The cryptocurrency market is still recovering from a few difficult years. Even with market volatility and an uncertain economic environment, some digital currencies will outperform in 2026. As we head into the new year, experts are keeping an eye on a handful of cryptocurrencies that could perform well due to strong fundamentals and growing institutional interest.
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Here are five cryptocurrencies worth watching and what experts think could make them among the top performers of 2026.
Also see four cryptocurrencies that could be the next Bitcoin.
Ethereum (ETH)
When it comes to large cap cryptocurrencies, Ethereum ranks second on the list. Despite increasing competition, experts say Ethereum’s strong developer community and revenue-generating network make it one of the most reliable long-term plays.
“Large-cap cryptocurrencies like Ethereum will be better plays than smaller caps,” said Coin Bureau analyst and founder Nick Pukrin.
Since Ethereum is powering most of the decentralized finance (DeFi) projects, it will almost always be in the top choice of investors.
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Solana (SOL)
Solana has faced many challenges, but she came back stronger than ever. Known for its high transaction speeds and low costs, Solana is Ethereum’s biggest competitor.
“Solana provides the infrastructure, speed, scalability, and cost efficiency to bring traditional markets into one chain,” said Michelle DiRaimondo, founder of Steelwave Digital.
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Aave is a digital protocol and lending platform that lets users lend and borrow cryptocurrencies without traditional intermediaries. Everything is operated by smart contracts. “Aave built the lending rail that powers institutional DeFi, setting the standard for collateralized on-chain lending,” DiRamondo said.
Additionally, users can earn interest on the crypto they lend.
SUI (SUI)
While Solana may be the leader in scalability, SUI is quietly positioning itself as a strong contender. This Layer 1 blockchain emphasizes speed and user experience, which is attracting more developers.
“The alternative Layer 1 SUI has a lot of potential. It has a great team behind it, strong use cases and it is attracting builders to its ecosystem,” Pukrin said. “SUI has some advantages over Solana, including its newer technology and its smaller market cap, which could lead to better performance.”
Ondo (Ondo)
Ondo is one of the major players in real-world asset tokenization. It allows investors to access blockchain-based versions of traditional securities like stocks and bonds.
“Oondo is institutionalizing token products, bridging real-world assets and Web3 liquidity,” DiRaimondo said. “These are not speculative tokens. They are building financial plumbing institutions that will actually be used.”
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Experts Predict What the Top Performing Cryptos Will Be in 2026
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