With Bitcoin halving on the horizon, the crypto market is entrenched in a bullish phase. Nearly all high market cap coins and tokens are currently trading in the green and may continue this trend in the immediate future. And as the market heats up, market capitalization becomes an even sharper lens. This metric reveals a clearer picture of the leading cryptos, acting as a crucial measure of both their value and investor confidence. In this guide, we explore some of the best crypto to buy now based on market cap and a number of other contributing factors. Plus, we cover how and where to securely buy these assets in May 2024.
Methodology
Following a months-long evaluation of leading cryptocurrency platforms, we’ve identified the best options for buying, trading, and storing your digital assets. Our rigorous assessment considered several key factors: ease of use, security, reliability, fees and surcharges, customer support, and of course, liquidity. Based on this comprehensive evaluation, some of the leading platforms that emerged as top contenders include Coinbase, YouHodler, Kraken, and OKX. Here’s some insight into why each platform is highlighted.
Coinbase:
- User-friendly interface: Coinbase is known for its user-friendly platform, making it easy for beginners to navigate and understand the trading process.
- High liquidity: As one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Coinbase offers high liquidity, ensuring that orders are executed quickly and at competitive prices.
- Regulatory compliance: Coinbase is a regulated exchange, adhering to strict compliance standards, which provides added security and transparency for users.
- Wide range of cryptocurrencies: Coinbase supports a diverse range of cryptocurrencies, allowing users to diversify their portfolios.
- Mobile app: Coinbase offers a user-friendly mobile app, enabling users to trade and manage their accounts on the go.
OKX:
- Advanced trading tools: OKX offers a comprehensive suite of advanced trading tools, including margin trading, futures trading, and spot trading, catering to experienced traders.
- Low trading fees: OKX is known for its competitive trading fees, making it an attractive choice for high-volume traders.
- Strong security measures: OKX implements robust security measures, such as cold storage for crypto assets, two-factor authentication, and advanced encryption protocols.
- Wide range of payment methods: OKX supports a variety of payment methods, including bank transfers, credit/debit cards, and various cryptocurrencies.
- Global reach: OKX operates in multiple countries and supports multiple languages, making it accessible to a global user base.
Kraken:
- Robust security: Kraken is renowned for its strong security measures, including advanced encryption, two-factor authentication, and rigorous storage protocols for user funds.
- High liquidity: As one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Kraken offers high liquidity across multiple trading pairs.
- Margin trading: Kraken offers margin trading options, allowing traders to leverage their positions and potentially increase their returns.
- Reasonable fees: Kraken’s trading fees are competitive, making it an attractive option for both beginner and experienced traders.
- Customer support: Kraken provides reliable and responsive customer support, ensuring that user inquiries and concerns are addressed promptly.
YouHodler:
- Secure storage: YouHodler is primarily focused on providing secure storage solutions for cryptocurrencies, making it an ideal choice for storing our newly purchased digital assets.
- Lending and borrowing services: YouHodler offers lending and borrowing services, allowing users to earn interest on their crypto holdings or use their assets as collateral for loans.
- Multi-signature wallets: YouHodler employs multi-signature wallets for enhanced security, ensuring that funds cannot be accessed without multiple authorization keys.
- User-friendly interface: YouHodler’s platform is designed with a user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to manage their crypto assets.
- Customer support: YouHodler provides reliable customer support to assist users with any inquiries or issues related to their services.
To learn more about BeInCrypto’s verification methodology, follow this link.
What are the best crypto to buy now?
1. Bitcoin (BTC)
Clocking in with a market cap exceeding $1.3 trillion, Bitcoin continues its reign supreme as the alpha crypto. Following a prolonged bearish phase, it has once again set on an upward trajectory that took it to a new all-time high of $73,750 in May 2024. The BTC/USD pair has surged nearly 155% on the yearly scale and over 1,700% on the five-year scale. This highlights Bitcoin’s potential for sustained growth — an aspect that has earned it the moniker “digital gold.”
Read more: How To Buy Bitcoin (BTC) and Everything You Need To Know
Where to buy
Where to trade
Want to know BTC’s possible trajectory in the coming years? Check our Bitcoin price prediction.
2. Ethereum (ETH)
Second only to Bitcoin in terms of market cap, Ethereum is another top-performing crypto that has proven itself as a reliable investment choice. With a market cap of around $425 billion, ETH is currently up nearly 100% year-on-year. The ETH/USD pair has surged almost 2,500% on the five-year scale. The increasing popularity of Ethereum products like the ENS, high-yield staking platforms, proposals for network improvements (EIPs), and NFT-focused token standards (ERCs) are powerful indicators of Ethereum’s growing potential as one of the best cryptos to buy now.
Read more: How to Buy Ethereum (ETH) and Everything You Need to Know
Where to buy
Where to trade
Want a glimpse of ETH’s possible future price? Check our Ethereum price prediction.
3. BNB (BNB)
BNB is the native asset on the BNB Chain blockchain. It has regularly ranked among the top cryptocurrencies since its launch in 2017. It primarily serves two purposes:
- BNB holders get discounted fees and functionalities on the Binance exchange.
- It is the native currency for gas fees on the BNB Chain (DApps).
Additionally, it is also a faster and cheaper alternative to Ethereum for deploying and using DApps.
BNB has a market cap of over $90 billion and is up 92.65% year-on-year. If you bought HODLing BNB for the past five years, you would have already accumulated a net profit of more than 3,600%.
Read more: How To Buy BNB and Everything You Need To Know
Where to buy
Where to trade
Trying to gauge BNB’s long-term potential as an investment? Check our BNB price prediction.
4. XRP (XRP)
XRP’s been kicking around the crypto space since 2012, and it’s still a popular pick for investors. With its growing list of uses and strategic partnerships, XRP still finds ample room in the investment strategies of the average savvy user.
XRP is the sixth-largest crypto by market cap ($35+ billion), and its price has marginally increased — just around 10% — compared to where it stood a year ago. However, the surge is nearly 200% on the five-year scale.
Read more: How To Buy XRP and Everything You Need To Know
Where to buy
Where to trade
Curious about XRP’s possible price trajectory in the coming years? Check our XRP price prediction.
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5. Dogecoin (DOGE)
Dogecoin was born out of a meme as a practical joke but eventually established itself as a cryptocurrency for serious investors. It occupies the eighth spot in the rankings of top cryptos by market cap ($30+ billion). Unlike assets like Bitcoin, DOGE doesn’t have a cap on the maximum possible supply. Ye, DOGE has witnessed sharp growth, to the tune of 184% year-on-year.
However, if we go further into the past, the DOGE price has surged by a whopping 102,909.89% since its launch in 2015.
Read more: How To Buy Dogecoin (DOGE) and Everything You Need To Know
Where to buy
Where to trade
How long before DOGE to the moon? Check our Dogecoin price prediction.
6. Solana (SOL)
Solana stands out as a smart contracts platform with an innovative architecture that shatters transaction speed barriers. It claims to have the ability to process thousands per second while keeping costs rock-bottom.
SOL’s price further reflects heightened activities on the network. It has increased by nearly 800% in the past year and by 22247.77% since its launch in May 2020.
With over $80 million in market cap, this leading altcoin stands at the fifth spot on the list of best crypto to buy now.
Read more: How to Buy Solana (SOL) and Everything You Need To Know
Where to buy
Where to trade
Want to know SOL’s future price trajectory? Check our Solana price prediction.
7. Cardano (ADA)
Cardano, a relative newcomer with a hefty $24 billion market cap, focuses on sustainability alongside impressive scalability and smart contract capabilities. ADA, the native asset on Cardano, coped with the prolonged bear market last year and has so far managed to give a decent ROI of just under 70% year-on-year. On the five-yearly scale, it has increased by almost 980%.
Read more: How To Buy Cardano (ADA) and Everything You Need To Know
Where to buy
Where to trade
Want to know which way will ADA sway in the coming months and years? Check our Cardano price prediction.
8. Tether (USDT)
With a market cap exceeding $104 billion, Tether (USDT) is the largest stablecoin around and the third-largest crypto overall. As a stablecoin, its value is always pegged to $1 USD, which enables investors to take refuge in it whenever they want to avoid the volatility of the crypto market. Widely accepted across exchanges, USDT usually acts as a bridge between traditional currencies and the crypto world.
Read more: 8 Best Crypto Wallets to Store Tether (USDT)
Where to buy
Where to trade
9. Avalanche (AVAX)
Having been through a lean patch for several months, AVAX finally started building momentum towards Q4 2023 and has not stopped since. It is currently ranked #10 in the list of top cryptocurrencies by market cap (over $20 billion). AVAX saw a staggering 211% increase in price in the past year and a staggering 1,065% increase since its launch in 2020. This positive trend is expected to continue over the foreseeable future, considering that transactions and web3 activity led by smart contracts are consistently rising. These factors combine to make AVAX one of the best cryptos to buy now.
Read more: How To Buy Avalanche (AVAX) and Everything You Need To Know
Where to buy
Where to trade
Curious how AVAX will fare in the medium to long run? Check our AVAX price prediction.
All figures used in this listicle are based on verified CoinMarketCap data from March 29, 2024.
How we chose the best crypto to buy now
With thousands of cryptos available, our aim was to present mostly well-established assets with proven track records rather than shining the light on “get rich quick” speculative ventures.
We meticulously considered several key factors while curating this list of the best crypto to buy now. Here’s a rundown of the key factors we considered while making this list:
- Accessibility: We prioritized cryptocurrencies that are readily available across various centralized and decentralized exchanges. The ability to trade directly with fiat currency is also a plus because it ensures a smooth buying and selling experience.
- Market validation: Every cryptocurrency featured in this list boasts a top-20 ranking in market capitalization. While not a sole quality indicator, a large market cap signifies significant community interest. These established coins are also less susceptible to manipulation, as significant capital is needed to move the market.
- Sector leaders: We highlighted primarily those projects that are frontrunners in their respective areas and represent the rich diversity within the blockchain and crypto space. This includes categories like proof-of-work vs. proof-of-state consensus mechanisms, decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), layer-2 scaling solutions, and even meme coins.
- The guiding hands: Transparency around the development team and their credentials is a hallmark of any reputable crypto project. Active development is another key metric. Projects that consistently innovate and adapt were more likely to catch our eye. While anonymity isn’t necessarily an absolute disqualifier — Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s creator, remains anonymous — it does raise a cautionary flag at times.
How to buy cryptocurrencies
If you have never bought crypto before, the steps may seem a little extensive at the beginning. However, it’s not really that different from investing in traditional assets such as stocks. Here’s a rundown of the process without delving into the technical nitty-gritty.
Choosing your platform
You have two options to choose from:
- Cryptocurrency exchanges: These platforms offer a wider variety of cryptocurrencies and are usually better suited for users with some experience. However, with growing competition, more and more exchanges these days are focusing on making their platforms suitable for new users as well. Coinbase, Binance, OKX, Bybit, and YouHodler are leading examples of crypto exchanges following that trend.
- Cryptocurrency brokers: Designed for a broader audience, brokers offer user-friendly interfaces but may have limited crypto selections. Robinhood and SoFi are popular choices for beginners. Beware, though — some brokers may restrict users from moving their crypto holdings elsewhere.
Setting up your account
Once you’ve chosen your platform, the next step is to create and verify your account. While not all platforms ask you to go through the KYC (Know Your Customer) process, it is becoming increasingly common as an industry standard. Most prominent platforms have a mandatory KYC requirement to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. Depending on the platform, you might need to submit identification documents like a driver’s license or passport.
Funding your account
Before you can buy crypto, you’ll need to deposit funds. Most platforms allow you to link your bank account or use a debit card for deposits.
Placing your order
Storing your crypto
Cryptocurrency exchanges are not always the most secure storage option. That is why you should ideally consider transferring your crypto stash to a non-custodial wallet for enhanced security. There are two main wallet types:
- Hot wallets: These are convenient, online wallets accessible via your computer, phone, or tablet. However, their internet connection makes them more susceptible to theft.
- Cold wallets: Unlike hot wallets, cold wallets are not always connected to the internet. This makes them less vulnerable to malicious elements such as hackers or malware. Keep your key secure, though. While cold wallets are usually extremely secure, losing your key could mean losing your crypto forever.
Be strategic when buying crypto
With any investment, understanding the long-term potential is crucial. For instance, Bitcoin has established itself as a reliable store of value. Similarly, Ethereum has a verifiable track record as the go-to platform for smart contracts, NFTs, metaverse coins, etc. Such versatile utility underlines its potential as an investment choice. Beyond these giants, there are several high-potential crypto projects with promising outlooks. Take XRP, for example, which has partnered with over 200 banks, proving its potential for mainstream adoption.
While this guide provides a glimpse into the best crypto to buy now as of May 2024 and offers insights into reputable platforms for buying, storing, and trading these assets, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all recommendation to invest. Conduct a thorough risk assessment and consider factors like your financial situation and risk tolerance before choosing to invest.
Frequently asked questions
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