Best Trending Altcoins to Buy This Week: February 2025

Key Takeaways:

• The crypto market is down due to the Bybit exchange hack, yet the Fear and Greed index remains neutral.
• The CoinMarketCap Altcoin Season Index indicates 27/100, which is still Bitcoin Season.
• Litecoin (LTC) surged 1% this week and 20.57% this year with more room to grow after a breakout.
• Due to Libra meme coin fraud, Solana (SOL) faced huge selling pressure and the price is currently oversold.
• OnyxCoin (XCN) has gained 688% this year, with the potential for a 17% gain this week after a price correction.
• The top altcoins to buy this week (w/c February 24) include: AVAX, Litecoin, Solana, Bittensor, and OnyxCoin.

ByBit's assets were recently targeted by the North Korean hacker group Lazarus, resulting in a $1.5 billion heist, briefly causing FUD in the market. As a result, Bitcoin's price has been fluctuating between $99,000 and a low of $93,000, swinging between highs and lows.

Bitcoin price dropped 1% during the last week and over 9% during the last 30 days, indicating a bearish trend. The overall crypto market cap stands at $3.17 trillion and the Greed and Fear Index scores 40, reflecting a neutral market sentiment.

Although Bitcoin's volatility has been decreasing, BTC dominance remains steady. The Lunar New Year could bring new volatility, potentially pushing the market in a decisive direction. Despite short-term bearish action, now may be an ideal time to purchase altcoins at discounted prices, with a market rebound expected 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 is still maintaining above 60% market dominance, allowing less inflow to the altcoins. The substantial liquidity inflow into Bitcoin has contributed to slower gains for altcoins. Once BTC dominance declines to less than 50%, with capital flowing into altcoins as a result, the alt season will officially kick in.

Alt index chart

BTC's dominance is currently at its peak. The CoinMarketCap Altcoin (CMC) 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 27/100, edging closer to Altcoin Season.

The Altcoins season index chart can help traders assess the current phase of the market and potentially decide how to allocate their portfolios. The Altcoin Season Index has entered its lowest due to ongoing bearish market trends.

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 9.72% in the YTD. Solana has declined over 15% 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. Avalance (AVAX)

Avalanche (AVAX) is a decentralized blockchain platform designed for high scalability, low transaction fees, and rapid finality. It utilizes the Avalanche Consensus, allowing it to process handle thousands of transactions per second (TPS) without compromising security and decentralization.

As an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible, Avalanch is a major competitor to Ethereum. Its native token, AVAX, is used for transaction fees, staking, and network security.

Since December 2024, AVAX has been in a downtrend after reaching a high of $55, likely due to profit-taking trades. The price has now settled around $24, forming a potential support level. If the overall market trend turns bullish, AVAX could rebound to $30, or higher.

2. Litecoin (LTC)

Litecoin (LTC) was created in 2011 as a hard fork of Bitcoin, aiming to offer a more decentralized and efficient alternative. While initially introduced to counter Bitcoin’s mining centralization, Litecoin eventually faced similar challenges, with large mining firms dominating its network. Today, it remains one of the most recognized minable cryptocurrencies and a widely used peer-to-peer payment system.

Despite overall bearish market conditions, LTC has maintained bullish momentum and is consolidating within a rectangular trading range. Over the past 7 days, LTC has declined by nearly 1%, but it remains up 20.57% this year. The price recently hit our bullish target of $138, as predicted in last week’s analysis. If a breakout occurs, Litecoin could see further upside potential.

3. Solana (SOL)

Solana (SOL) has gained significant attention with its meme coins, making it an appealing choice option for both retail and institutional investors. While known for its volatility, Solana has the potential to deliver massive short-term gains. The network benefits from massive developer interest, and the rise of meme coins built on its blockchain has fueled increased network activity.

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

Currently, Solana meme coins currently boast a combined market cap of $9.56 billion. Some of the most well-known include TRUMP, WIF, BONK, and PENGU. However, the market is undergoing a short-term correction as sentiment turns slightly bearish.

One of the meme coins, Libra, briefly gained attention after receiving an endorsement from Argentine President Javier Milei. The politician posted about Libra on X but later deleted the post.

The creators of the Libra meme coin executed a rug pull, draining its liquidity and causing 70% of traders to lose money. On-chain analysis reveals that the scam led to $99 million in losses, pushing Solana below key support levels.

As a result of the Solana-based Libra meme coin fraud, Solana's transaction volume dropped by 60%, and its price declined by 15% over the past seven days. Currently, there are no clear signs of reversal. However, with the FUD fading, Solana appears to be oversold. A strong recovery is anticipated due to a liquidity grab and fresh capital inflows.

4. Bittensor (TAO)

Bittensor (TAO) is an open-source protocol that powers a decentralized, community-driven blockchain network for machine learning model training. Its native token, TAO, is essential for rewarding contributors, providing external access, and enabling users to extract valuable data.

Bittensor aims to create a decentralized AI-driven marketplace where data becomes a key commodity. For TAO’s price to rise, increased demand and strategic partnerships will be critical. As the network evolves, its potential to disrupt both the AI and blockchain sectors continues to grow.

Following its listing on Coinbase, TAO surged 40% to $497 before experiencing a quick reversal due to selling pressure. The token is now in a downtrend, currently trading above $400, with a potential dip to $395. This pullback presents a short-term buying opportunity for traders seeking quick profits. However, TAO’s long-term outlook remains bearish.

5. Onyxcoin (XCN)

OnyxCoin (XCN) is a decentralized blockchain platform designed for secure, scalable, and low-cost digital transactions. Recently, the network underwent a major upgrade, introducing enhanced consensus algorithms, improved smart contract functionality, and expanded staking rewards to boost network participation.

The latest upgrades also include faster transaction speeds, significantly lower fees, and improved scalability. Additionally, OnyxCoin's integration with cross-chain interoperability is expected to drive broader adoption and industrial-scale usability.

Over the past seven days, XCM price dropped over 17%. However, the token remains up 688% this year and is currently undergoing a minor correction. XCN is trading below the EMA 200 on the hourly chart, but a break-of-structure pattern suggests signs of reversal. A potential 17% upside is anticipated this week.

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

Choosing the right altcoins can be challenging due to the increased inherent risks. However, with careful evaluation of project fundamentals, technical indicators, and growing adoption across different sectors, investors can take advantage of their potential for significant gains.

One key area where altcoins are seeing increased value is as payment methods on crypto betting sites like Rivalry, where ETH, DOGE, and SOL, are all accepted. As more betting platforms accept altcoins, these tokens are becoming more widely recognized and valued for their utility in real-world applications. This shift enhances their demand and could drive further price appreciation.

While the altcoin season is still in its early stages, now could be the perfect time to invest in promising altcoins before they take off. However, as always, it’s crucial for investors to conduct their own due diligence, assess their risk tolerance, and stay informed about market trends before making any investment decisions.