have a legitimate chance of being a worthy investment. Research should include investigating the following:

• Read the whitepaper: A whitepaper is a document that outlines the whole project and should give readers a clear understanding of exactly what they are investing in. Poorly written or vague whitepapers should be considered a red flag.
• Read the roadmap: A roadmap is the plan for how a project will develop over the coming months and years. It is easy to promise a $1 billion market cap, but the best projects also outline plans of action and the steps they will take to achieve that point.
• Check the smart contract: Unfortunately, the crypto world is rife with scammers; some projects are intended to steal funds from the get-go. Top projects will provide a full audit from a reputable third-party blockchain security firm.
• Check the team: Again, due to the proliferation of scammers in the space, doxxed and public teams will relieve investors as they know exactly who is behind the project. An anonymous team is not necessarily a red flag if other parts of the project (whitepaper/roadmap/audit) are legitimate.
• Check social media sentiment: Social media sentiment and hype are crucial to a project’s success or failure. Interesting projects will fail if they do not catch the attention of the wider public. Similarly, be wary of projects that use bots or fake accounts to promote their tokens.

3. Prioritize Crypto Projects With Utility

Cryptocurrency projects offering high utility, i.e., utility tokens, are likely to be more sustainable in the long run since you can use the tokens within the ecosystem. This ensures long-term value and resilience and mitigates volatility.

For example, Ethereum supports smart contracts powering DeFi and NFTs, which drives network demand, while $BEST is linked to one of the fastest-growing crypto wallets.

To assess project utility:

• Evaluate adoption metrics, ecosystem growth, and developer activity.
• Ask yourself: Does the project solve a real problem or create efficiencies?
• Assess partnerships, integration potential, and tokenomics.
• Analyze the team’s expertise and transparency.
• Avoid projects with vague promises or speculative hype.
• Compare projects to understand trade-offs (e.g., Solana’s speed vs. Ethereum’s ecosystem dominance).

In essence, you should focus on projects solving real problems backed by strong fundamentals and adoption. This approach minimizes risk and increases the chances of long-term returns.

4. Look Into Market Capitalization

Market capitalization reflects a cryptocurrency’s value and helps you gauge risk and growth potential:

• Large-cap coins like Bitcoin offer stability and lower volatility but limited upside.

For example, let’s say Coin A has a market cap of $500 billion. For you to see a 2x return, the market cap must increase by another $500 billion, reaching $1 trillion. This level of growth requires massive institutional and retail investment, making it slow and less likely in a short timeframe.

• Small-cap coins present higher risk but potential for exponential returns.

Now, consider a new token, Coin B, with a $5 million market cap. A 2x return requires only an additional $5 million investment, far more achievable with a few venture capital firms or a spike in retail interest. This is why some new meme coins produce explosive returns.

Essentially, while Coin A offers more price stability due to its size, Coin B‘s smaller market cap allows for significant returns with minimal capital inflow. However, they also carry higher risks—it’s easier for investors to withdraw $5 million than $500 billion, making smaller caps more vulnerable to sudden price crashes.

You should also assess market cap in relation to utility, circulating supply, and adoption. High market caps without real-world use cases could signal speculative bubbles.

Lastly, compare fully diluted valuations (FDV) to understand token supply inflation risks. This way, you can use market cap to filter projects matching your risk tolerance and investment horizon.

5. Evaluate Competition From Other Coins

It is also important to see how much competition the crypto asset has. After all, there are now more than 10,000 tokens listed on CoinMarketCap and even more than that lie in waiting. For instance, there are many so-called ‘Ethereum Killers,’ each claiming to offer a faster, cheaper, and more scalable alternative.

You need to decide whether it is better to invest in Ethereum or a direct competitor such as Solana. This blockchain network is capable of faster speeds and cheaper transactions but has yet to gain the same footing with users.

The same is true of ‘Doge Killer’ coins that promise to one day surpass the market cap of Dogecoin, the biggest and most popular meme coin. Crypto investors often cycle through tokens and trends, with copycat and unoriginal tokens popping up if one token shows it resonates with investors.

For example, DePIN is a hot crypto sector in 2025, with Render Network as a leading project. RenderX attempted to replicate Render’s success but failed due to its lack of innovation and clear value proposition.

Unlike Render, which excelled in decentralized GPU rendering, RenderX offered nothing new, leading to its quick decline. This is why it’s crucial to evaluate competition from other coins.

6. Use Trading Signals and Trading Bots

Crypto signals are trade recommendations based on market analysis. They include entry/exit points, stop-loss levels, and targets. For example, Jacob Crypto Bury, a popular YouTuber providing trading signals, may recommend that you “Buy Bitcoin at $98,500; target $101,000; stop-loss $98,000.”

By integrating the best crypto signals into your trading strategy, you can eliminate emotions from the investing process when deciding which crypto to invest in.

Meanwhile, AI crypto trading bots automate trades using algorithms and machine learning. They analyze data, execute strategies, and optimize profits. For instance, bots like Dash2Trade adjust trades based on market trends.

We have also reviewed the best AI crypto trading bots for traders who want to execute trades 24/7. Since the crypto market never sleeps, using a crypto trading bot can help eliminate emotions and automate the process.

7. Stay on Top of Crypto Trends

Trends should not be discounted when deciding which crypto to buy today. Investing in trending cryptos, sectors, or narratives can prove to be hugely beneficial if the timing is good — or disastrous if the trend is no longer popular.

During the 2021 bull run, play-to-earn gaming and the metaverse were expected to become major industries in the 2020s and revolutionize the way people play games and interact in a virtual world. Games like Axie Infinity, Sandbox, and Decentraland benefited the most, with their tokens trading at all-time highs.

In early 2024, meme coins and AI cryptocurrencies had the highest returns. For example, the meme coins Bonk and dogwifhat traded mostly flat in 2023, while in February 2024, both had huge growth.

AI tokens like Render traded at a market cap of $500 million before the AI frenzy propelled them to all-time highs. Riding on the AI hype, RNDR currently has a market cap of $2.83B. Around the time the AI boom started, it took less than two months for the price of RNDR to move from $2 to over $11 — a 450% rise.

Investing in a trending token can bring huge rewards, but investors should be diligent and cash out before the trend dies.

Conclusion: What’s the Best Cryptocurrency to Invest in Today?

Bitcoin and Ethereum remain the best cryptocurrencies to buy for long-term growth. Bitcoin offers unmatched security and global recognition, while Ethereum leads in smart contract innovation and market share by TVL. Both have strong adoption and institutional interest, making them solid investments. Consider adding them to your portfolio.

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