For good reason, crypto investors are focused on the struggles of Bitcoin (BTC +0.22%) and Ethereum (ETH +1.12%). Both are down more than 30% this year from their highs just a few months ago.
The good news is that there are still nearly a dozen top cryptocurrencies that have managed to beat the market in 2025. Some of them All of them are up as much as 20%, or in some cases more.
But are any of them worth buying in 2026? Let's take a closer look.
CRYPTO: BTC
Key Data Points
Which cryptos beat the market in 2025?
When crypto investors talk about beating the market, they are usually talking about beating Bitcoin. That's because, for more than a decade, Bitcoin has been the market bellwether. As Bitcoin goes, so goes the crypto market. More than 15 years after launching, Bitcoin still accounts for almost 60% of the total market cap of the crypto industry.
Since Bitcoin is down 9% for the year, beating the market is really simple to calculate. All it requires is for a cryptocurrency to be in the green for the year.
If you peruse the list of the top 15 cryptocurrencies by market cap, a few names stand out -- all were up significantly until a recent retreat. BNB (BNB +0.36%) is up 20% for the year. Tron (TRX 0.58%) is up 9% for the year. Bitcoin Cash (BCH +0.09%) is up 16% for the year. And Hyperliquid (HYPE +2.59%) is up 5% for the year.
If you're willing to explore deeper down the list of top cryptocurrencies, there are two turbocharged standouts. Aster (ASTER +0.00%) is up 1,000% for the year, while MemeCore (M +3.50%) is up 2,500% for the year.
Which cryptos are worth buying in 2026?
Interestingly, investor favorites such as Ethereum (ETH +1.12%), XRP (XRP 0.32%), and Solana (SOL 0.31%) are not on the list of top performers. That sets up an interesting conundrum for investors: Should you stick to the top names favored by large institutional investors, or should you dive head-first into the pool of riskier and more speculative names?
Image source: Getty Images.
The answer for me is obvious: Stick to the proven winners and ignore this year's outliers. For just about any top performer in 2025, there's a more established cryptocurrency or crypto stock that makes for a better long-term investment.
For example, Tron may be an intriguing Layer-1 blockchain with a growing presence when it comes to stablecoins. But I'd much rather invest in Layer-1 blockchain rivals Ethereum or Solana.
Bitcoin Cash may be turning heads with its performance this year, but I'd much rather be holding Bitcoin.
NYSEMKT: IAU
Key Data Points
Tether Gold (XAUT 0.77%) may be up 64% this year, and PAX Gold (PAXG 0.95%) may be up 65% this year, but I'd much rather be holding gold. Why go to all the trouble of investing in a crypto version of gold when you can just buy physical gold via an exchange-traded fund (ETF)? The iShares Gold Trust (IAU 1.95%) is up 64% this year.
Two cryptocurrencies to put on your watch list
The only two exceptions among the winners of 2025 might be Hyperliquid and Aster. Both have exploded in popularity this year, due to their ability to offer trading in crypto perpetual futures (perps) to non-U.S. customers via a decentralized exchange platform.
But here's the thing: Centralized cryptocurrency exchanges such as Coinbase Global (COIN 2.72%) have already experimented with offering perps to offshore customers, and are now working on similar products for U.S. customers.
If the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ever approves perps for U.S. investors as part of a broader pro-crypto agenda under the Trump administration, then it's easy to see how a lot of the froth and speculation around Hyperliquid and Aster might disappear in 2026. The smartest investment might end up being Coinbase, which is up 2% this year.
At the end of the day, I don't really see anything that I like among the big winners of 2025. It might sound boring, but I'm willing to stick with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Coinbase, and gold right now. Over the long haul, I expect that they will vastly outperform all the new upstarts from this year.
