Cryptocurrencies are all the rage these days and for a good reason. The cryptocurrency market has experienced enormous growth in the last few years and it’s set to expand even further in 2022!
There can be a lot of choices when investing your money into crypto; however, we think you should consider five alternative coins that may help make some tremendous long-term profits.
We’re here to help with our deep research and analysis. Here are the top 5 cryptocurrencies to buy and HODL in 2022 and beyond.
Table of Contents
Best Cryptocurrencies to Buy and HOLD in 2022
1/ HEX Token ( HEX )
- Website: Hex.com
- Market Cap: 40B
HEX is a groundbreaking new cryptocurrency launched in December 2019 by Richard Schueler – better known as “Richard Heart.” The HEX community has raised over $27M to the anti-aging SENS Research Foundation through PulseChain, which also happens to be on the Ethereum blockchain.
HEX is a second-layer (L2) application built on top of the Ethereum network powered by smart contracts that regulate how tokens are minted and distributed.
According to HEX.com, HEX is the first Blockchain CD. As they’re also known, CDs or Certificates of Deposit can be a valuable investment. They offer interest rates lower than most other financial products but with the security that comes with being locked away from access by others for an agreed-upon period – usually six months to 5 years!
The share price of HEX, which was just under $0.56 initially, has gone up to a whopping $5760. And on top of that, you can stake HEX and earn up to 40% APY. Keep in mind that HEX token stakers can make additional interest when people end their stakes earlier or later than they committed.
And this is one of the best reasons to invest in HEX. You can buy a certain amount and lock it in the system for, let’s say, five years. This will prevent you from selling your coins too early and missing out on some considerable growth in the years ahead.
2/ Decentraland ( MANA )
- Website: Decentraland.org
- Market Cap: 6B
In a world where most things are virtual, why not everything? Decentraland is a new online VR world that runs on the Ethereum blockchain.
Compared to other more traditional virtual worlds like Second Life or World of Warcraft are twofold: firstly because everything happens within its own decentralized network; secondly, you don’t need any special software to participate as long as your device meets the minimum system requirements.
Decentraland is a platform that anyone can use to create their own virtual business and buy virtual land. There are many virtual buildings available, including ones with shops or attractions on them – which means you could monetize it much in the same way as if they were an ordinary building!
MANA tokens are the lifeblood of this platform. They power everything from transactions to gameplay and can be used in-game or on various platforms outside it too!
Holders of MANA can vote on issues that affect these virtual worlds in a democracy-like process through the Decentralized Autonomous Organization ( DAO ) governance for this project. The amount you hold determines how much weight your vote has, which means it’s essential to keep up with developments!
MANA, which has appreciated by over 4200% in the last 12 months and is currently trading at $3.38, can offer something special for crypto enthusiasts who want to get into the Metaverse.
3/ Axie Infinity ( AXS )
- Website: AxieInfinity.com
- Market Cap: 5B
Blockchain gaming is the latest crypto frenzy. Those who caught onto this trend early and bought into it are now reaping profits as prices continue to climb.
There are many ways to make money on Axie Infinity. It is a game where players can own, buy and trade digital assets earned from their participation in the universe. In Axie Infinity, players buy and breed monsters called Axies to battle against each other for in-game currency. This business model is known as play-to earn where they are rewarded with crypto rewards when playing a game.
Axies are the newest and most exciting addition to NFTs. They’re like individual cards that can be bought or sold on exchanges outside of the game but instead represent different characters in this Axie Infinity world! To start playing and battle with them, you need at least three axies.
Read more: Where to Buy NFTs: Best NFT Marketplaces in 2022
4/ Solana ( SOL )
- Website: Solana.com
- Market Cap: 53B
The fourth-largest cryptocurrency is trending and has a market cap of $53 billion as of Monday, 3rd of January 2021.
The Solana Blockchain, an emerging cryptocurrency with the potential to be a long-term competitor project for Ethereum, has gained much attention from developers due to its versatility. The platform can run smart contracts and other decentralized applications or dApps.
The transactions on Solana’s blockchain are much cheaper for users than those on Ethereum. Miners who validate these actions charge less than Ethereum because the tech allows many more transactions per second — tens vs. fewer hundred(s).
SOL has vast potential to grow wildly in the next few years as more and more developers work on the Solana blockchain network instead of the Ethereum one.
NFT collections like The Degenerate Apes and Jungle Cats sent SOL to a new all-time high (ATH) above $100 in the Autumn of 2021. Solana’s price rose to an ATH of $258 on Nov. 11, 2021. This came on the back of an impressive bull run, where Solana’s price gained over 700% since mid-July 2021. It is mainly due to increased developer activity in getting projects off the ground and institutional interest.
Read more: How Much Does It Cost to Create an NFT
5/ ECOMI ( OMI )
With the rise in popularity of blockchain technology, many companies are emerging to provide services for this new economic sector. One such company is ECOMI which has created VeVe -a marketplace where users can buy and sell their favorite digital collectibles across social media networks.
ECOMI is a cutting-edge app that offers two different aspects to the user. The main element, ECOMI Collect (now known as VeVe), acts like any other marketplace where users can buy and sell goods using Vee tokens through their smartphone or computer while also enjoying content from various creators in addition to exclusive deals with brands such as Batman, Superman Harley Quinn Ghostbuster NFL/MLB, etc.
The OMI token is a utility token that ensures the immutable record of ownership for digital collectibles on VeVe’s platform. ECOMI is a great project, especially for the near future due to the NFT hype that’s on the rise.
If Ecomi gets more traction, it will surely be popular among investors and collectors alike because of its innovative approach to trading digital collectibles. It’s no surprise that this rare NFT project will increase in value once more people discover its true worth.
6/ Terra ( LUNA )
- Website: Terra.money
- Market Cap: 33B
Terra as a company is completely digital and decentralized. It has its own kind of central reserve where customers can earn interest on their assets, spend them through the payment system they have set up with this financial institution’s help as well as invest in synthetic stocks to make more money!
And behind all these features is the LUNA token which stays in the center of the entire Terra universe.
Tether, a popular stable coin backed by USD that’s used in many crypto transactions has come under scrutiny recently. The reason? It turns out they may not actually have all that money on hand!
Terra’s coins work differently; they are called algorithmic stablecoins and have their value backed through the LUNA token.
Algorithmic stablecoins are a new type of cryptocurrency that can be used to maintain the price. Algos use central banks or pools controlled by smart contracts (small pieces of code embedded on the blockchain) and update them when prices change so they know how many tokens need to be minted for example if a UST is worth more than $1.
LUNA skyrocketed in 2021 to almost $100 per coin, but recently is trading for around $92. As of writing this piece, LUNA is on the 9th spot in terms of market cap.
7/ Polygon ( MATIC )
- Website: Polygon.technology
- Market Cap: 17B
Polygon, formerly known as the Matic Network is an innovative solution that aims to provide a range of tools and services for improving blockchain networks. Polygon wants to bring Ethereum back from the brink of failure by making it more accessible and less expensive. Polygon’s goal is to make Ethereum as big and useful as possible by helping developers create enticing digital products that people will want and use.
Polygon has a new look and feel to it ( rebranded from Matic Network ), but the MATIC coin is still at its heart. This cryptocurrency provides stability for interactions within Polygon’s network and stays in the center of their founder’s vision of a truly decentralized world without digital borders.
Polygon is one of the most exciting projects to come out in recent times focused on blockchain interoperability and scaling. These are all common issues with this technology that need resolving, but Polygons has found an innovative solution for them!
If you believe in this digital future you should definitely add MATIC to your cryptocurrency portfolio along with the other promising coins and tokens in this list.
8/ Cardano ( ADA )
- Website: Cardano.org
- Market Cap: 45B
Cardano is a blockchain platform that supports the “changemakers, innovators, and visionaries” of tomorrow.
The Cardano network was created with one goal in mind–to provide an environment where positive global change can happen today!
The blockchain was founded in 2017 and named after 16th-century Italian polymath Gerolamo Cardano. The native ADA token takes its name from 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace, widely regarded as the world’s first computer programmer which gives those who hold it more power when voting on any proposed changes to the software since they can vote with their tokens instead of just owning them for investment purposes only.
According to ADA founder C. Hoskinson, Cardano is ‘number one in Github commits’. ( Source )
What does this means is that many developers are working on the Cardano project right now and indeed ADA was the most-developed cryptocurrency on Github in 2021. We can expect a lot of new stuff like decentralized applications (DApps) and decentralized financial (DeFi) to come alive in 2022.
The truth is that Cardano lost some of its appeal in the second half of 2021, but if you believe in the project and in the people behind it, you should definitely invest in ADA. Especially right now, when ADA is almost 60% below its peak price of around $3.
How to allocate your money?
I would probably suggest investing 50% of your portfolio in Bitcoin and Ethereum and the rest in those five coins/tokens above. Let’s say 5 to 10% in each. This way, you can maximize your returns and beat the overall crypto market performance.
Be Careful When Investing in Crypto
Researching a project before investing can give you peace of mind when the market is unpredictable. You should however always prepare for any potential risks that may come up and be warry about your investment options because there are over 12’000 tokens currently in circulation which could potentially disappear next month–so do some independent thinking!
