What are the Best Altcoins to Buy This Week? (March 17)
Key Takeaways:
- The CoinMarketCap Altcoin Season Index indicates 20/100, which indicates it's still Bitcoin Season.
- The top altcoins to buy this week (w/c March 17) include BERA, ADA, LTC, TAO, and BCH.
The Bitcoin price is struggling to hold above the $80,000 mark, as recent U.S. policy decisions—including increased tariffs by President Donald Trump—have triggered volatility in global financial markets. A $5 trillion decline in global stock values has particularly impacted U.S. markets and major tech firms. Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar is weakening, making it harder for traders to sustain bullish momentum in risky assets like Bitcoin.
According to CoinMarketCap data, Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have seen major outflows in the past two weeks, signaling declining institutional interest and negative Bitcoin demand—key factors driving bearish sentiment in the crypto space.
With uncertainty gripping Bitcoin, many traders are turning their focus toward altcoins for potential gains. As the crypto landscape evolves, picking strong altcoins is more important than ever. In this guide, we’ll highlight five of the best altcoins to watch this week, selected based on their real-world utility, growing adoption, and recent price movements.
When Will Alt Season Start?
Last week, Bitcoin dominance briefly dropped to 55%, sparking speculation that altcoin season might be on the horizon. However, BTC quickly recovered above 60% dominance, reinforcing its grip on the crypto market and limiting liquidity inflows into altcoins. This capital concentration in Bitcoin has slowed altcoin gains, preventing a broader rally.
For altcoin season to officially kick off, Bitcoin’s dominance needs to fall below 50%, signaling a shift in capital toward alternative crypto assets.
Alt Index Chart
The CoinMarketCap Altcoin (CMC) Index Chart reflects a rising altcoin market cap, but the declining Altcoin Season Index suggests reduced interest in altcoins. This week, the CMC Altcoin Season Index improved slightly to 20/100, but it remains far from signaling a full-fledged altcoin season.
Traders often monitor the Altcoin Season Index to gauge market conditions and adjust their portfolios accordingly. If BTC dominance weakens in the coming weeks, it could provide the necessary conditions for altcoins to rally and mark the beginning of alt season.
Top Altcoins by Market Cap
The top altcoins by market cap, excluding stablecoins, are Ethereum, XRP, Solana, BNB, and Cardano. The table below shows the token’s current price, year-to-date growth, seven-day percentage change, and total market cap.
| Name | Price (USD) | YTD % | 7D % | Market Cap (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethereum (ETH) | 1,896.35 | -43.07 | -8.30 | $228,742,074,021 |
| XRP (XRP) | 2.32 | 11.99 | 7.44 | $135,353,635,653 |
| BNB (BNB) | 630.45 | -10.06 | 11.68 | $89,823,349,661 |
| Solana (SOL) | 129.25 | -33.33 | 0.88 | $65,909,809,846 |
| Cardano (ADA) | 0.7393 | -12.37 | -28.09 | $25,431,674,714 |
ADA replaced Dogecoin, securing its place among the top five altcoins by market cap. Ethereum remains dominant in the smart contract space, powering decentralized finance with its EVM. XRP continues to play a crucial role in cross-border payments with its scalable infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Solana stands out for its high developer activity, and BNB is renowned for having one of the most comprehensive ecosystems. In terms of year-to-date performance, XRP has increased by 12%, while Solana has declined by over 33% during the same period.
How to Pick an Altcoin to Invest?
Altcoins, or alternative coins, refer to all cryptocurrency tokens other than Bitcoin. While thousands of altcoins exist, only a select few offer real utility and the potential for significant returns. To help investors navigate the vast altcoin landscape, here are key benchmarks to consider when choosing an altcoin for investment:
- Use Case: Choose altcoins that solve real-world problems.
- Team and Community: Evaluate the experience of the development team and the size and activity level of the community.
- Tokenomics: Assess token 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. BeraChain (BERA)
Berachain (BERA) started as an NFT project but later evolved into a Layer 1 blockchain designed for decentralized finance (DeFi). It has partnerships with Sky and Arcana Network, aiming to expand DeFi applications and accelerate blockchain adoption.
Berachain introduced its mainnet last week, and Infrared raised $14 million for Berachain liquid staking protocols. These events have pushed the price of BERA on a bullish rally, even during the intense bearish market trend.
The price of Bera is up 13% during the last 7 days. It also gained 4% in the last 24 hours, placing it among the very few coins showing bullish moves. The price is rising on a bullish trend line after touching a local low of $5.2 on March 11. The price quickly recovered to $7.1, near the resistance level.
Currently, Bera is under a minor correction but is expected to rise to $7 during the week.
2. Cardano (ADA)
Since its launch in 2017, Cardano (ADA) has remained a top contender in the crypto space, with growing institutional interest and strong fundamentals. Founded by one of Ethereum’s co-founders, Cardano has consistently ranked among the top five cryptocurrencies, recently surpassing Dogecoin in market cap.
ADA is backed by a research-driven approach and a strong technical foundation, making it a promising long-term investment. The network continues to evolve with upgrades aimed at improving scalability, security, and interoperability.
ADA is trading above $0.70 after making a high of $1.17 during the first week of March. The price faced significant selling pressure due to profit-taking, further impacted by the broader market downtrend. ADA is currently respecting an ascending trendline as its base support and is finally resisting the downtrend with a potential reversal forming.
The price of ADA is expected to show a bullish reversal and target $0.87 this week.
3. Dogecoin (DOGE)
Dogecoin (DOGE) is the most popular and pioneering meme coin, inspiring hundreds of similar projects, like Bonk and Shiba Inu. It boasts a strong community and a growing use case in the broader crypto ecosystem. Backed by the community, celebrity endorsements, and investor interest, Dogecoin's price moves based on hype and whale activity.
Elon Musk has been the key driver of Dogecoin’s popularity and success. Many believe he influences its price movements, as he reportedly holds a significant amount of DOGE.
With a $25.6 billion market cap, Dogecoin ranks #8 on CoinMarketCap. The current trading price is $0.17. As seen in the chart, Dogecoin is breaking above the descending trendline resistance. The RSI indicates slightly bearish price action, moving toward the overbought region.
If the momentum continues, DOGE could target $0.22 this week, reflecting a 16% potential gain.
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 used for staking, governance, and rewarding contributions, making it a vital part of the platform's ecosystem.
Bittensor aims to transform AI into an open-market commodity, reducing reliance on centralized AI providers. The project’s success depends on increased adoption, growing demand, and strategic partnerships, positioning it as a major player in both the AI and blockchain industries.
TAO is known for its high volatility, yet in the past 7 days, its price has remained relatively stable, with only a 1% fluctuation. The current price is $250, after a recent dip to $239. TAO is now moving toward its $258 target, aligning with the Point of Control (PoC) level, which represents the highest trading volume over the past week. This high liquidity zone indicates strong trader interest and could act as a key price level for the upcoming trend.
5. Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a 2017 Bitcoin fork, created to enhance scalability and transaction speed. With larger block sizes, BCH enables faster and lower-cost transactions, positioning itself as a potential alternative for peer-to-peer digital payments. However, it still faces competition from Bitcoin and concerns over network security and adoption.
BCH’s price action is currently forming a symmetrical triangle pattern, signaling an impending breakout. The price is approaching the breakout zone, with a potential bullish move toward $347 or higher if confirmed.
However, this pattern is known for false breakouts, often trapping retail traders. Therefore, it is advisable to wait for confirmation before entering a BCH position.
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. Currently, Solana ecosystem tokens by market capitalization is at $607.5 billion, according to CoinMarketCap data.
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 low-cap Solana coins.
| Name | Price (USD) | Market Cap (USD) | 30 Days Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| GOHOME (GOHOME) | 295.96 | $147,952,518 | 982.83% |
| Pythia (PYTHIA) | 0.01166 | $11,669,385 | 136.46% |
| Dingocoin (DINGO) | 0.00005506 | $6,191,487 | 80.89% |
| would (WOULD) | 0.5911 | $590,862,528 | 56.50% |
| DUKO (DUKO) | 0.0002970 | $2,870,819 | 40.78% |
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 March.
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, especially considering BERA, ADA, DOGE, TAO, and BCH.
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 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 serious crypto investments.
