While Bitcoin gets a lot of media attention, it’s far from the only cryptocurrency investors can buy. There are thousands of other cryptocurrencies, known as altcoins, that offer utility, appreciation potential, and more.
In fact, altcoins are often more volatile than Bitcoin, meaning they have greater potential for big price moves that can deliver returns for investors. Altcoins sometimes move in the same direction as Bitcoin, but their prices can also be impacted by many token-specific factors.
In this guide, we’ll reveal the 19 best altcoins to invest in for 2024 and explain everything investors need to know about buying altcoins. This month we added Dogeverse to our list and removed some older listings.
Top Altcoins to Invest in 2024
- Multi-chain utility across 6 chains including Ethereum, Solana and Base
- Staking rewards on Ethereum for presale buyers
- Advanced bridging technology with Wormhole and Portal integration
- USDT
- ETH
- MATIC
- +1 more
- An AI and dog-themed memecoin on Ethereum
- Presale tokens are staked an provide rewards during the presale
- ETH
- USDT
- Potential to skyrocket amid Solana meme coin hype
- Rumored to be from the developers $SLERF, which saw huge growth earlier this year
- Similar to Slothana, which recently saw a hugely successful presale and launch
- SOL
- Established online casino with $50 million in monthly volume and 50,000 players
- Daily rewards for $DICE stakers based on casino performance
- $DICE holders eligible for 25% revenue share for referring new users to the platform
- SOL
- ETH
- BNB
- +1 more
- New token with Learn to Earn (L2E) model with exclusive courses
- Integration with BRC-20, opening the ability to build on top of the Bitcoin network
- Stakers enjoy high staking rewards every Ethereum block
- ETH
- USDT
- BNB
- +1 more
- The 5SCAPE tokens unlock special in-game features
- Brings VR capabilities into Web3 gaming
- An ERC20 token that's compatible with existing Ethereum DeFi platforms and smart contracts
- ETH
- BNB
- USDT
- +2 more
- A meme token with up to 257% in rewards
- CEX listing and a play to earn game on the roadmap
- Sponge V1 made 100x in 2023. Join V2 presale
- ETH
- USDT
- Debit
- Gain exclusive airdrop points by buying and holding $SMOG
- Conquer foes and reap rewards on the Solana blockchain
- Secure your stake on Solana through a direct $SMOG purchase on Jupiter DEX
- SOL
- ETH
- USDT
- Innovative blockchain-based electric vehicles project
- The eTukTuk prototype is scheduled to be revealed in the first phase
- opBNB will be used in tandem with BNB for scalability and reduce costs
- ETH
- BNB
- USDT
- +1 more
Best Altcoins to Buy for 2024
Let’s dive straight into our list of the 19 best altcoins to invest in for 2024:
- Dogeverse (DOGEVERSE): Multi chain meme coin, raised more than $300k in first 24 hours.
- Sealana (SEAL): New meme cryptocurrency launched on Solana. $230K raised on presale.
- WienerAI (WAI): New AI-powered meme crypto bot offers trading opportunities. $1.2M raised.
- Mega Dice Token (DICE): Hot new GambleFi token offering daily rewards and a $2.25M airdrop.
- 99Bitcoins (99BTC): Popular crypto education platform with learn-to-earn rewards.
- 5th Scape (5SCAPE): Merging blockchain and VR and AR technologies, raised over $2.3 million.
- Sponge V2 (SPONGEV2): Altcoin bridging to V2 after V1 saw 100x price pump, now with a P2E game.
- Smog (SMOG): New meme coin on Solana, preparing to drop 490 million tokens to holders.
- eTukTuk (TUK): Evolving transport to a more sustainable and eco-efficient system, over $2.2 million raised.
- Mollars (MOLLARS): A truly decentralized cryptocurrency project with no founder ownership.
- Ripple (XRP): Hot payments token fresh on the heels of a victory against the SEC.
- Chainlink (LINK): Blockchain oracle network powering smart contracts on Ethereum and beyond.
- Dogecoin (DOGE): The original meme coin with proven staying power offers utility for payments.
- Solana (SOL): Ultra-fast blockchain with a large network of developers and DeFi dApps.
- Aave (AAVE): Community-owned DeFi protocol with more than $7 billion in locked liquidity.
- BNB (BNB): Binance’s native exchange token offers a chance to bet on the biggest exchange in the world.
- Ethereum (ETH): Largest altcoin on the market with potential for an upcoming spot ETH ETF.
- MakerDAO (MKR): Massive community-governed DeFi protocol backed by US treasuries, Bitcoin, and more.
- Decentraland (MANA): Metaverse crypto with an expansive virtual world for gaming, shopping, and more.
Top Altcoins with the Most Potential – Full Analysis
Want to know more about the best altcoins to buy now? The analysis below explains why we think investors should check out each of these 19 tokens.
1. Dogeverse (DOGEVERSE): Multi Chain Meme Coin on Ethereum
Hot on the heels of the latest dog-themed memecoin comes Dogeverse, our best altcoin to invest in for 2024. Looking to take advantage of the current trend for all things Doge, Dogeverse is hoping to benefit from the current hype leading up to ‘Doge Day’ on the 20th of April.
Labeling itself as the first multichain meme coin, Dogeverse provides token holders with a flexible way to use their tokens. As well as native chain Ethereum, Dogeverse holders can interact with Binance Smart Chain, Polygon, Avalanche, Solana, and Base.
With massive price explosions for Base meme coins Brett and Degen in recent weeks, the team behind Dogeverse is hoping that the token follows a similar trajectory.
Buying the token is quick and easy. All you have to do is connect your crypto wallet to the official website and click buy. You can pay with ETH, BNB, MATIC, or USDT. Wallets such as Metamask, Coinbase, and Wallet Connect are all accepted. You will receive your tokens when the presale ends.
The team behind the project are also offering staking services to token holders with 10% of the total token supply being earmarked for passive staking rewards. However, this is only currently available on the Ethereum network.
To find out more about the project, be sure to head over to the official website and download the whitepaper. For all the latest news and product updates, you can follow the team on X and join the exclusive Telegram channel.
Total Tokens | 200 Billion |
Tokens Available in Presale | 30 Billion |
Blockchain | Ethereum Network |
Token Type | ERC-20 |
Minimum Purchase | No Minimum |
Purchase With | ETH, MATIC, BNB, USDT |
2. Sealana (SEAL): New Meme Altcoin Based on the Solana Blockchain
Sealana ($SEAL) is a new meme cryptocurrency built on the Solana blockchain. The cryptocurrency benefits from Solana’s high transaction speeds, throughput, and low transaction costs.
This meme coin’s central figure features an obese and lazy patriotic American Redneck seal. The central avatar is inspired by the ‘World of Warcraft Guy’ – a popular character from the South Park series.
While Sealana does not offer any real utility to token holders, it is riding the Solana-based meme coin hype train. In the past few weeks, SOL-themed meme coins such as Popcat and Solama have offered huge gains.
Sealana wants to cement itself as the next big meme coin on the Solana blockchain. Currently, $SEAL can be purchased through the ongoing presale. Transfer SOL tokens to the following wallet address – DJ15ZYXqUNMYJ3hL7z4ciSaSFAw5cbos3YjGpdvwmF6c.
Once the transfer is completed, Sealana will automatically airdrop $SEAL tokens into your wallet. Stay updated with this new cryptocurrency project by joining the Sealana Telegram channel and following Sealana on X (Formerly Twitter).
Total Tokens | N/A |
Tokens Available in ICO | N/A |
Blockchain | Solana |
Token type | SPL |
Minimum Purchase | None |
Purchase With | SOL |
3. WienerAI (WAI): Groundbreaking Meme Token Introduces an AI-Powered Trading Bot
The next top altcoin in 2024 is WienerAI ($WAI). This groundbreaking meme token merges the meme world with artificial intelligence. $WAI token holders can access an AI trading bot and advanced trading signals with WienerAI.
The WienerAI platform will offer a beginner-friendly, instant, and predictive trading bot. Token holders can enter their queries on the trading bot, which then uses predictive analytics, helping you search for top investment opportunities in the cryptocurrency space.
To offer the best possible trades, WienerAI also provides the top prices available across some of the best-decentralized exchanges. The $WAI token gives you access to these features. Notably, WienerAI does not charge any fees on trading $WAI.
This top altcoin also offers passive income through its staking mechanism. At the time of writing, you can stake $WAI on the smart contract and generate an APY (Annual percentage yield) of 741%. Over 1.3 billion tokens have already been staked on the smart contract.
From a total supply of 69 billion tokens, WienerAI is allocating 30% for the ongoing presale. At press time, $WAI is priced at $0.000704 per token. Since the presale launched, this altcoin has raised over $1.2 million.
For more information, go through the WienerAI whitepaper and join the Telegram channel.
Total Tokens | 69 Billion |
Tokens Available in Presale | 20.7 Billion |
Blockchain | Ethereum |
Token Type | ERC20 |
Minimum Purchase | N/A |
Purchase With | ETH, USDT |
4. Mega Dice Token (DICE): Hot new GambleFi token offering Passive Rewards and a $2.25M Airdrop
Mega Dice Token ($DICE) is next on our list of best altcoins. It’s a popular crypto casino that combines the fun of two exciting trends: GambleFi and DeFi. The casino’s native token, $DICE, gives players exclusive rewards like airdrops, cashback at the casino, and NFT bonuses.
Mega Dice is already a successful and profitable casino with over 10,000+ active monthly players. As a result, its recently launched $DICE presale raised nearly $1 million in just a few weeks of launch.
Investors think $DICE has the potential to recreate the success of similar tokens like Rollbit and TG.Casino.
It’s worth noting that the platform offers a 10% referral commission. This means you can earn 10% of the amount your friends invest with no upper cap. The casino will also give away over $2.25 million in airdrops to its presale buyers. You can join the Mega Dice Token Telegram group and follow its X (formerly Twitter) handle to get the latest updates.
Total Tokens | 420 Million |
Tokens Available in ICO | 147 Million |
Blockchain | Solana |
Token type | SPL |
Minimum Purchase | N/A |
Purchase With | SOL, ETH, BNB |
5. 99Bitcoins (99BTC): Popular Crypto Education Platform With Learn-to-Earn Rewards
Next on our list of best altcoins is 99Bitcoins Token. It is a very popular platform that has been educating individuals about Bitcoin and cryptos for many years.
They have a massive audience: more than 700,000 YouTube subscribers and over 2 million registered users for their online courses.
Finally, 99Bitcoins has introduced its crypto token – $99BTC. This token will be used to reward users for studying crypto with 99Bitcoins’ educational materials.
$99BTC will initially operate on the Ethereum blockchain but will soon be transferred to the Bitcoin blockchain using a new token standard called BRC-20. This transfer can help the token be more secure and potentially increase its utility.
Moreover, early buyers can also get high staking rewards. At the time of writing, the platform offers an over 16,000% APY.
The platform also created a buzz around its token launch by giving $99,999 worth of tokens to 99 lucky users via an airdrop.You can also read 99Bitcoin’s whitepaper to learn more about the platform’s long-term vision and goals. Interested users can follow 99Bitcoin on X (previously Twitter) and enter its Telegram channel to get the latest updates.
Total Tokens | 99 Billion |
Tokens Available in ICO | 14.85 Billion |
Blockchain | Ethereum (Will migrate to Bitcoin) |
Token type | ERC-20 |
Minimum Purchase | N/A |
Purchase With | USDT, ETH, BNB, Card |
6. 5th Scape (5SCAPE): Revolutionizing the Virtual Reality Sector with Immersive Gaming Environments & Ultra Realistic Environments
5th Scape is revolutionizing the virtual reality sector with its suite of games, animations, movies, digital experiences, and more. They have introduced hyper-realistic environments to VR gaming, paired with state-of-the-art hardware which will heighten the gaming experience for players.
The project’s native token $5SCAPE will be utilized within the ecosystem as a means of transaction. Users will be able to buy things using the token such as premium content, in-game accessories, character skins and custom upgrades, and paid-for products. Players will also qualify for a discount on products when using the $5SCAPE token.
Moreover, the token utility goes further than just being an in-game currency, with it also having staking features allowing users to gain extra tokens for providing liquidity to the ecosystem. Players will also be able to earn the token simply by playing games, participating in competitions, completing specific objectives, and reaching milestones.
The platform currently has an ongoing presale which has 12 stages, whereby the price will increase at each given stage. The project is currently in its phase 12presale stage and the token price is $0.00215. Users can participate in the presale by swapping a number of cryptos including ETH, MATIC, USDT, BNB, and via card payment which will require KYC verification.
Seeing the niche sector that the project targets, at the crossover of web3 technology and Virtual Reality, 5th Scape seems to be one of the best altcoins to invest in during presale. To learn more about the project readers can join their Telegram and Discord social communities.
Total Tokens | 5.211 Billion |
Tokens Available in Presale | 4.164 Billion |
Blockchain | Ethereum Network |
Token Type | ERC-20 |
Minimum Purchase | No Minimum |
Purchase With | ETH, MATIC, BNB, USDT, Credit/Debit Card (with KYC) |
7. Sponge V2 (SPONGEV2): Stake-to-Bridge from V1 to V2, with Passive Rewards for Years
Launched in May of 2023, the Sponge meme coin gained immense popularity which saw its market cap go 100x, from under $1m to almost $100m. It currently has a market cap of $16.5m, 11.5k holders, and large, passionate communities on Telegram and Twitter.
Off the back of this success the team is looking to further grow their token and ecosystem by bridging existing tokens, SPONGEV1, to an upgraded version, Sponge V2. This token will feature more utility and can be used in a play-to-earn game, Sponge Racer, that is soon to enter development—per the Sponge V2 whitepaper.
To bridge the tokens, the team has deployed a stake-to-bridge smart contract where holders of SPONGEV1 can lock their tokens to receive an equivalent in $SPONGEV2 tokens. These are automatically staked to begin earning a variable APY for the user.
Those who are not holders of the SPONGEV1 token can contribute to the presale, where tokens are priced at the SPONGEV1 market price. Presale contributors will receive SPONGEV1 tokens, automatically locked to give them $SPONGEV2 tokens, that are also automatically staked for the same variable APY.
Those who participate in the presale or stake their SPONGEV1 tokens will receive staking rewards for the next 4 years on their locked SPONGEV1 tokens—giving presale participants the opportunity for long-term and hassle-free passive income.
This staking and passive income utility, along with the release of a play-to-earn game are why Sponge is considered by many as a candidate for a Binance listing and why it’s on our list of best altcoins to invest in right now.
Total Tokens | 150 Billion |
Tokens Available in Presale | N/A |
Blockchain | Ethereum Network |
Token Type | ERC-20 |
Minimum Purchase | No Minimum |
Purchase With | USDT, ETH, Credit/Debit Card |
8. Smog (SMOG): Solana Meme Coin Newcomer Boasting a Unique 490-Million Token Airdrop Utility
With 2023 meme king $BONK having suffered a recent 70% downturn from its December high, the stage is set for newcomer $SMOG to dominate the market.
And this is precisely the intention of the project’s creators, having branded the token as the “one meme coin to rule them all”, and describing it as “the most rewarding token ever to grace the Solana blockchain”.
These promises are being kept so far, with the coin having surged a staggering 1,400% in its first 24 hours, despite not holding any kind of presale phase for the project.
The coin also boasts eye-catching utility, with 35% of the 1.4 billion token supply being allocated for “the greatest Solana airdrop of all time”. With this in mind, there is clear incentive to invest in Smog as early as possible.
The all important community element also seems to be falling into place for Smog, with considerable attention surrounding the coin on both social media and crypto platforms. And this will surely only increase, with 50% of the project’s token supply set to be dedicated to marketing.
Beyond this, 10% of the supply will be dedicated to centralized exchange launches, while the final 5% is reserved for the decentralized exchange launch.
Taking into account the staggering day-one success of the coin, and the enticing prospect of a 490-million token airdrop, it is clear that Smog is among the best altcoins to invest in this year.
Hard Cap | N/A |
Total Tokens | 1.4 Billion |
Tokens Available in Presale | N/A |
Blockchain | Solana |
Token Type | SPL |
Minimum Purchase | N/A |
Purchase With | SOL, USDT, BONK |
9. eTukTuk (TUK): Eco-Friendly Transport System with Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Helping Drivers Transfer to Sustainable eTukTuk’s
eTukTuk is a new crypto project which is improving sustainability in everyday transport in cities in developing nations. The platform aims to build out a network of charging points and an AI-powered mapping grid which will improve transport routes and create more efficient traffic flow.
At the heart of eTukTuk is the native $TUK token built on the Binance BNB chain, and could potentially be one of the best altcoins of 2024. The $TUK token can be used within the ecosystem as means of payment for electric charging, earned via drive-to-earn mechanics for TukTuk drivers, and staked into the project smart contracts to earn a percentage of charging fees.
eTukTuk is improving carbon emissions by implementing an all-in-one solution that will launch electronic TukTuk’s, electric charging grid, and eco-efficient route mapping system using artificial intelligence. It targets the mainstream global issue of reducing CO2 and wheeling away from dependency on fossil fuels.
The platform is current in presale stage and has raised over $500,000. Participants in the presale can immediately start to stake their tokens while waiting for the launch and get 350% annual rewards.
10. Mollars (MOLLARS): Truly Decentralized Ethereum Token with Low Transactions Fees and Potential for Web3 Integration
New Ethereum token Mollars is staying true to cryptocurrency’s original philosophy, ensuring that it is shielded from inflationary pressures in the centralized economy.
This is achieved firstly by promising “true decentralization”. In other words, unlike Bitcoin, Mollars’ founders have pledged to not retain any ownership of the token supply without purchasing it. As a result, the token’s value cannot be manipulated.
The project’s tokenomics also contribute to this mission. Most notably, a 1% burn rate and 3% transaction tax reinvested into the ecosystem help to keep the coin’s value stable.
$MOLLARS also undercuts Bitcoin by being far cheaper to buy and sell. This is because the Ethereum network boasts an average trade value of $8, roughly 80% cheaper than the Bitcoin blockchain.
The Mollars creators have also hinted at the release of a mystery web3 offering, and have confirmed that the native token will be compatible with it. This is a major added utility point for the project.
These factors have culminated in a strong start for $MOLLARS. It has sold around 1.5 million tokens in three months of presale, with a total of $700,000 raised. If the project hits the $2m milestone before the presale ends in May, it will list at $0.62, equating to more than 200% in ROI for early investors.
Taking all of this into account, Mollars comfortably makes our list of the best crypto to buy now in 2024.
Total Tokens | 10 million |
Tokens Available in Presale | 4 million |
Blockchain | Ethereum |
Token Type | ERC-20 |
Minimum Purchase | N/A |
Purchase With | SOL, USDT, Credit/debit card |
11. Ripple (XRP): Hot Payments Token Rising After Victory in SEC Lawsuit. $XRP is Up 72% Since January.
Ripple has long been one of the most controversial altcoins on the market, largely because of its tangle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC sued Ripple in 2020, alleging that its $XRP token was an unregistered security.
That lawsuit was recently resolved in Ripple’s favor and found that $XRP is not a security. That has paved the way for widespread adoption of the token, which is used to coordinate international payments with significantly lower fees than traditional payment networks.
The price of $XRP is up 72% since the start of the year when it became increasingly clear that Ripple would win the suit, and 15% in the last month. It’s one of the best altcoins to watch, although it remains more than 80% below its all-time high. So, this could be an opportunity for investors to buy $XRP at a discount.
With the lawsuit behind it, more banks will likely sign on to try Ripple’s payment network and increase demand for $XRP.
A major US bank partnering with Ripple could be a huge positive catalyst for the token. Ripple’s general counsel told CNBC in July that he believes American banks will start working with Ripple, although it could take a year or more for new partnerships to be announced.
12. Chainlink (LINK): Blockchain Oracle Providing Data for Smart Contracts. Poised for Exponential Growth as Cross-chain Activity Increases.
Chainlink plays an essential role in the blockchain ecosystem, providing data from off-chain data sources to on-chain smart contracts.
Say a smart contract on Ethereum governs a bet on a basketball game. That smart contract needs to know which team won the game, and it gets that data from Chainlink.
Chainlink uses a decentralized network of nodes to ensure its data is accurate and can’t be easily manipulated. Its trustworthiness is a huge part of why so many Ethereum dApps and smart contracts rely on Chainlink.
Chainlink collects a fee every time it provides data, and these fees add up to a massive treasury that backs up the value of its $LINK governance token. The $LINK token has been hugely successful and is up 38% in the last month of trading alone.
Long-term, $LINK could move even higher. Chainlink is positioned to serve as the Oracle network of choice for other blockchains, including Solana, Cardano, Avalanche, and more. It’ll also play an essential role as cross-chain transactions increase and blockchains need to share both off-chain and on-chain data.
13. Dogecoin (DOGE): Original Meme Coin with Utility for Payments and Trading
Dogecoin was the first meme coin when it launched back in 2013 as a joke. Fast-forward a decade, and $DOGE has a market cap of nearly $10 billion and does around $450 million per day in trading volume.
The original meme coin has been through many ups and downs, but it’s proven to investors that it has long-term staying power. It’s worth considering as the best altcoin investment for investors who want a high-risk, high-reward opportunity.
What makes $DOGE especially attractive right now is that it’s relatively cheap. The token was hit hard by the crypto winter and is down 47% over the past 12 months.
A more bullish environment could be on the way, however, with some analysts making predictions about Bitcoin hitting a new all-time high. That bodes well for $DOGE, which typically surges when there’s a bullish shift in the crypto market and investors are willing to take on more risk.
14. Solana (SOL): Ultra-fast Blockchain Selling at Steep Discount After FTX Collapse.
Just over a year ago, Solana was the darling of the crypto market. Analysts were making bold predictions that this ultra-fast blockchain would replace Ethereum as the top platform for smart contracts and dApp development.
Then came the FTX collapse, and Solana’s $SOL token collapsed with it. The reason is that FTX and related entities owned by Sam Bankman-Fried owned an estimated 16% of $SOL tokens. There was concern these tokens could flood onto the market.
Now, a year after FTX’s collapse, the price of $SOL is still trading at a steep discount. $SOL remains almost 90% below its all-time high.
However, there are reasons to be optimistic about $SOL. Solana maintains a vibrant ecosystem of developers and it boasts significantly lower fees than Ethereum. As the crypto industry emerges from its winter, Solana could see significant growth.
15. Aave (AAVE): Community-owned DeFi Protocol for Staking and Lending with $7 Billion in Locked Liquidity.
Aave is an automated and decentralized platform for making crypto loans. The project is fully community-owned and holders of the project’s $AAVE governance token receive a share of the lending fees charged by the platform.
The platform uses smart contracts to regulate loans and requires most loans to be overcollateralized. This protects Aave even during a market downturn.
Aave is one of the most successful DeFi projects in crypto and suffered relatively less than its peers during the crypto winter. The $AAVE token is essentially flat in price over the past 12 months, although there has been plenty of volatility in that time.
We’re bullish on Aave because a bull run in the crypto market is likely to significantly increase demand for loans since traders rely on these loans to get liquid capital for trading. More loans mean more lending fees, increasing the value of the $AAVE token.
16. BNB (BNB): Binance’s Native Exchange Token, Currently Trading at a Discount.
$BNB is Binance’s native exchange token. Token holders are entitled to benefits like discounted exchange fees. $BNB token holders also get exclusive early access to new ICOs on Binance and exchange rewards programs.
The token has a lot of value for Binance users, and it’s long been one of the top coins by market cap since Binance is the world’s largest exchange. However, a recent lawsuit against Binance and its founder Changpeng Zhao by the SEC has caused $BNB to lose more than 25% of its value since June.
For investors, this looks like a bargain. While there’s a risk that $BNB could fall further if the SEC prevails in its lawsuit, Binance is a global company and only a small fraction of its trading revenue comes from the US. So, even if Binance were to exit the US market, it would remain among the largest crypto firms.
In the long run, $BNB’s value could skyrocket if crypto becomes more widely adopted and Binance is the #1 place where traders and investors can buy it.
17. Ethereum (ETH): Largest Altcoin with Potential for a Spot ETF
Ethereum is the largest altcoin and the #2 crypto by market cap behind Bitcoin. It not only pioneered smart contract technology but remains the most popular place for developers to build dApps and launch new crypto projects.
Investing in Ethereum is more of a growth proposition than a value play. At more than $1,800, the $ETH token isn’t cheap. However, there are many reasons to think that Ethereum could dominate the crypto market for decades to come and enjoy a massive price run-up along the way.
In the near-term, there are rumors that the SEC might approve a spot $ETH ETF in the US. That would enable everyday investors who have never bought crypto before to buy $ETH. The investment inflow could be huge and send the price of $ETH soaring.
In the long run, dApp development on Ethereum is likely to have strong network effects. The more dApps there are, the more people want to use Ethereum over competing blockchains. The more people there are on Ethereum, the more developers want to build there. This cycle can help cement Ethereum’s dominance.
18. MakerDAO (MKR): Community-governed DeFi Protocol Backed by US Treasuries, Bitcoin, and More.
MakerDAO is another community-owned DeFi platform built on Ethereum, but it has some important differences from Aave. Instead of lending out other cryptocurrencies, MakerDAO only issues loans in its own stablecoin, $DAI.
MakerDAO is akin to a central bank running on the blockchain, with $DAI as its dollar. $DAI is fully collateralized by US treasuries, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other real-world assets. This makes it one of the most stable and trusted stablecoins in the crypto world.
MakerDAO has another token, $MKR, that controls governance in the platform and distributes revenue from investment and lending fees to the community. $MKR has been one of the best-performing cryptocurrencies of 2024, gaining 52% in the past 12 months.
$MKR stands to keep benefiting from MakerDAO’s ecosystem as well as high interest rates, which are providing yield for the MakerDAO treasury. In fact, $MKR could be one of the most successful cryptos in a high interest rate environment.
19. Decentraland (MANA): Metaverse Crypto Discounted 93% from All-time High.
Decentraland is one of the biggest blockchain-based metaverse projects. While the hype around metaverse environments has cooled in the past year, many investors are still bullish on Decentraland and its potential to reshape the digital landscape.
Decentraland is home to an enormous ecosystem of virtual stores, games, and communities. It’s held concerts and events and serves as one of the best examples of how a metaverse can bring people together online.
The project’s $MANA token is used to buy goods, services, and virtual land and serves as the heart of the economy in Decentraland. It’s down 93% from its all-time high, but believers in the metaverse will see this as $MANA being oversold.
Decentraland could especially benefit from new VR headsets and AI technology, both of which have the potential to make the metaverse more immersive.
What is an Altcoin?
An altcoin is any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. It’s not a classification of size since Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, is also considered an altcoin. But most altcoins are much smaller in value than Bitcoin.
The vast majority of altcoins are either forked from Bitcoin or built on Ethereum using smart contracts. However, there are some altcoins that have no relationship to either of these tokens. For example, Solana is a completely distinct blockchain protocol.
Altcoins serve a wide variety of different purposes. Some broad categories of altcoins include:
- Meme coins
- DeFi coins
- Stablecoins
- Governance tokens
- Metaverse coins
- Play-to-earn coins
One of the neat things about altcoins is that if one doesn’t solve a problem or need in the crypto market well enough, another altcoin can attempt to solve the same problem. Crypto users and investors can signal which altcoins are needed by voting with their money.
Why Invest in Altcoins?
There are many reasons why investors may want to buy some of the best altcoins for 2024.
Seeking Potential Price Appreciation
One of the biggest reasons why investors buy altcoins is to seek out opportunities for investment returns. Compared to Bitcoin, altcoins typically experience more volatility.
This means that they can have greater price gains when they go up. However, altcoins can also suffer greater losses when they go down. So, altcoins should be considered a high-risk high-reward investment class.
As an example, let’s compare potential price gains in Bitcoin and an altcoin like Dogecoin. In 2021, when the crypto market was historically bullish, Bitcoin gained 60%. Dogecoin gained 23,000%—an almost unheard-of single-year gain for a major asset. Many investors remember 2021 as the ultimate altcoin season.
Not all altcoins are equally volatile. Major cryptos like Ethereum, for example, are typically less volatile than meme coins like Dogecoin.
Emerging cryptocurrencies tend to be the most volatile of all, since they can either explode upward after launch or lose all of their value. Investors in new crypto altcoins, including ICO coins, are often speculating in search of huge gains.
For example, the meme coin $PEPE gained more than 4,500% after its launch in April 2023. But many other meme coins that launched in the wake of $PEPE’s success found little traction and investors lost their money on these tokens.
Building a Diversified Crypto Portfolio
Some investors use altcoins as a way to build a more diversified crypto portfolio.
There can be divergence between different coins in different project categories. For example, DeFi coins may move in different ways than meme coins. Altcoins like Ethereum can be relatively stable even when volatility among other altcoins is high.
That said, it should be noted that the crypto market as a whole tends to move in the same direction. So, diversifying across multiple altcoins isn’t the same as diversifying across multiple asset classes, such as crypto, stocks, and bonds.
Investing in Stablecoins
Stablecoins like $USDT, $DAI, $USDC, and others are pegged to a specific value, usually $1. They’re not typically thought of as “investments” since their value doesn’t change over time, and thus there is no potential for price appreciation.
However, investors can hold stablecoins in their crypto portfolio similar to how they might hold cash in a stock portfolio. Holding stablecoins keeps investors in the crypto market, allowing them to move quickly when an investment opportunity presents itself. In the meantime, they’re not exposed to the ups and downs of Bitcoin or most altcoins.
Earning Staking Rewards
One of the major features of the crypto market that is only available for altcoins, not Bitcoin, is staking. Staking is available for blockchains that use a proof-of-stake validation mechanism, while Bitcoin uses a proof-of-work validation mechanism.
Staking enables investors to lock up their altcoins for some period of time and earn rewards, usually in the form of more of the same token. Many altcoin projects publish their staking rate as an APY, making staking rewards similar in nature to interest rates for cash.
Staking can be extremely lucrative for investors. For example, Meme Kombat is currently offering a 112% APY for staking its $MK token. That means that investors who stake $MK now would more than double their $MK token holdings in a year. TG.Casino is currently offering a 321% APY for staking its $TGC token.
Staking Lock-up Periods
Investors should be careful to check lock-up periods for staked tokens. Some altcoins can be staked and unstaked at any time. However, staking for most altcoins requires a fixed lock-up period that can range from several days to several months or longer. During this lock-up period, investors cannot transfer or sell their tokens.
Accessing Specific Functions in the Crypto Market
Many altcoins give investors access to specific functionality or benefits that investors may want.
There are many more examples of altcoins built to serve a specific purpose. Often, the more of a token that an investor owns, the greater their benefits or access within the context of that specific crypto project.
How Many Altcoins Are There?
According to CoinMarketCap, there are currently around 22,900 cryptocurrencies in existence. All of these except for Bitcoin are altcoins.
Notably, Bitcoin still dominates the crypto market. BTC has a market cap of $675 billion. Ethereum has a market cap of $219 billion. All other altcoins combined have a market cap of approximately $386 billion.
Keep in mind that not all of these 22,900 cryptocurrencies are active. CoinMarketCap tracks all cryptocurrencies that have ever been created. Since many tokens are created using smart contracts, they continue to exist even after the project creators and all investors have left.
Estimates vary, but most trackers consider there to be around 8,000-9,000 active altcoins.
How to Find the Best Altcoins to Buy
There’s a lot to think about when choosing the best altcoins with the most potential. Here are some of the most important factors investors should consider when evaluating what altcoin to buy now.
Growth Potential
Many investors buy altcoins in search of greater returns than they can get by investing in Bitcoin or other asset classes. So, it’s important to think about the growth potential that a specific crypto token offers.
Some things to consider include:
- How have other altcoins in this token category performed?
- What is the expected market value of the niche the token addresses?
- What market cap does a token already have or will launch with?
High-growth cryptocurrencies typically have clear use cases and a large addressable market. They also typically have a small market cap now, with the potential to grow 10x or more in the future.
Value
Investors can also search well-established altcoins to find tokens that may be undervalued. There are many opportunities to buy undervalued altcoins in today’s market since many tokens were hit hard by the crypto winter.
When evaluating whether a token is undervalued, it can be helpful to look at its all-time high. However, there is no guarantee that cheap altcoins will return to their all-time highs.
Carefully consider what a token is likely to be worth in 12-24 months relative to what it is priced at now. Checking altcoin price predictions from professional crypto analysts can be valuable for this, but take predictions with a grain of salt. Remember that while the crypto market appears to be entering a more bullish phase, there is a chance that bearish conditions may prevail for the foreseeable future.
Staking Rewards
Altcoins that offer staking rewards can generate returns for investors regardless of price appreciation. Investors simply have to stake their tokens and earn rewards.
When evaluating staking rewards, a higher APY is typically better, but it’s not everything. It’s important that an altcoin’s staking rewards are sustainable. Think about where the reward tokens are coming from and whether that source is renewable.
Investors also need to consider that while staking can provide returns if a token’s price remains flat, they can still lose money if a token’s price falls by a greater amount than staking returns.
Utility
Utility coins can provide access to specific benefits for crypto investors. For example, investors in $BNB can get significant discounts on altcoin trading at Binance. This could make owning $BNB worthwhile for some investors even if they don’t believe the price of $BNB will go up.
When investing in utility tokens, consider the opportunity cost of buying that token as opposed to another altcoin. Most investors have limited capital to deploy, so they have to pick and choose which utility tokens provide benefits that outweigh the opportunity cost of holding that specific token.
Investor Sentiment
One of the best indicators of whether a cryptocurrency will go up in value is whether investors are positive or negative about the project. There are many crypto analytics tools, such as Launchpad XYZ, that enable investors to check sentiment around specific tokens on social media.
Investor sentiment can be wrong, particularly over long timescales. However, it usually tracks buying and selling activity, so it’s a good thing to check when identifying entry points into a new altcoin investment.
Roadmap
When evaluating new altcoins to buy, and particularly altcoins that are being sold through a presale, take a look at the project’s roadmap. This should lay out what the project hopes to achieve and when.
New altcoins often surge when a project hits a roadmap milestone. So, keeping track of what milestones are coming up and when they might be reached can be very helpful for making investment decisions.
Where to Buy Altcoins
Investors can buy altcoins in several ways. One of the simplest ways to buy altcoins is through a centralized exchange, which allows new crypto investors to buy the most popular altcoins with fiat.
For investors who already own crypto, another option is to buy altcoins through a decentralized exchange. Decentralized exchanges typically have lower fees than centralized exchanges.
Some new altcoins are only available through crypto presales. Investors will need tokens like $ETH, $USDT, or $BNB to buy altcoins on presale. Typically, investors buy the tokens during the presale and then claim them once the presale ends.
Potential Risks of Investing in Altcoins
While picking the right altcoin can be extremely lucrative, there are risks to these cryptocurrencies. Here are some of the most important risks that investors should be aware of.
High Volatility
As we discussed above, altcoins typically have higher volatility than Bitcoin and other asset classes. This volatility is part of what makes altcoins potentially high-return, but investors also need to be careful when holding highly volatile tokens.
Even if investors find a promising altcoin to buy, they could be knocked out of an investment if they aren’t prepared for major, temporary downside swings. For example, if an investor trades on margin, they could face a margin call if an altcoin temporarily drops steeply in value.
Volatility on its own is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is a risk that investors need to recognize and manage.
Scams and Rug Pulls
Investors need to be on the lookout for scams, particularly when investing in new altcoins. While many altcoins are legit, the crypto industry has been plagued by scam tokens designed to take investors’ money.
One of the most common types of scams that investors face is a rug pull. This occurs when a new crypto project raises money, such as through a token presale, then the project team takes the money and never delivers the promised project.
The biggest rug pull in crypto history, the OneCoin scam, stole an estimated $4 billion to $15 billion in investors’ funds.
How to Avoid Crypto Scams
Investors can avoid scams by doing their due diligence on projects before investing. Here are a few steps that investors can take to ensure the altcoin they want to buy is legit:
- Look for third-party smart contracts audits by trusted auditors such as Certik
- Read projects’ whitepapers carefully and ensure the project makes sense
- Evaluate the tokenomics to ensure the value of the token is tied to the success of the project
- Check whether the project team has been doxxed (it is common practice for the developers of meme coins to remain anonymous)
- Ensure that a project’s roadmap is realistic
Impacts from Regulation
Most altcoins have operated without much oversight from regulators. Questions remain about whether many altcoins may be unregistered securities or whether regulators might crack down on certain types of altcoins, such as stablecoins.
In the US, there has been a recent effort by the SEC to name specific altcoins as unregistered securities and put the crypto industry on notice that it may face more scrutiny. There’s also an effort to roll out new anti-money laundering rules that could impact how some altcoins function.
Investors should be aware of what regulations and laws have been proposed, since they can significantly impact specific tokens or even force projects to shut down. New regulations and lawsuits can come with little warning, creating additional risk for investors.
Conclusion
Altcoins include all cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin, and they cover tons of different purposes in the crypto market. There are DeFi coins, meme coins, stablecoins, and much more. All of these different coins can present opportunities for investors.
Based on our analysis, the best altcoin to buy for 2024 is Dogeverse – the multi chain answer to Dogecoin. Dogeverse is built using the proof-of-stake consensus, and offers high staking yields to all $DOGVERSE token holders. Currently, this new altcoin is available to purchase on presale.
References
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- www.cnbc.com/2023/07/17/ripple-hopes-judge-ruling-in-sec-case-will-lead-to-us-banks-using-xrp.html
- www.reuters.com/technology/standard-chartered-bumps-up-bitcoin-forecast-120000-2023-07-10/
- www.coindesk.com/policy/2023/09/11/ftx-holds-116b-in-sol-200m-in-bahamas-real-estate-court-filing-says/
- www.cnbc.com/2023/06/05/sec-sues-binance-and-ceo-changpeng-zhao-for-us-securities-violations.html
- fortune.com/crypto/2023/10/30/ethereum-spot-etf-grayscale-bitcoin-january/
- www.treasurers.org/hub/treasurer-magazine/cryptocurrencies-why-some-more-volatile-than-others
- coinmarketcap.com/currencies/pepe/
- coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/the-onecoin-scam-the-dazzling-story-of-the-biggest-crypto-ponzi-in-history
- www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/06/09/why-crypto-flinches-when-sec-calls-coins-securities-quicktake/84dd58ee-06d8-11ee-b74a-5bdd335d4fa2_story.html
- www.polymersearch.com/blog/chatgpt-statistics
- www.productplan.com/glossary/minimum-viable-product/
FAQs
What are altcoins?
Altcoins are any cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin. Well-known altcoins include Ethereum, Tether, BNB, and Ripple.
What are the best altcoins to buy right now?
The best altcoins to buy in 2024 include Dogeverse (DOGEVERSE), Sealana (SEAL), and WienerAI (WAI).