It's getting harder and harder to find big-time winners in the crypto market. Bitcoin (BTC 0.23%) -- the cryptocurrency that has already minted more than 145,000 millionaires in the world -- is up a meager 10% this year, and may no longer have the type of stratospheric upside required to mint future millionaires.
But that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of intriguing millionaire-maker options, as long as you're willing to take big risks and invest in new cryptocurrencies with an unproven historical track record. Here are three places to look for potential millionaire makers.
AI coins
At the start of the year, the assumption was that rapid growth in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry would lead to enormous upside potential for AI coins. Loosely defined, these are coins that provide blockchain technology or the blockchain infrastructure for cutting-edge AI projects. If AI stocks are soaring in value, shouldn't AI coins be doing so also?
Image source: Getty Images.
Alas, that hasn't been the case at all this year. In fact, quite the opposite. AI coins have been a disaster in 2025. Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET 0.21%), for example, is down 77% for the year. Render (RENDER 3.25%) is down 68%. And Bittensor (TAO 3.45%) is down 22%. Over time, maybe these coins regain their former mojo, but you can safely ignore them for now.
Meme coins
In the past, meme coins have at least provided the illusion of having the potential to mint new crypto millionaires. Meme coins typically spike in value as soon as they launch before later collapsing in value to almost zero. But if you can time the market perfectly -- something that's not recommended -- it's theoretically possible to make a killing in meme coins.
In fact, there's an entire investment thesis known as the Memecoin Supercycle that describes why some meme coins could outperform every other cryptocurrency over the long haul. Some have suggested that meme coins could eventually represent an entirely new investable asset class. And others have pointed out the potential launch of new spot crypto ETFs as a way to reinvigorate investor demand for meme coins.
Unfortunately, all the fan favorite dog-themed meme coins have been, well, dogs this year. Dogecoin (DOGE +0.60%) is down 45%. Shiba Inu (SHIB +0.02%) is down 55%. And Bonk (BONK 2.83%) is down 60%.
DeFi coins
Finally, there's a category of cryptocurrency that could have long-term staying power: coins tied to the future of decentralized finance (DeFi). Given the Trump administration's decidedly pro-crypto stance, it's possible to see how DeFi could take off again as a major investment thesis, similar to how it did back in 2020-2021.
But it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff here. World Liberty Financial (WLFI +0.00%), the coin of the Trump-affiliated DeFi crypto venture, should be up huge this year, right? But it's down 36%. Other popular DeFi coins -- including Ondo (ONDO 2.77%) -- are down even more.
A high-risk, high-return opportunity
That being said, it's getting increasingly difficult to ignore Hyperliquid (HYPE 0.87%), a new DeFi coin that launched in November 2024. Since then, it's up a whopping 1,000%. Based on that stellar performance, Hyperliquid now ranks as the 11th largest cryptocurrency in the world, with a $12 billion market cap.
CRYPTO: HYPE
Key Data Points
Admittedly, it's still hard to believe the hype about HYPE. But the Hyperliquid blockchain platform comes with an impeccable academic pedigree (think Harvard, MIT, and Caltech), and it's designed to do one thing really well: enable the trading of perpetual futures ("perps") in different cryptocurrencies.
For U.S. investors, it can be hard to find places to buy and sell the HYPE coin, because the trading of perpetual futures is not yet allowed in the United States. When I attempted to access the Hyperliquid platform directly, I immediately received a red error message telling me that I was in a "restricted jurisdiction." Yikes.
However, HYPE was recently listed on the Robinhood crypto platform in October as a tradable digital asset. That's likely to build its retail investor base, which could explode in size if the U.S. ever decides to approve perpetual futures trading.
Obviously, though, the risks are immense. I'm certainly not investing large sums of money in a speculative coin called HYPE that has a nebulous regulatory outlook in the United States.
But if you're serious about becoming a millionaire, those are the types of risks you may need to take. Eking out 10% gains with Bitcoin each year won't be enough. For those kinds of returns, you're better off investing in the U.S. stock market.
