Best Altcoins to Buy Now: Top Altcoin Picks for February 2025

Key Takeaways:

• The CoinMarketCap Altcoin Season Index indicates 38/100, which is still Bitcoin Season. The top altcoins to buy this week (w/c February 17) include: Litecoin, Ethereum, Solana, OnyxCoin, and Bittensor.
• Litecoin (LTC) surged 13% this week and 23% this year, with a potential rise to $138 after a possible drop to $120.
• Thanks to meme coins, Solana (SOL) is poised for growth despite short-term bearish trends, with a market cap of $11.6B.
• OnyxCoin (XCN) has gained 850% this year, with potential for a 13% gain this week after a price correction.

Bitcoin has remained resilient despite economic challenges, including tariffs FUD, inflation rates, and other market uncertainties, with its price fluctuating between $94,000 to $98,000. Meanwhile, the overall crypto market capitalization has surpassed $3.21 trillion, though the Fear and Greed Index remains neutral, indicating indecision in the market.

As inflation rises, many investors are turning to altcoins, which offer potential for growth in the current market. Despite short-term bearish pressure, this is the perfect time to buy altcoins at discounted prices, as the market is expected to rebound soon.

In this guide, we’ll dive into the five most promising altcoins to consider right now. This week's top picks are based on their use cases, growing adoption, and recent price movements from the past week.

When Will Alt Season Start?

Bitcoin's market capitalization saw a significant 11.23% increase in January, reaching $3.51 trillion, and has maintained its dominance above 50 throughout this period.

One of the key factors driving this dominance is the substantial liquidity inflow into Bitcoin, which has contributed to slower gains for altcoins. Bitcoin's heightened volatility has also been a primary driver of its dominance, leaving altcoins unable to fully capitalize on the ongoing bull run.

Altcoin Season Index Chart

Currently, Bitcoin is outperforming the altcoin market. The CoinMarketCap Altcoin Index Chart shows the rising altcoin market cap while the declining altcoin season index is due to decreased interest in alternative crypto assets. The CMC Altcoin Season Index has improved by several points this week to 38/100, edging closer to Altcoin Season.

The Altcoin Season Index chart can help traders assess the current phase of the market and potentially decide how to allocate their portfolios.

Top Altcoins by Market Cap

The top altcoins by market cap, excluding stablecoins, are Ethereum, XRP, Solana, BNB, and Dogecoin. The table below shows the token’s current price, year-to-date growth, seven-day percentage change, and total market cap.

It's worth noting that, excluding Dogecoin, all altcoins listed are Layer-1 crypto projects that offer real-world utility. Ethereum is known for its smart contracts and EVM to power the DeFi ecosystem. XRP provides an infrastructure for cross-border payments.

Likewise, the Solana ecosystem is known for active developers' activity and BNB is famous for its most comprehensive ecosystem. XRP has increased by over 31.5% in the YTD. Solana remains unchanged with merely a 0.12% decrease in price in the same period.

How to Pick an Altcoin to Invest?

Altcoins, or alternative coins, refer to all cryptocurrency tokens other than Bitcoin. While there are thousands of altcoins available in the market, only a select few offer real utility and the potential for higher returns. To help investors navigate the vast altcoin landscape, here are some key benchmarks to consider when choosing an altcoin for investment.

• Use Case: Choose altcoins that solve real-world problems.
• Team and Community: Check the experience of the development team and the size and activity level of the community.
• Tokenomics: Check supply, emission rates, and whether the coin is inflationary or deflationary.
• Market Metrics: Look at market capitalization, liquidity, trading volume, and exchange listings.
• Historical Performance: Study past price movements, and volatility.
• Fundamental and Technical Analysis: Conduct thorough research on the project’s fundamentals and do technical chart analysis.

Top 5 Best Altcoins to Buy Now

Based on project fundamentals and technical indicators, our team has shortlisted top altcoins investors can capitalize on during the ongoing bull run. Below are our top picks for the best altcoins worth considering right now.

1. Litecoin (LTC)

Litecoin (LTC) is a cryptocurrency created from a hard fork of the Bitcoin blockchain in 2011. At the time, Bitcoin was criticized for being too centralized, with large mining firms dominating the network. Litecoin was introduced as a "lighter" alternative to address this issue.

However, over time, Litecoin faced similar challenges, with major mining companies also gaining control over its network. Today, Litecoin is known as one of the most well-known minable cryptocurrencies and a peer-to-peer payment system

Litecoin has surged 13% over the past 7 days and gained over 23% this year. It recently hit our bullish target of $132, as forecasted in last week's analysis. Despite the broader bearish sentiment in the market, this strong performance has brought LTC into the spotlight. However, the price faced rejection at the SR interchange and is currently undergoing a correction. If the price drops to around $120, this could present another buying opportunity before potentially rising back to $138 within the week.

2. Solana (SOL)

Solana has gained significant attention with its meme coins, becoming an attractive option for both individual and institutional investors. Known for its volatility, Solana has the potential to deliver huge returns in a short period of time. The network enjoys massive developer interest, and meme coins built on Solana's blockchain have contributed to increased network activity.

Thanks to tools like Pump.fun, anyone can launch a meme coin on the Solana network without prior coding knowledge. While most of these coins are short-lived and prone to pump-and-dump schemes, they still generate substantial trading volume on the blockchain.

Solana meme coins currently boast a combined market cap of $11.6 billion. Some of the most well-known coins on Solana include TRUMP, WIF, BONK, and PENGU. Currently, the SOL meme coins are under correction as the market turns slightly bearish in the short term.

With these coins launching on the Solana blockchain, the SOL token gains more intrinsic value in the long term. With the probability of being included in the U.S. crypto reserve under Trump's administration, Solana is expected to grow massively in the coming weeks.

Solana's price action in the short term is bearish. The coin has already updated its all-time high from $260 to $293.31. Solana is currently trading at $188 after touching a low of $86, this week. The price is expected to bounce back stronger due to the liquidity grab and fresh cash inflow.

3. Onyxcoin (XCN)

OnyxCoin (XCN) is a decentralized blockchain platform built to enable secure, scalable, and low-cost digital transactions. Recently, OnyxCoin upgraded its network with enhanced consensus algorithms and smart contract functionality, improving its overall efficiency. Additionally, OnyxCoin integrated cross-chain protocols and expanded staking rewards to further incentivize network participation and growth.

OnyxCoin has recently undergone significant upgrades, including enhanced transaction speeds, substantially reduced fees, and improved network scalability. The team also introduced an advanced consensus protocol and implemented additional security enhancements. Furthermore, the integration of cross-chain interoperability is expected to drive broader adoption and enable industrial-scale usability.

XCN has notably benefited from the ongoing crypto bull run, with its price surging by over 850% this year. Currently, the token is experiencing a minor correction as investors take profits. The price is forming lower lows and lower highs while moving under a curved resistance. However, if a breakout occurs, XCN could see a 13% gain this week from its current levels.

4. Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum continues to lead the pack among altcoins, known for its smart contract capabilities. It powers a wide array of DeFi protocols and dApps, serving as the backbone for the DeFi sector and enabling the execution of smart contracts with its scalable infrastructure.

As a strong contender in the crypto space, Ethereum benefits from its significant market cap, a robust developer community, and high brand recognition. The development team is constantly improving the network, with notable updates such as transitioning the consensus mechanism from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake through key hard forks. This shift was aimed at reducing gas fees and carbon footprints.

While Ethereum faces stiff competition from blockchains like Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and XRP, which offer higher scalability and lower transaction fees, the recent approval of an Ethereum ETF has fueled investor optimism and solidified its position as a leading crypto project.

Retail traders are showing waning interest in Ethereum, primarily due to the fading volatility. Ethereum has yet to recover from its dip to $2,100 during the recent crypto crash. However, key indicators suggest that long positions on Ethereum are increasing, with traders anticipating a price surge from current levels.

5. Bittensor (TAO)

Bittensor (TAO) is an open-source protocol powering a community-run, decentralized blockchain network designed for machine learning model training. The native token, TAO, plays a pivotal role in the network by rewarding contributors, granting external access, and enabling users to extract valuable data.

Bittensor aims to build a decentralized AI-driven market where data becomes a valuable commodity. For the price of TAO to rise, increased demand and strategic partnerships will be crucial. As the network evolves, its potential to disrupt both the AI and blockchain sectors continues to grow.

The price of TAO is currently in a downtrend, consistently testing the upper resistance level. It is consolidating above the local support at $355, and there is potential for it to move towards $420, representing a significant 11% increase this week. While TAO could offer quick profit opportunities in the short term, it's important to note that the long-term trend remains bearish, and the price might dip below $300 if the downward pressure continues.

Low-Cap SOL Altcoins to Invest in 2025

Low-cap crypto gems are known for their low liquidity, making them highly volatile. Even small investments, like a few thousand dollars, can significantly impact their price. This volatility also means that large holders, often referred to as "whales," have the power to easily dump their tokens, causing the price to crash.

While low-cap altcoins present the opportunity for massive, quick gains, they come with extremely high risks. Without a deep understanding of the project’s fundamentals or tools like wallet tracking, investors risk losing their entire investment. It's important to note that the massive gains in these projects are not solely dependent on the broader cryptocurrency bull run.

Solana meme coins represent another promising but risky opportunity with significant growth potential. If you’re looking to invest in projects that haven't yet caught the attention of whales, consider exploring pump-fun Sol coins. Below is a list of low-cap token pools paired with SOL:

Investing in Altcoins vs. Bitcoin

The ongoing cryptocurrency market crash is expected to be short-term, with the bull run still showing signs of favoring Bitcoin. However, 2025 is projected to be a breakout year for altcoins, and we are only in February.

Whether you should invest in Bitcoin or altcoins depends on several factors. Altcoins generally offer higher growth potential and diversification benefits compared to Bitcoin. On the other hand, Bitcoin’s credibility, adoption, and limited supply make it an appealing choice for institutional investors.

If you're someone who thrives on high volatility and is open to risk exposure, altcoins may be the better choice for you. However, if you're looking for high liquidity and more balanced gains, Bitcoin could be the safer bet. Ultimately, it's wise to have a diversified investment portfolio that includes both Bitcoin and altcoins, as this approach can help maximize growth potential while minimizing risks.

Conclusion

Picking the right altcoins can be challenging, as they come with increased inherent risks. However, with careful evaluation of project fundamentals and technical indicators, investors can capitalize on their potential for significant gains. With the altcoin season not fully underway, now may be an ideal time to invest in promising altcoins before they fully take off.

As always, it’s essential for investors to conduct their own due diligence and assess their risk tolerance before making any investment decisions.