List of Best Cryptos to Buy Today (2024) for the Long-Term

The cryptocurrency market has evolved over the years, and today, it is a bustling space with new tokens sprouting by the hour. The global crypto market was valued at USD 4.67 billion in 2022 with a CAGR of 12.5%, posing itself as a lucrative investment opportunity for retail traders, investors, stakers and financial institutions.

Surprisingly, there are more than 13,000 crypto tokens in existence. Having plenty of options makes it difficult for investors to pick the most suitable cryptos for their long-term financial goals.

For this reason, we have curated this list of the best crypto coins to buy today, evaluating the project/protocol's features and upcoming developments, the token's price history, long-term viability, the competitive landscape, and macroeconomic influences on the project/token.

Read on to discover the most sought-after crypto tokens in the market today and facts on why they are worthy of long-term investment. Whether you are a beginner in the crypto market or a seasoned investor, this list of the best cryptos to invest in would certainly fit well in your crypto bucket. We also list the pros and cons of each token, encouraging investors to supplement the information below and conduct their due research before making investments.

1. Bitcoin (BTC)

Bitcoin Overview

Bitcoin is the foremost cryptocurrency in the world and still one of the best crypto to invest in. Created in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin is protected through the proof-of-work consensus and runs on a blockchain or a digital ledger distributed across a network of thousands of computers. It can be used to make online payments or traded on crypto exchanges.

Bitcoin has now become a household name and is the most relatable and famous crypto in the world. From its humble beginnings in 2009-2010, when 1 Bitcoin was less than $0.01, Bitcoin has emerged as nothing short of the digital gold of the 21st century and a useful asset in traditional finance. Even if one were to compare the price of Bitcoin in June 2016 to its price in June 2024, the percentage increase is an astounding 12,413%. Bitcoin's year-on-year return.

Also Read: Bitcoin (BTC) Price Prediction 2023-2030 (in USD and INR)

Why is Bitcoin the best crypto to buy today for the long-term?

As crypto awareness and user base increase, demand for Bitcoin will only surge. However, the number of new coins miners earn is to be halved every four years due to Bitcoin's halving. So, the healthy balance between demand and supply is well-maintained, keeping the price of Bitcoin up.

Some market experts believe that the next Bitcoin halving event in 2028 is expected to take the price of this token to $1 million. It would be no surprise if this milestone was achieved, as the biggest names in business have invested in Bitcoin, including Tesla, Coinbase, Pantera Capital, PayPal Holdings, and Nvidia.

With 11 Bitcoin ETFs already in operation and being approved earlier this year, the stamp of regulatory approval is also on Bitcoin's report card. Bitcoin is now beginning to tap into the world of AI. Bitcoin miners are exploring how leveraging AI can bring down operational costs and make the token more energy efficient.

Bitcoin Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Easy to understand and operate
• The most well-established crypto in the world
• Drives crypto market sentiment

Cons:

• Consumes a lot of energy in the transaction approval process.

2. Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum Overview

Ethereum is the second most popular crypto after Bitcoin. It scores a notch above Bitcoin as it has many more use cases in comparison, which are being leveraged to create several web3 products and services such as DeFi services, smart contracts, layer 2 solutions, dApps and more.

Ethereum was launched in July 2015 under the code name "Frontier". It initially started as a proof-of-stake blockchain but transitioned into a proof-of-work (PoW) protocol in 2022. Thanks to its shift to PoW, Ethereum has constantly reinvented itself and gone from being one of the biggest polluters to an eco-friendly crypto.

At the time of writing, a whopping 57 billion in total assets are locked (TVL) in Ethereum projects. With the Ethereum NFTs being given legal status, ETH will certainly see a boom in its value in the coming years, proving to be the best crypto to buy today for the long term.

Also Read: Ethereum Price Prediction 2024 After ETF Approval: How High Will Ethereum Go in 2024?

Why is Ethereum the best crypto to buy today for the long term?

Ethereum launched its native token ETH in 2014-2015 for $.31 per coin. Today, the price of Ethereum is a massive 11,07,319.354% higher. Although, it may seem like the price of this token couldn't go any higher, beginners in the crypto market aren't late in joining the party. Ethereum plans to improve scalability and user experience of its platform. Ethereum also has Danksharding on the horizon, enabling the Ethereum network to process the bundled transactions that come from layer two roll ups without storing all their data permanently. The Prague/Electra upgrade will add Verkle trees to the blockchain's execution layer.

Ethereum Pros & Cons

Pros:

• A scalable, secure and eco-friendly blockchain.
• Poised to be a stable blockchain for layer-2 solutions, increasing its usability in transactions.

Cons:

• Higher transaction fees in comparison to other blockchains.

3. Solana (SOL)

Solana Overview

Founded in 2018 by Anatoly Yakovenko, Solana is a speedy decentralized blockchain with a distinctive architecture boasting arguably the fastest crypto ecosystem. This smart contracts platform has a unique Proof of History consensus mechanism that processes thousands of transactions per second while keeping the costs low. It is one of the cheapest platforms, with average users paying $.001 per transaction.

This decentralized blockchain platform is also one of the fastest-growing projects nicknamed an "Ethereum killer".

SOL, Solana's native currency, is used to pay for its transaction fees and staking. Launched in 2020, SOL was the top-performing crypto token in 2023. Going forward, market experts predict that Solana will play a central role in the decentralised crypto world.

Also Read: Can Solana Reach $1,000?

Why is Solana the best crypto to buy today for the long-term?

SOL was launched in April 2020 at a launch price of $0.9511. At the time of writing, it is trading at $150.64, a massive 15738.50%25 increase. Although the 2022 crypto near run has not been kind to Solana, causing the value of SOL to drop 90%25 compared to its 2021 highs, the token has redeemed itself through technical upgrades and strategic partnerships.

Looking forward, Solana has a roadmap lined with upgrades and improvements. This ever-updating platform aims to improve blockchain scalability. Updates on Solana core will focus on making it more safe and efficient. Token-22, the new token standard of Solana, will facilitate ownership transfers, royalties and payments. Solana also aims to integrate with Ethereum and Polygon to facilitate network interoperability. The Solana ecosystem has also introduced a new ZK compression technology that significantly reduces the cost of storing certain information on Solana. Although Solana is one of the most scalable platforms, ZK compression is poised to take its efficiency above. The upcoming Firedancer validators also enable Solana to support earlier infeasible blockchain use cases. Considering these factors, Solana is undoubtedly the best crypto for the next bull run.

Solana Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Solana is gaining momentum in the non-fungible token (NFT) world.
• Proof of History verification process is less energy-intensive, more scalable, and has no negative environmental impact as with Bitcoin.
• Hosts some of the best meme coins.

Cons:

• Reliability is an issue as Solana has repeatedly struggled with network outages, one as recently as Feb 2024.
• Solana does not have a total supply or a fixed number of coins yet. Hence, its deflationary nature raises a question about its future price predictions.

4. Ripple (XRP)

Ripple Overview

Ripple is one of the oldest crypto companies that has kept itself current amidst the new technologies and platforms. Ripple is a popular global payments network that is a crypto-version of the SWIFT banking system. Formerly known as OpenCoin, this blockchain technology does not function like other traditional or decentralized platforms. It is based on an XRP Ledger Consensus protocol framework wherein retail investors or platform users cannot become transaction validators. Rather, this privilege is exercised by specific authorities called validators. Currently, the XRP Ledger Foundation and Ripple are known to publish recommended default lists of high-quality validators, based on past performance, proven identities, and responsible IT policies. These validators are participants on the network itself who meet certain infrastructure requirements and profile requirements. This process ensures transparent and secure transactions in the cryptosystem.

Although Ripple has been embroiled in a legal battle with the SEC since 2020 wherein the regulatory body accused Ripple Labs of offering unregistered securities worth $1.3 billion, this has not affected the price of the Ripple coin much. Ripple emerged partially victorious from the case.

Also Read: Ripple (XRP) Price Prediction

Why is Ripple the best crypto to buy today for the long-term?

This San Francisco-based fintech company has truly revolutionized cross-border payments. Ripple has partnered with several Asian banks and payment providers to send large blocks of transactions worldwide at a minimal cost. Although Ripple has managed to attract retail investors in the peer-to-peer transactions space, its real win has been its alliance with major corporations.

Launched in 2012 at a price of 1 cent and plummeting to an all-time low of $0.002 in May 2014, XRP has rallied to a current price of $0.47, a whopping 2249.99% increase from May 2014.

The XRP Army has proposed major upgrades in the Ripple Ledger Set that will revolutionize its functionality. The upgrade aims to enhance user experience and versatility through the integration of digital identity and advanced DeFi solutions. The introduction of a lending protocol, community engagements, and NFToken escrows is in the offing.

Also, since the SEC is off Ripple's back, the XRP Army is charging towards an upward rally. In April 2024, Ripple launched a new stablecoin backed 100% by US dollar deposits, short-term US Treasuries and other cash equivalents. Ripple plans to publish monthly attestations from third-party accounting firms to increase transparency and investor trust for its stablecoin.

Ripple Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Ripple's unique payments ecosystem is transparent and secure.
• Low token price provides an easy entry opportunity for retail investors.

Cons:

• Ripple's maximum supply is 100,000,000,000 XRP. This significantly large supply means it is unlikely that XRP will ever be scarce, hence the demand-supply dynamics aren't leveraged by Ripple.
• Ripple has been under the SEC scanner for years now. However, its win over the SEC is close but not confirmed yet.

5. Dogecoin (DOGE)

Dogecoin Overview

What started off as an internet joke on Bitcoin is today one of the leading meme coins in the crypto world. Dogecoin is based on the popular "Doge" meme and has gained strong community support and endorsement from several prominent figures such as Elon Musk and Vitalik Buterin.

In 2013, Jackson Palmer and Billy Markus invented Dogecoin as a parody cryptocurrency based on the popular Japanese dog Shiba Inu. Setting a supply cap of 100 billion coins and making it a fork of LuckCoin offering zero rewards or staking benefits are some of the whacky things the founders did to make the crypto unattractive. Little did they know that this would mark the beginning of a whole new type of crypto tokens called meme coins.

Also Know: Dogecoin Price After 10 Years

Why is Dogecoin the best crypto to buy today for the long-term?

Interestingly, Dogecoin has no intrinsic value and has got this far purely based on community support, low costs and its secure algorithm that is less susceptible to hacking than centralized payment providers. Dogecoin is a decentralized -source, peer-to-peer digital currency that uses Litecoin's Scrypt algorithm as proof of work. Market experts believe this meme coin has a strong growth potential thanks to its thriving community.

In December 2013, Dogecoin started trading at a price of $0.00. From nothing to a current price of $.13, Dogecoin is a crypto to reckon with. Dogecoin also houses DogeTipBot, a crypto tipping service that has contributed to its price rise. Additionally, holders of this meme coin actively use it for donation and charitable endeavours thanks to its shorter block generation time and low costs. Miners can also produce new Dogecoins as a reward for verifying transactions.

The more Dogecoin appears on online communities and forums, the more its price soars. Even if market analysts attach a bearish sentiment to the meme coin, the buzz about the coin reroutes it on a bullish trajectory. The robust and expanding community backing Dogecoin doesn't seem like it will stop anytime soon. Today, Dogecoin remains among the top 12 cryptocurrencies by total market cap and is a frontrunner in the mammoth $51.54 billion meme coin market, which has 250+ cryptos.

Dogecoin Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Strong community support that includes famous personalities such as Elon Musk, Snoop Dogg, Bill Gates and Serena Williams
• Dogecoin enjoys a robust cultural relevance.

Cons:

• Dogecoin does not have as much scope for technical innovation as its competitors due to the meme origins of the token.

6. Cardano (ADA)

Cardano (ADA) Overview

Cardano is the brainchild of Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, founded in 2015 as an open-source third-generation blockchain. Blockchain 3.0 aims to overcome the limitations of earlier blockchains by offering faster cross-border payments, scalability, improved efficiency and smart contracts functionality. Thanks to these features, Cardano allows the development of decentralized apps, games, crypto tokens and more on its blockchain.

Cardano works on the same basic principles as Ethereum or Solana but has a distinct feature of two layers of technology-one for transferring value and another for tracking ledger balances. It works on the proof-of-stake concept and was one of the earliest blockchains to adopt this environmentally friendly consensus mechanism.

ADA, Cardano's native token, was launched in September 2017 through an initial coin offering (ICO). The project raised more than $60 million by selling 26 billion tokens to investors for $.0024 per token, following which an additional 5 billion tokens were distributed to Cardano Foundation, IOHK, and Emurgo. At the time of writing, the price per ADA token is $.38, a sizeable increase of 15733.33%! Participants use ADA to pay transaction fees on the platform as well as rewards to validators for running the proof of stake system.

Also Read: Will ADA Hit $100?

Why is Cardano (ADA) the best crypto to buy today for the long term?

Many factors give Cardano a worthy spot in your crypto bucket. Cardano currently has over 1,300 projects building on its ecosystem, offering a variety of decentralized services, NFT applications, games, and more. In fact, one among them is zkFold, a zero-knowledge scalability project, a protocol that is gaining traction in the crypto world.

Also, Cardano's Chang Hard Fork update, which was due to go live in Q2, is in the offing. For the uninitiated, Chang Hark Fork in simple terms is a change in programming that allows new features or developments on the blockchain. All users of the blockchain are required to upgrade to the new chain to continue using the platform.

The Cardano Node 9.0 update which prepares the blockchain for the Chang Hardfork update was launched in June 2024, ushering in a landmark event in Cardano's history. This update is certain to cause a surge in ADA's price.

Additionally, Cardano is a blockchain that boasts tremendous community activity on GitHub, an open-source developers and coders hub. This shows the support and involvement the project enjoys among crypto enthusiasts. All in all, these factors make Cardano a good long-term investment for beginners as well as seasoned investors.

Cardano (ADA) Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Energy-efficient, scalable and secure blockchain.

Cons:

• Cardano is yet to achieve widespread adoption. There are fewer DApps and smart contracts available on the Cardano platform than on Ethereum.

7. Uniswap (UNI)

Uniswap Overview

Uniswap is an open-sourced decentralized exchange (DEX), the first of its kind, that pioneered the automated market maker mechanism in 2018. Uniswap was initially launched on Ethereum but has now spread its operations across 11 blockchains, including Base, Polygon, and BSE.

This platform has evolved to create its ecosystem of governance systems, stablecoins and analytics platforms, making it a cornerstone in the DeFi space. It has consolidated its position as the most preferred DeFi platform for retail investors, proving itself to be one of the best cryptos to buy now in 2024. It has generated twice the amount of fees in May-June 2024 compared to any other decentralized exchange, amounting to $100 million, ranking highest among the top 20 DEXs.

UNI is Uniswap's native governance token. It launched in September 2020 via airdrop and is trading at $9.38 at the time of writing.

Also Read: Uniswap (UNI) Price Prediction 2024, 2025-2050. Is UNI Crypto a Good Investment?

Why is Uniswap the best crypto to buy today for the long-term?

The second half of 2024 has plenty in store for Uniswap. Uniswap's next unlock in July 2024 is shortly followed by another unlock in August 2024 both ushering into circulation 0.83%25 each of the total token supply, which is a great way to attract new investors in the token.

The second half of 2024 will also see the launch of Uniswap V4, which enables developers to customize liquidity pools by attaching smart contracts. With features such as flash accounting, built-in oracles, and advanced automated market maker functionality, this revolutionary protocol is a true game-changer in the DEX space. It will reduce gas costs and slash the cost of creating new liquidity pools by 99%.

Moreover, tremendous developments and increasing investor interest in decentralized finance (DeFi) will work in Uniswap’s favour, with the De-Fi trends in 2024 pointing towards an upward trajectory for UNI.

The UNI token is all set to benefit from these developments in the Uniswap protocol, a positive macroeconomic environment, and positive investor sentiment towards it.

Uniswap Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Ranks #1 among 20 DEXs
• Uniswap V4 shows a promising future thanks to the introduction of the hooks feature that allows developers to customize liquidity pools by attaching smart contracts to it. Uniswap V4 will also increase efficiency and flexibility and reduce gas costs.

Cons:

• Highly volatile crypto

8. Cosmos (ATOM)

Cosmos (ATOM) Overview

Cosmos is a network designed to allow different blockchain platforms to operate with each other. Built using the Cosmos SDK framework, Cosmos is lauded for its low transaction cost ($0.01 per transaction) and fast transaction time. The Cosmos network is coordinated by the Cosmos Hub, powered by a robust proof-of-stake consensus. The Cosmos Hub also facilitates transactions outside the Cosmos ecosystem, with blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The different blockchains within the Cosmos ecosystem communicate and transact through a system called the ICB (Inter-Blockchain Communication).

The native token of the Cosmos ecosystem is called ATOM.

Why is Cosmos the best crypto to buy today for the long-term?

168 million Atom tokens were sold in just 28 minutes through an Initial Coin Offering by the Cosmos team in April 2017, at a price of $0.098 each. The Cosmos team also withheld 50 million tokens for partnerships and future developments.

If we look at Cosmos's historical price chart, it has been a busy pendulum. Shortly after recording its ATH in January 2022 due to the ecosystem's expansion to 28 live interconnected chains and a Theta upgrade, Atom succumbed to the bear market in 2022-2023.

Coming into 2024, Atom is showing promise thanks to its upcoming Hub Support for the IBC protocol. The recent advancements to Atom 2.0 have greatly improved the network's functionalities and economic landscape. It also includes a new token issuance scheme that is certain to boost the platform development and partnerships. Gravity DEX, a brainchild of the Cosmos Hub, is also a major flex for the community, enabling decentralized trading between any two Cosmos tokens. It is also a bridging solution in bringing Ethereum assets to Cosmos. Suppose you look at the project's commit activity on the public platform GitHub and the Tendermint consensus. In that case, the voluminous coding activity and community involvement in the Cosmos ecosystem reflects its promising future.

Cosmos (ATOM) Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Innovative technology & strong community support
• Interoperability is a big selling point for Cosmos as it allows several blockchains to access assets from each other.

Cons:

• Cosmos faces stiff competition from similar platforms offering interoperability, such as Polkadot and Cardano

9. Toncoin (TON)

Toncoin Overview

Initially, the brainchild of Telegram messenger, Toncoin is now led by an organization called the Open Network (TON) Foundation. However, Toncoin still enjoys various services and solutions from the Telegram team, such as allowing Telegram app users to access their TON Space wallet from the app. This scalable blockchain with smart contracts functionality and proof-of-stake consensus mechanism.

Why is Toncoin the best crypto to buy today for the long-term?

Toncoin has big things in store for it that make it one of the most promising and best crypto investments for the long term. Crypto venture capital firm Pantera has made its biggest investment yet in the TON Foundation. Although there is no official word on the deal terms and investment volume, it is said that 20% of the investment is reserved for new public tokens. Taking things further, Pantera is again raising new funds to invest in the Ton ecosystem, inviting interested parties for a minimum investment of $250,000. This extremely bullish sentiment from Pantera has catapulted Toncoin to the top ten cryptocurrencies in 2024. Ton was also recently listed on Bitget, attracting a fresh influx of funds and users.

Ton recently touched its new ATH of $8.25 as Ton TVL surged 77% in June 2024. For a coin that launched in 2018 and was trading at $1.3 in June 2024, the percentage return is a massive 470%. What's more, Toncoin has over 32 million users on its Network. It has recently gained a regulatory boost and entered the Kazakhstan crypto market. With strong market fundamentals and integration with Telegram's ecosystem, Ton should certainly find a spot in your crypto investment bucket.

Also Read: Toncoin Price Prediction 2024-2050

Toncoin Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Integration with the renowned social messaging app Telegram.
• High transaction speed.
• Rich ecosystem and scalable blockchain.

Cons:

• Ton has high competition
• It is challenging to become a validator on the Ton network, reserving this privilege for a few rich individuals.

10. Mina Protocol (MINA)

Mina Protocol Overview

Mina Protocol is the lightest blockchain designed for secure, scalable, and decentralized applications using zero-knowledge technology. Its size is a mere 22 kilobytes at all times. Its lightweight nature is extremely relevant for traders and users who access the crypto market from their phones. Also, with zero-knowledge technology set to become a landmark trend in the crypto world, the Mina protocol could be a frontrunner.

For the uninitiated, zero-knowledge protocol (ZKP) refers to the method of validating a transaction without revealing any other details or giving access to the data. ZKP allows for increased security and safeguarding of sensitive information, making it a boon for the banking and financial markets.

Mina Protocol was created by O(1) Labs in 2017 and launched its native token MINA in April 2021 at a launch price of $3.26.

Why is Mina Protocol the best crypto to buy today?

Mina Protocol has arguably one of the most comprehensive roadmaps in the crypto world. It covers trust minimization, building the Minaverse, and charting out a timeline to develop the Mina Protocol as a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).

Mina blockchain also has strong VC backing from industry biggies such as Three Arrows Capital, Pantera Capital and Circle Ventures, led by FTX ventures.

Although the MINA token has suffered a bearish run since its launch, market experts believe a strong turnaround and an upward trajectory are imminent. All in all, Mina is indeed the best crypto to buy now if you are looking for massive returns in the future.

Mina Protocol Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Lightest blockchain in the market that is accessible from any device
• Easy and fast transaction verification

Cons:

• Low handling capacity compared to other blockchains like Ripple and Solana

FAQs

Which crypto is best for the long term?

The best long-term crypto investments have strong fundamentals, upcoming upgrades in their protocol and services and steady historical price growth. Thanks to their secure frameworks, versatility and consistent price growth, Bitcoin and Ethereum are two of the most reliable crypto tokens to invest in. Aside from these tokens, investors can also look for smaller cryptocurrencies that can potentially deliver big gains such as Toncoin and Ripple (XRP). Ripple is a popular global payments network that is a crypto-version of the SWIFT banking system and has revolutionised cross-border payments. Investors must conduct due diligence before investing in the volatile and uncertain cryptocurrency market.

Which crypto will boom in 2024?

Cryptos with a stable track record and a robust development plan for 2024 are likely to boom this year. Solana, Cosmos (ATOM) and Toncoin are some cryptos with a strong developmental inclination for the coming months. Toncoin has secured Pantera Capital's biggest investment yet and is poised to receive another influx of capital. The voluminous coding activity and community involvement in the Cosmos ecosystem reflect a promising future for this token. These cryptocurrencies will likely see a boom in 2024. It is important for investors to conduct thorough research before investing in the crypto market.

Which is the best crypto to buy for the next Bull Run?

Dogecoin has seen a surge in network usage and community support in the last few months. Also, this memecoin has proved itself as a stable investment over the years. At the time of writing, Dogecoin has delivered an 87% return from its price last year in July 2023. Aside from Dogecoin, Bitcoin and Ethereum are stable cryptos to buy for the next Bull Run. Investors are advised to conduct thorough research before investing in the crypto market.

Which is the best buy crypto for 2024?

Solana, Ripple (XRP), Dogecoin and Ethereum are some of the best buys in the crypto market for 2024. Solana and Ripple have plenty of upgrades and developments in the offing, and Dogecoin is predicted to pioneer the bull run for meme coin in late 2024. With Ethereum ETFs getting the regulatory nod, this token is a worthy investment for 2024. Researching specific tokens and the crypto market, in general, is advisable before making investments.

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