The big crypto winners of 2026 are in, and they include some names -- such as Hyperliquid, Zcash, NEAR Protocol, and Venice Token -- that were nowhere on the radars of most crypto investors heading into the year.
And for good reason. With the exception of Bitcoin, the crypto market is littered with one-hit wonders. That's why I've drawn up a fresh list of top prospects to target in 2027.
Big crypto winners over the 90 days
A good starting point to find potential winners is simply checking which altcoins have been posting strong gains during the past 90 days. In the crypto market, momentum is everything. Leaders here include NEAR Protocol (up 157%), Zcash (up 119%), and Venice Token (up 108%). No surprises here -- these tokens are up big during the past three months, and are also up big for the year.
CRYPTO: NEAR
Key Data Points
But there are two hidden gems that have not yet attracted the attention of mainstream investors. These include Ethena (ENA -7.73%), up 148%, and Arbitrum (ARB -5.37%), up 102%, during the past 90 days. They've already shown their potential to double in value this year. It's not out of the question, then, that they could double in value again next year.
The case for investing in Ethena and Arbitrum
Ethena is a bet on the future of decentralized finance (DeFi). The price of this token is going up, based on the hype and buzz surrounding new pro-crypto legislation, including the Genius Act and the proposed Clarity Act. The Genius Act supports the growth of the stablecoin industry, while the Clarity Act would make it easier for banks and other financial institutions to adopt crypto and blockchain technology.
Image source: Getty Images.
Ethena is a DeFi protocol used to create Ethena USD, which is a rapidly growing stablecoin. Unlike traditional stablecoins, which are backed by cash and cash equivalents, Ethena USD is a synthetic dollar, offering the potential for much higher yields through the use of financial derivatives.
CRYPTO: ENA
Key Data Points
Based on the future growth prospects of the $300 billion stablecoin industry, some analysts now think Ethena could soar in value. The bigger Ethena USD gets, the more money will flow back into Ethena. And Ethena has already said that some of this money will support token buybacks, further bolstering the chances for price gains next year by reducing the circulating supply of tokens.
The other altcoin -- Arbitrum -- is a Layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum. It's getting a long look from investors, due to its growing relationship with Robinhood Markets. When Robinhood needed to launch a new blockchain this year (Robinhood Chain), it picked Arbitrum.
CRYPTO: ARB
Key Data Points
As a result, Standard Chartered now thinks Arbitrum has 70-fold upside from here. Although the market for Layer-2 blockchains is a crowded one, Arbitrum has emerged as a potential best-in-class winner, especially in areas such as asset tokenization, a crypto representation of the ownership of real-world assets like stocks and bonds.
Not all that glitters...
Just because an altcoin is skyrocketing in value recently does not make it an automatic winner in 2027. In fact, there are several altcoins that I'm staying clear of, despite their recent blistering returns.
Chief among these is Pump.fun, the meme coin launchpad that's up 235% during the past 90 days. No thank you. I've already seen how meme coins can crash and burn, and I'm leery of PUMP for that reason.
There are also two blockchain interoperability protocols -- Quant and Layer Zero -- on the list. Both are up big during the past three months, but I'd rather choose Chainlink. In September, Chainlink released a revamped cross-blockchain interoperability protocol (CCIP 2.0) that is arguably best in class.
What about Uniswap, up 104% during the past 90 days, or Raydium, up more than 220%? If you're looking to invest in a decentralized exchange (DEX), a better investment is Hyperliquid. It has cooled off considerably of late, but is still up a whopping 225% for the year. In August, President Donald Trump even gave an endorsement for Hyperliquid.
The two best buys headed into 2027
Ethena and Arbitrum are two cryptocurrencies with the potential to double in value next year. Both have performed well recently, and as a result, are starting to attract the attention of institutional investors. They are peaking at exactly the right moment to have a strong 2027. If you are looking to bolster the returns of your crypto portfolio next year, both are worth a closer look.
