The most promising cryptocurrencies in 2026: forecast Bits.media, 2026/01/04 21:00:00

Opinion Who could have predicted the rise of anonymous cryptocurrencies in 2025? However, they took off. It is clear that the accuracy of predictions cannot be 100%. But we will try to name a list of the most promising coins for the coming 2026.

Forecasting difficulty

First of all, it is worth mentioning: any forecasts are purely probabilistic in nature and no one knows for sure what events may affect the crypto market in 12 months. By December 2025, the Bitcoin rate dropped relative to January values, losing about 6.34%, pulling a lot of altcoins with it. This possible scenario is worth keeping in mind in 2026.

However, before falling in price, BTC reached its new all-time high – above $126 000. What does this mean? Firstly, a possible forecast is based on the data that is currently available. Secondly, trading is a process not limited by strict boundaries. It is not necessary to buy on January 1st and sell on December 31st. If you look from this perspective, you could make money on many coins that managed to grow during the year. In addition, no one cancels the option of making money on a fall.

But 2025 is already the past. The new year 2026 is ahead. Which cryptocurrencies to bet on in 2026?

Bitcoin

The first cryptocurrency you should pay attention to is Bitcoin. It is likely that 2026 will be a time of ups and downs for BTC, and growth will not be linear. However, large investors will continue to believe in the largest cryptocurrency. For example, the American company Grayscale, which focuses on investments in digital assets, predicted in its forecast that Bitcoin will reach a new historical maximum in January – June. The main factors were named: increased demand for cryptocurrencies as an alternative means of savings and increasing clarity with legislation. But the role of Bitcoin’s four-year cycles, according to Grayscale representatives, will be reduced to nothing.

In any case, BTC remains an interesting choice for the allocation of funds in the long term. However, let us recall that in the second year after the halving, neither in 2014, nor in 2018, nor in 2022, Bitcoin did not update its historical highs.

USDT and USDC

Stablecoins don’t seem like the most obvious choice when it comes to value growth. Although the price will remain stable, its dynamics can be looked at from a different angle. 

In conditions of uncertainty, assets pegged to the US dollar can become a profitable investment. Two arguments. 

• First, US inflation will likely continue to slow. On Portal Polymarket forecasts the most popular options for credit rate in the USA for 2026 are the options according to which two to four rate cuts are expected by 25 basis points each. 

• Secondly, the current head of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, is due to resign in May. It is not yet clear who will take his place. However, it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that the replacement will be more decisive and supportive of digital assets.

The largest investment company in the world, the American BlackRock, also agrees with the dominant role of stablecoins. The arguments cited there are that stablecoins have achieved a capitalization of over $250 billion, the entry into force of the law on the regulation of stable digital coins GENIUS, as well as the use of such assets in payment systems. The clearest position said BlackRock’s director for market development Samara Cohen: 

“Stablecoins are no longer a niche. They have become a bridge between traditional finance and digital liquidity.”

In other words, many investors usually factor in the price of stablecoins the value of inflation in the world’s largest market, which, in a positive scenario, may decline in 2026.

Solana

Although 2025 has not been a great year for Solana, this cryptocurrency is a good investment choice in 2026. The network is still quite fast compared to its competitors, and its transaction costs are lower than many similar blockchains. In addition, Solana has improved its reliability: over the past two years, there have been fewer serious and large-scale outages. The developers are working on an update to Alpenglow, which involves changes at the level of the consensus mechanism. Spot ETFs on SOL, which recently entered the market, should also make their contribution. As in the case of Bitcoin and Ethereum, the effect from exchange-traded funds should be expected to be delayed, perhaps in 2026.

Major players in the crypto industry also believe in SOL. For example, the company Galaxy Digital, which provides financial services in the field of digital assets, stated that the capital market on Solana will reach $2 billion in 2026, that is, almost triple the current $750 million. All this will happen against the backdrop of a change in business model. The Solana team promised to move away from memcoins to tokens with real fundamental value.

Virtual Protocols

Virtual Protocols was selected as a promising direction for 2026 and as the largest AI agent by capitalization. In 2025, we were experiencing an artificial intelligence boom. In 2026, the trend should worsen. Technology will become more complex and advanced. From this point of view Representatives of the largest American crypto exchange Coinbase agree. In their opinion, the productivity of artificial intelligence is still underestimated. The speed and efficiency of the technology is so high that official statistical services cannot accurately assess it. AI agent tools can lead to a network revolution. With the help of AI, non-tech entrepreneurs will be able to launch a business in a matter of days or even hours, without spending months or years. All this could be realized as early as 2026, and if so, it will lead to a boom in the cost of AI agents.

Chainlink

Investing in Chainlink in 2026 could be profitable as this cryptocurrency is one of the leaders in the real world asset (RWA) tokenization market. According to Swiss investment firm 21Shares, the total value locked (TVL) of this market will exceed $500 billion in 2026, up from $35 billion in 2025. The entry into force in the United States of the currently pending CLARITY bill will allow banks and asset managers to more freely engage in tokenization on various blockchains. 

The main instruments that can be tokenized will be loans and shares of public/private companies. By According to representatives of 21Shares, the first tokenized IPO will be held by the end of 2026. Naturally, the beneficiaries of the growth will be the blockchains involved in RWA, in particular Chainlink.

Short conclusion

The listed cryptocurrencies look the most reasonable for capital allocation in 2026. At least at the beginning of January. There are no guarantees that these particular digital assets will increase in price several times. However, from a logical point of view, they are the ones who look the most attractive.

This material and the information contained herein do not constitute individual or other investment advice. The editors’ opinions may not coincide with the opinions of analytical portals and experts.

The most promising cryptocurrencies in 2025: forecast Bits.media

“These will definitely take off?”: top promising cryptocurrencies of 2024