Finding the best altcoins to buy can be a difference maker between enjoying a strong portfolio performance and holding “bags” in the red zone. However, given the abundance of new altcoins to invest in and a plethora of established projects, making a selection of the best altcoins for 2024 can be quite challenging.
With the crypto winter and the general negative market trend finally reversing its course in the second half of last year, we’ve put together a list of the best altcoins to buy in 2024, which features a combination of established crypto staples, newcomers to the space, and a few smaller market-cap currencies with strong upside potential.
Here’s our list of the best altcoins to buy in 2024:
- Ethereum – The best altcoin to invest in 2024
- Solana – A strong contender in the DeFi and NFT sector
- NEAR Protocol – Highly scalable blockchain with sharding
- Shiba Inu – One of the best memecoin projects
- Optimism – A leading layer 2 solution for Ethereum
- BNB – The top challenger to Ethereum’s DeFi supremacy
- Kaspa – A performant distributed ledger with a unique architecture
- Cosmos – Building the “Internet of Blockchains” powered by ATOM
- Stacks – A platform that extends the functionality of Bitcoin
- Render Network – Decentralized GPU rendering network
- Arweave – The most advanced distributed storage altcoin project
- Toncoin – An efficient blockchain with Telegram messenger integrations
- Bittensor – Decentralized platform for machine intelligence
- Helium – Decentralized wireless network infrastructure
- Ondo Finance – Platform for tokenization of real-world assets
15 Best Altcoins to Buy: Examining the best and new altcoins to invest in 2024
The following selection includes a number of top altcoins that hold promise for robust market performance in 2023. They range from the biggest crypto assets in the industry to lesser-known projects, so there is a very decent chance you’ll find a project that’s right for you.
1. Ethereum – The best altcoin to invest in 2024
Starting any list of best altcoins to buy without including Ethereum (ETH) is impossible. The second largest crypto by market cap and by far the largest decentralized finance (DeFi) platform in the space is easily one of the best altcoins to buy right now. With the successful transition to the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism in September 2022, the network became over 99.9% more energy efficient and set the stage for upcoming scalability improvements that are set to boost Ethereum’s transaction per second (TPS) count from today’s 15 to 100,000 in the future.
Launched in 2015, after a 2013 whitepaper published by its co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum is the leading smart contract platform in the industry, accounting for a nearly six times larger total value locked (TVL) as the second-placed TRON ($43.4 billion compared to $8.19 billion, per DeFiLlama). For the time being, Ethereum seems to be retaining the upper hand over Cardano, Solana, and other “Ethereum killers”.
Why is Ethereum a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
Ethereum's projected investment growth over 5 years, with an initial investment of $1,000 and a monthly contribution of $100. For more details, visit our Ethereum profit calculator. (The projection assumes 86.1% CAGR, based on Ethereum performance over the last 5Y)
Ethereum is the backbone for thousands of crypto projects that depend on its blockchain. From popular decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Uniswap and dYdX to a number of liquid staking services and numerous digital assets living on the Ethereum blockchain, including NFTs, the crypto space as we know it today wouldn’t exist without Ethereum. Ultimately, an investment in ETH is a bet on the long-term success of the crypto industry.
A strong point to consider in favor of Ethereum is its relatively poor market performance compared to some other top cryptos. Whereas Bitcoin, Solana, Cardano, Avalanche, and many others recorded 150%+ gains in 2023, Ethereum grew by "only" 85%, which could potentially mean that there's a lot of room for growth for the world's largest altcoin throughout 2024.
In addition, Ethereum is widely considered to be the next cryptocurrency to get its own spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the US, following the launch of a Bitcoin spot ETF earlier this year. That could attract significant amounts of capital from institutional investors and elevate the value of Ethereum.
2. Solana – A strong contender in the DeFi and NFT sector
Solana is a high-performance blockchain network designed to support decentralized applications and crypto projects at scale. Its innovative architecture utilizes a combination of unique technologies to achieve high throughput and fast transaction speeds, capable of processing thousands of transactions per second. Using a Proof of History (PoH) consensus mechanism alongside Proof of Stake (PoS), Solana ensures rapid transaction finality and low transaction costs.
Moreover, Solana's ecosystem continues to expand, fostering a vibrant community of developers, entrepreneurs, and projects leveraging its capabilities. Its growing ecosystem includes DeFi applications, NFT marketplaces, gaming projects, and more, showcasing the versatility and potential of the Solana blockchain.
Why is Solana a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
Solana has attracted a growing community of developers, building a diverse ecosystem of projects, including decentralized applications, smart contracts, and decentralized finance protocols. This has allowed Solana to reject its 2022 market bottom – which followed the collapse of FTX, one of Solana's biggest backers – in a spectacular fashion. In the last quarter of 2023, Solana mounted a +400% rally, capping off its impressive run by reaching above $99 for the first time since 2021.
For a moment, SOL overtook XRP and BNB to become the crypto market's 4th most valuable asset, trailing only Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether. If the trend continues, we could easily see Solana not only break its previous ATH of $260 but reach new heights in 2024. In fact, our SOL price prediction forecasts the currency to reach $343 by the end of December, which would be about +250% above its current price.
3. NEAR Protocol – Highly scalable blockchain with sharding
NEAR Protocol is a layer 1 blockchain designed to enable widespread adoption of web3 through its implementation of the Nightshade sharding mechanism and a Proof-of-Stake consensus algorithm. The NEAR platform is built for scalability and offers an environment that is accessible and developer-friendly.
The team behind NEAR is positioning the platform to serve as a foundational operating system for web3, empowering developers to create applications using popular programming languages like JavaScript. Additionally, NEAR more efficient app development by allowing developers to leverage components shared by the community. A unique feature of NEAR is its ability to onboard users who have no prior cryptocurrency holdings, making it particularly accessible for newcomers to web3 technologies.
Transactions on the NEAR Protocol reach finality in under three seconds and cost less than $0.01 in fees. As the rollout of Nightshade sharding progresses, the platform is expected to achieve even greater levels of scalability.
Why is NEAR Protocol a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
NEAR Protocol has seen substantial growth recently, as evidenced by the State of NEAR Q1 2024 report from Messari. NEAR’s active addresses in the first quarter of 2024 increased to 1.2 million, displaying 377% growth over a six-month period. The number of transactions facilitated by NEAR Protocol grew by 538% in the same time period.
The price of NEAR, the native asset of the NEAR Protocol, is up 104% on a year-to-date basis at the time of writing. Since the start of 2024, NEAR has ascended from #26 to #17 in the cryptocurrency market cap rankings.
Per Messari’s report, blockchain gaming is one of the key drivers of NEAR’s adoption, with projects such as Sweat and Playember seeing considerable use. Other standout applications built on the NEAR Protocol include the KAIKAINOW social platform and the HOT Wallet.
4. Shiba Inu – One of the best memecoin projects
Shiba Inu made its debut as an "experiment in decentralized community building" in August 2020, and what followed was a historic market run that saw the price of SHIB increase by millions of percent, propelling Shiba Inu to the top ranks of the world's most successful crypto projects.
The Shiba Inu ecosystem boasts a range of innovative features, including the native ShibaSwap decentralized exchange (DEX) platform, the SHIB Burning Portal, and a mixture of NFT and metaverse offerings. This ecosystem is powered by a trio of tokens – SHIB, LEASH, and BONE – and is loosely headed by Shytoshi Kusama, the volunteer project lead who commands the allegiance of the "Shib Army," an active social media following of more than one million users.
Why is Shiba Inu a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
There are several reasons why Shiba Inu is one of the best cheap altcoins you can buy right now. As we’ve already established, a strong community, which is often a strong indication of positive market performance, is a given. However, the launch of Shibarium layer 2 for Shiba Inu in 2023 could be the real game changer, lowering fees and making the network that much more efficient. These are just some of the reasons why Shiba Inu tops our list of the best cryptos under 1 cent.
5. Optimism – A leading layer 2 solution for Ethereum
Optimism is a layer 2 solution for Ethereum that leverages the so-called Optimistic Rollups technology (hence the name) to move a large majority of transaction and computation data off the layer 1 blockchain. This frees up the main chain and allows for cheaper and faster operations, unlocking more opportunities for DeFi, NFT, gaming, and other use cases that can quickly become prohibitively expensive when running on the main chain.
In May 2022, the Optimism team launched the Optimism (OP) token, which is the native governance token of the Optimism protocol. The token gives holders the ability to participate in the decision-making process involving project incentives, protocol upgrades, and the allocation of treasury funds. OP saw a simultaneous launch on several cryptocurrency exchanges, including Binance and KuCoin, which are widely considered as the best places to buy altcoins.
Why is Optimism a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
The number of transactions facilitated by Optimism. Source
Until Ethereum undergoes several planned scalability-focused upgrades that will boost the network's TPS in the realm of thousands (which could take years), layer 2 solutions like Optimism will continue unlocking the power of DeFi, blockchain gaming, and other use cases that require a high degree of transactional throughput. In June, the Bedrock upgrade rolled out on the Optimism mainnet, improving the usability of the chain by lowering fees and cutting transaction confirmation times by 90%. With unique governance mechanics and over $1 billion in gas fees saved since its launch, Optimism could be one of the best altcoin investments in 2024.
6. BNB – The top challenger to Ethereum’s DeFi supremacy
BNB is the native asset of BNB Chain, the third-largest cryptocurrency ecosystem in terms of decentralized applications (dApps) deployed and third in terms of TVL, with over $3.9 billion as of December 2023. Moreover, BNB is the native asset of Binance, a digital assets trading platform that accounts for the majority of all crypto trading volume. BNB enables Binance users to pay less on trading fees and unlocks several perks, like eligibility for Launchpad and Launchpool projects, crypto credit card cashback, and more.
In 2023, BNB Chain reached several major milestones – it surpassed Ethereum in terms of unique addresses with 390 million (compared to 243 million for Ethereum). In addition, it reached a yearly high transaction number of 5.3 million in May and a daily user peak of 1.37 million in that same month. Interestingly, these milestones came amid a prolonged crypto winter, which indicates that the crypto could see even more substantial growth when opportune market conditions arise.
While the SEC's lawsuit against Binance and the step down of its founder and original CEO Changpeng "CZ" Zhao are certainly big negatives, Binance still has a very large and loyal userbase and one of the most active DeFi networks in the world, which are both factors that could help BNB succeed in 2024.
Why is BNB a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
The BNB Beacon Chain, designed for staking and governance, once vital to BSC, is evolving ? ?
— BNB Chain (@BNBCHAIN) December 19, 2023
With changes in the blockchain landscape, redundancy and complexities prompt the discontinuation of the Beacon Chain.
Read ahead to learn more ? [1/5]https://t.co/8MfyU5vuRk
The impressive user metrics are a result of community growth and blockchain developments that have taken place in the past couple of months. BNB Sidechain, zkBNB, Binance Oracle, and AvengerDAO security initiative are just some of the developments that have enhanced the BNB-powered network in 2022. In 2023, the BNB Chain team launched opBNB, a layer 2 solution based on Optimism that further reduces fees and transaction processing times. Going forward, we could easily see BNB’s strong growth momentum starting to be reflected in the markets. Looking ahead, the BNB Chain team has revealed it plans to migrate Beacon Chain to BSC as a part of its 2024 roadmap. If successful, the migration could improve the network's efficiency, improve security, and align BNB Chain's architecture with the current technological demands and future growth.
7. Kaspa – A performant distributed ledger with a unique architecture
Kaspa is a distributed ledger that uses a blockDAG architecture instead of a blockchain. This architecture is based on a directed acyclic graph (DAG). More specifically, Kaspa’s implementation of blockDAG is called GHOSTDAG. This unique architecture allows Kaspa to add new blocks extremely quickly (currently at a rate of 1 block per second) and process transactions while requiring minimal fees.
The Kaspa ledger is secured through Proof-of-Work (PoW), and uses the kHeavyHash PoW algorithm, which is a modification of the SHA-256 algorithm used by Bitcoin. The Kaspa network is decentralized and permissionless, which means that anyone is free to join the network as a miner.
Why is Kaspa a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
Kaspa has been a strong performer in 2024 and one of the most profitable crypto to mine, growing 49.5% against the US dollar since January 1, 2024. Recently, Kaspa benefited from another catalyst for its growth, as United States-based cryptocurrency mining company Marathon Digital announced that it launched Kaspa mining operations.
The company has purchased 60 petahash worth of Kaspa mining hardware (Bitmain’s KS3, KS5, and KS5 Pro miners), although only half of Marathon Digital’s Kaspa miners are operating at the moment. The firm estimates that it will have 16% of Kaspa’s global hashrate once all its Kaspa mining hardware is deployed.
Marathon cited Kaspa’s “fair launch, technology and strong market position” as the main reasons why they decided to start mining it in addition to Bitcoin. The company also said that diversification of its digital assets portfolio was a key reason for launching Kaspa mining operations.
If you’re interested in getting started with Kaspa, make sure to check out our selection of the best Kaspa wallets.
8. Cosmos – Building the “Internet of Blockchains” powered by ATOM
Cosmos (ATOM) is a decentralized network of independent parallel blockchains that use BFT consensus algorithms like Tendermint consensus. It is designed to be an ecosystem of blockchains that can scale and interoperate with each other, overcoming the limitations of previous blockchain architectures that were siloed and unable to communicate with each other. Cosmos aims to address the issues of low scalability and difficulty in building blockchains by offering a new vision for the underlying technology.
Cosmos’ end goal is to create an “Internet of Blockchains”, or, in other words, a network of blockchains that will be able to communicate with each other in a decentralized manner. To this end, the Cosmos team has developed the Cosmos SDK, a modular framework that streamlines dApp development, and the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol, which allows blockchains to exchange data between one another in a decentralized way.
Why is Cosmos a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
Cosmos’ network is secured by the ATOM token holders, who, in return for securing the services on the Cosmos Hub, receive staking rewards. ATOM’s prospects of being a good altcoin to buy in 2024 hinge primarily on the Cosmos network’s user growth. One of the reasons for a positive outlook is the high number of active developers in the ecosystem, with Cosmos being the second most actively developed project, trailing only Polkadot and Cardano as of 2023.
9. Stacks – A platform that extends the functionality of Bitcoin
Stacks is a layer 2 platform that is secured by Bitcoin and offers smart contracts functionality. The goal of the project is to bring functionality such as decentralized finance and NFTs to the Bitcoin ecosystem. Stacks uses Bitcoin as its settlement layer to enable a decentralized and censorship-resistant platform for smart contracts.
The Stacks network is secured by "stacking", a process in which STX holders temporarily lock up their tokens to contribute to the network's security. In return for "stacking", users receive rewards in the form of BTC.
The vision of the Stacks project is to activate the large amounts of capital represented by Bitcoin through decentralized finance protocols, decentralized social media platforms, NFTs and other applications enabled by smart contracts.
Why is Stacks a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
This year, the Stacks community is looking forward to the project’s Nakamoto release, which will unlock sBTC, an asset that’s pegged to BTC one to one in a trustless manner. The release will also provide Stacks with transactions that are secured with Bitcoin finality, which will arguably make Stacks one of the most robust smart contracts platforms on the market.
The mainnet rollout of the Nakamoto release started with Bitcoin block #840,360. The mainnet upgrade is expected to occur in late August of 2024.
The full rollout plan of the Nakamoto release. 5 of the 6 steps have been completed as of writing this article.
10. Render Network – Decentralized GPU rendering network
Render Network is a decentralized platform that connects users needing GPU rendering with those who possess idle GPUs. It provides easier access to GPU rendering for users while allowing hardware owners to earn from their unused resources.
Although Render Network doesn't have a specific focus on AI, it can contribute to the increasing demand for AI by offering GPU computing power, which is crucial for technologies like ChatGPT. Render Network already supports generating images using deep learning models like Stable Diffusion.
Render Network’s incentive system was initially based on the Ethereum blockchain, but they have since migrated the RNDR token to Solana, which has become an attractive destination for dePIN projects looking to scale up to a larger number of users.
Why is Render Token a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
RNDR has been a tremendous performer as of late, gaining 451% against the US dollar in the last year. The token has benefited tremendously from the enthusiasm surrounding generative artificial intelligence, thanks to the Render Network’s ability to generate images with deep learning models.
In addition, Render Network has entered a partnership with OTOY, Stability AI and Endeavor to develop IP rights, workflows and infrastructure for AI-powered technologies. As part of the partnership, OTOY and Stability AI will collaborate to make AI models developed by Stability AI optimized for running on Render Network.
11. Arweave – The best distributed storage altcoin project
Decentralized data storage is one of the most revolutionary technological solutions enabled by blockchain technology. Arweave (AR) is building a censorship-resistant network for storing data that challenges the current cloud computing paradigm that is controlled by only a handful of companies, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
Arweave promises a permanent record of web content (called permaweb) – from websites and videos to articles and web apps – that can be retrieved quickly and is completely decentralized. Users are incentivized to maintain the permaweb with the AR token, the network’s native digital asset.
Why is Arweave a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
The number of daily transactions hit a 2-year high on December 19, 2023. Image source: ViewBlock
As the native utility token of the Arweave platform, AR fulfills several use cases, from being the mining fee payment currency to being the main currency to pay for distributed data storage on the network. Arweave has established several high-profile partnerships in 2022, including a deal with Meta that involves storing Instagram’s digital collectibles. While the project's development has stalled a bit since then, Arweave has seen a great deal of activity in recent weeks – both the number of active addresses and daily transactions have recently hit their 2-year highs, which speaks to the network's potential. If the user activity keeps growing, it's only a matter of time before the AR token follows suit.
12. Toncoin – An efficient blockchain with Telegram messenger integrations
TON Blockchain is a blockchain platform that uses Proof-of-Stake consensus and leverages multiple scaling technologies in a bid to support mass adoption. The native asset of the TON Blockchain, which is used to incentivize validators and pay for transactions fees, is called Toncoin.
Although it's a permissionless blockchain where anyone can serve as a validator, a very large number of TON is required to operate a validator. In practice, most Toncoin holders participate in the consensus process by delegating their coins to a validator.
The underlying technology used by Toncoin was initially developed by the team behind the popular private messenger Telegram. This project, which was named The Open Network, was halted after Telegram ran into trouble with securities regulators in the United States. Since then, Toncoin has transitioned to community-driven development and is no longer officially under the wing of Telegram. However, the Telegram app is still releasing various integrations with Toncoin.
Why is Toncoin a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
The developers of the Telegram messaging service are working with the TON Foundation to integrate Toncoin into the Telegram app. For instance, users can now directly access a Toncoin wallet from the Telegram menu. The TON Foundation is aiming to draw 30% of Telegram's over 800 million users to Toncoin by 2028.
If Toncoin does manage to successfully tap into Telegram's massive userbase, it could emerge as a top-performing cryptocurrency. However, it's important to keep in mind that Toncoin'Nonetheless, it's vital to recognize that Toncoin's growth potential may be limited by its already substantial market cap of $10.8 billion as of March 2024, which positions it as the 15th largest cryptocurrency in the market.
13. Bittensor – Decentralized platform for machine intelligence
Bittensor is a decentralized platform that provides a peer-to-peer market for machine intelligence. Bittensor consists of multiple subnets, which are specialized for particular tasks, for example text prompting, transcription or audio generation. There are currently more than 30 Bittensor subnets in operation.
Bittensor incorporates a very unique consensus mechanism called Yuma Consensus, which allows validators on different subnets to shape what the network should learn.
The computational resources required to perform machine learning tasks on the Bittensor network are provided by miners, and TAO tokens are used to incentivize them. Users who require machine learning services have to pay with TAO tokens to access them.
By providing a decentralized and cost-effective network of machine learning algorithms, Bittensor makes these advanced solutions accessible to everyday users.
Why is Bittensor a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
Bittensor is a compelling cryptocurrency for the 2024 bull run since it sits right at the intersection of AI and dePIN, which are two of the biggest trends in the crypto and blockchain space at the moment. At the time of writing, TAO is posting a +152% year-to-date change, which has helped it join the crypto top 30 in terms of market capitalization. TAO is currently the most valuable token in the AI crypto sector.
The TAO token has recently also benefited from a listing on the Binance cryptocurrency exchange. This listing is crucial, as it makes TAO easily accessible to tens of millions of cryptocurrency investors.
14. Helium – Decentralized wireless network infrastructure
The Helium project leverages blockchain technology to incentivize users to support decentralized wireless networks. The project's first network, launched in 2019, is designed specifically for the data transfer needs of IoT devices. In 2022, Helium expanded by introducing its 5G network, which offers cellular connectivity.
In 2023, the project introduced a mobile carrier called Helium Mobile, enabling users to access the decentralized 5G network through a monthly subscription. By July 2024, the carrier had achieved a significant milestone with 100,000 sign-ups.
Helium's native cryptocurrency is known as HNT. HNT tokens can be burned to generate data credits, which are necessary for transmitting data across Helium's decentralized networks. Additionally, Helium’s IoT network has a token called IOT, while the 5G network uses a token called MOBILE. Users who operate hotspots for Helium’s decentralized networks earn these tokens, which can be exchanged for HNT.
Why is Helium a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
In terms of fundamentals, the recent period has been exciting for Helium as the Helium Mobile platform has introduced notable new features. The Carrier Offload feature allows carriers other than Helium Mobile to use the decentralized Helium Mobile network for transferring data.
According to the Helium project, 2 large United States carriers are already testing out the features. Per data shared in August 2024, more than 185,000 subscribers from a single carrier have connected to the Helium network through Hotspots.
At the time of making this video, Helium Mobile has seen more than 110,000 user signups and more than 16,000 hotspots are providing coverage to the decentralized network.
15. Ondo Finance – Platform for tokenization of real-world assets
Ondo Finance is a platform that makes it possible to tokenize real-world assets (RWA) and invest in them on the blockchain. The platform launched its first tokenized securities products on the Ethereum blockchain in 2023, but has since also expanded to the Solana blockchain.
The ONDO token serves as the governance token for the ONDO DAO, enabling holders to vote on various protocol issues, such as economic parameters, smart contract upgrades, and matters related to the DAO's management.
The ONDO token has a maximum supply of 10 billion, with no planned or scheduled inflation. Instead, tokens are distributed proportionally to various stakeholders and are vested over time to ensure a controlled increase of the token's circulating supply.
Why is Ondo Finance a good altcoin to buy in 2024?
Ondo Finance is a leader in the RWA sector, which could be one of the biggest growth drivers for crypto and blockchain.
The Ondo Finance platform allows financial instruments such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or money market funds to be represented with blockchain-based tokens to enable efficient trading. The assets backing the tokens are securely custodied by the issuer.
Ondo Finance's flagship products are the USDY (US Dollar Yield) and OUSG (Ondo US Government Treasuries) tokens. These tokens are designed to offer yield, which fluctuates based on the yield based by short-term US Treasuries and other securities.
The bottom line: Which is the best altcoin to buy depends on your risk profile and financial goals
With thousands of cryptocurrencies to choose from, it can be overwhelming to try to determine which ones may be good investment options. Some factors to consider when evaluating the best altcoins to invest in include the team behind it, the technology it is built on, the potential use cases, and its adoption and market demand. Ultimately, the decision on how to invest in cryptocurrency and which crypto to buy depends on your individual financial goals and risk tolerance.
If your risk tolerance is high, you can try your luck in finding the next Shiba Inu and try to 10x or more your investment. On the other hand, if you cannot stomach the huge swings that come with investing in memecoins and other volatile assets, you should consider buying cryptos with strong long-term potential instead.
You might also want to check out the video below for an alternative option.
Disclaimer: The content of this article should not be considered as investment advice. Always do your own research before deciding to buy, sell or transfer any crypto assets