RIP Bitcoin? The 10 Best Altcoins Crushing It in 2025

While investing in Bitcoin has its perks, getting into the best altcoins can vastly outweigh any BTC gains. Several altcoins are crushing it right now, and in this list, we’re breaking down ten of the top altcoins that deserve a spot in any portfolio. With boundary-pushing technology and remarkable potential, these are the altcoins to pay attention to this year. 

The Best Altcoins Crushing It In 2025:

Bitcoin Pepe: Kickstarting the Bitcoin meme revolution

Bitcoin Pepe is putting meme coins on Bitcoin for the first time in history. As the inaugural meme ICO on Bitcoin, Bitcoin Pepe introduces the PEP-20 standard, a new token framework that lets meme coins thrive on the world’s most secure blockchain. 

Until now, Bitcoin lacked the flexibility for meme tokens, with high fees and slow speeds forcing them mostly onto Solana. Bitcoin Pepe gives meme coins their own scalable Solana-style layer-2 ecosystem without sacrificing Bitcoin’s security. 

The hype around the project is growing at an incredible rate. Many expect Bitcoin Pepe to be the catalyst for the trillions locked in BTC liquidity to flow into meme coins. That could mean some of the biggest meme coins—think WIF, PEPE, SHIB—migrating to Bitcoin. Given Bitcoin Pepe’s flexibility, some of that capital might even boost the $5.18 billion Bitcoin DeFi ecosystem. 

Consequently, the 30-stage Bitcoin Pepe presale has already raked in $4m just 4 weeks after launch. The earliest backers are expected to witness huge gains before BPEP lists in Q2, with 5% price rises at each stage (currently in stage 6), a doxxed team, and a fully audited contract attracting investors in their droves. 

This could be a watershed moment in Bitcoin’s history. Potentially kickstarting the Bitcoin meme revolution, Bitcoin Pepe comes top of this list of the best altcoins with potential to hit massive gains in 2025.

Solana: The top choice for layer-1s

Solana has set the standard for layer-1s over the past couple of years. With thousands of transactions per second and fees that barely register, it’s the blockchain of choice for DeFi, gaming, and NFTs. 

It’s no surprise that CME Group is rolling out Solana futures this March, a move that paves the way for the rumored Solana ETFs. Backed by Google, Stripe, Meta, and Shopify, among others, Solana’s ecosystem is now stacked, only second to Ethereum, with a total value locked (TVL) of $6.42 billion. 

Sure, it’s had its hiccups, but with constant upgrades and one of the strongest developer communities in crypto, Solana is proving that speed and scalability win.

Ripple: The bridge between crypto and banking

Ripple is a giant in the game, rewiring global payments with its high-speed XRP Ledger. It makes cross-border transactions smoother than ever, with transactions that settle in four seconds with near-zero fees. Santander, UBS, and UniCredit are already on board, which is a clear acceptance of Ripple’s mission to upend sluggish banking networks. 

In 2025, Ripple is expanding beyond payments, launching a DeFi-focused EVM sidechain that bridges XRP with Ethereum-based smart contracts. Despite past legal battles with the SEC, XRP has held firm, with regulatory clarity boosting institutional confidence and recently sending XRP flying over $120 billion in valuation. As it pivots deeper into DeFi, Ripple has more than proven staying power as one of the best altcoins to invest in this year. 

Cardano: The academic blockchain

Cardano is known for its slow, research-driven approach to blockchain—and it’s paying off. Its Ouroboros Proof-of-Stake system is energy-efficient while keeping security airtight. The blockchain is built in layers: the Cardano Settlement Layer handles transactions, while the Computation Layer powers smart contracts. 

ADA has long been regarded as one of the top altcoins, and recent developments—working with the US government to shape crypto regulation, the Hydra scaling solution, and Midnight’s release in 2025—have pushed Cardano to a $25 billion market cap. As Cardano continues to cement its place in the layer-1 world, it’ll be among the key altcoins to watch in 2025.

Hedera: The enterprise-grade layer-1

Hedera is a blockchain built for speed, security, and efficiency. Using its Hashgraph consensus—a novel approach that differs from traditional blockchain setups—it processes 10,000+ TPS with finality in seconds. It’s also one of the few carbon-negative networks, with its governance overseen by the Hedera Governing Council, including industry giants like Google, IBM, and Boeing. 

The network is now pressing forward in the real-world asset tokenization space and enterprise applications, offering a robust infrastructure for institutions exploring blockchain technology. After recently exploding to a new peak market cap above $14 billion in January, up from $1.6 billion in November 2024, Hedera’s HBAR is one of the leading altcoins to buy this year. 

Hyperliquid: CEX-speed with DEX benefits

Hyperliquid brings CEX-level speed to DeFi, minus the centralization. Built on its own layer-1 blockchain, it processes up to 200,000 transactions per second with sub-second finality. Traders get access to a fully on-chain order book, deep liquidity, and up to 50x leverage on perpetual contracts. 

Launched in late 2024, Hyperliquid has been among the fastest-growing DEXes ever, rocketing from $158 million in December to over $650 million in March. It’s nearly $5 billion, down from more than $10.8 billion in December but likely to climb as traders continue adopting its technology. With its low fees, high performance, and transparency, Hyperliquid’s HYPE token ranks among the best altcoins to buy right now.

Jupiter: The Solana DeFi aggregator

Jupiter is Solana’s go-to liquidity hub. Seeing tremendous volume thanks to the fast-moving world of SOL meme coins, Jupiter aggregates liquidity across decentralized exchanges to offer low slippage and the best possible rates for traders.  

While the JUP token isn’t used for fees, but governance, community initiatives, and staking rewards, Jupiter’s seemingly unshakeable presence in the Solana DeFi space—currently at $2.15 billion—makes the token a compelling contender as one of the best altcoins. Strategic acquisitions, like the Ultimate wallet, portfolio tracker Sonarwatch, and blockchain explorer SolanaFM are set to fortify its position in 2025.

SPX6900: The meme coin rival to Wall Street

SPX6900 is based on a simple ethos: “Stop trading and believe in something.” A tongue-in-cheek rival to the S&P 500, SPX6900 has demonstrated the power of a locked-in community to drive extraordinary gains. It made headlines in early 2025 after a run from $0.0097 at the start of September 2024 to an all-time high of $1.56 in January. 

While ecosystem features are fairly limited—just a token-burning mechanism and an NFT collection known as Project AEON—its traction remains strong. A dip back to $0.50 makes this meme coin one of the best altcoins to buy in 2025, with new all-time highs expected this year.

Berachain: New liquidity-driven layer-1

Berachain is a new layer-1 that’s quickly rising and included in many lists of the top altcoins to watch. It uses a novel Proof-of-Liquidity setup, where staking liquidity powers network security instead of sitting idle. 

It’s built on the Cosmos SDK with full EVM compatibility, effectively merging Ethereum’s developer flexibility with Cosmos’ modular efficiency. Meanwhile, its tri-token system—BERA (gas), BGT (governance), and HONEY (stablecoin)—creates a capital-efficient economy that rewards liquidity providers. 

Supported by Polychain, Animoca, and Brevan Howard, Berachain’s BERA is trading at near $5.67 today, holding a market cap of $613 million. Proving that liquidity can drive an entire blockchain economy, Berachain ranks among the best altcoins to invest in this year. 

Ethena: The stablecoin innovator

Ethena is building a crypto-native alternative to traditional finance, starting with USDe, its next-generation stablecoin. Instead of fiat backing, it uses a delta-neutral strategy that balances long stETH and BTC positions with matching shorts in perpetual futures. This approach stabilizes USDe while generating yields of 9%—far exceeding a traditional savings account. 

Backed by big names like Binance, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, and Wintermute, Ethena is at the forefront of stablecoin innovation. This self-sustaining digital dollar has risen above Maker’s DAI in TVL, at $5.6 billion right now, despite only launching last year. Therefore, Ethena’s ENA is one of the most promising altcoins to watch in 2025.

Want to buy altcoins in 2025? Look no further 

These ten altcoins are on the bleeding edge of crypto. If history is anything to go on, these top altcoins will stand out in 2025 as adoption soars and investors pile in. Many are undervalued right now—load up on a bag for big potential profits as the year unfolds.