Best Altcoins to Buy This Week? Top Five Altcoins in March 2025
Key Takeaways:
- The CoinMarketCap Altcoin Season Index indicates 17/100, which indicates it's still Bitcoin Season.
- The top altcoins to buy this week (w/c March 10) include ETH, ADA, LTC, TAO, and BCH.
Despite the excitement surrounding the first-ever White House Crypto Summit on March 7, Bitcoin continues to struggle, hovering above $80,000. Many crypto enthusiasts were bullish about the event, expecting it to spark a major price surge, as seen in the increased long positions on BTC. While Bitcoin briefly recovered from $83,000 to $92,000, it failed to sustain momentum and has retraced to previous levels.
The crypto market cap has dropped 5% in a single day, now standing at $2.71 trillion, while Bitcoin's market cap has fallen to $1.6 trillion amid significant ETF outflows.
This sharp downturn has fueled market anxiety, with the Fear & Greed Index plunging to 24—the second-lowest score of 2025—indicating extreme fear among investors. However, this bearish phase presents an opportunity to invest in high-potential altcoins before the next market uptrend.
With the crypto landscape evolving rapidly, identifying strong altcoins is more critical than ever. In this guide, we'll highlight five promising altcoins to watch, chosen for their real-world use cases, increasing adoption, and recent price movements.
When Will Alt Season Start?
Bitcoin continues to dominate the market, holding above 60% dominance, which limits liquidity inflows into altcoins. This concentration of capital in BTC has led to slower gains for altcoins. For alt season to officially begin, Bitcoin’s dominance needs to drop below 50%, allowing capital to flow into alternative crypto assets.
Alt index chart
BTC dominance is currently at its peak, restricting altcoin momentum. The CoinMarketCap Altcoin (CMC) Index Chart reflects a rising altcoin market cap. However, the declining Altcoin Season Index indicates reduced interest in alternative crypto assets. This week, the CMC Altcoin Season Index improved slightly to 17/100, still far from signaling a full-fledged altcoin season.
The Altcoin Season Index chart can help traders assess the current phase of the market and potentially decide how to allocate their portfolios.
Top Altcoins by Market Cap
The top altcoins by market cap, excluding stablecoins, are Ethereum, XRP, BNB, Solana, and Cardano. The table below shows the token’s current price, year-to-date growth, seven-day percentage change, and total market cap.
| Name | Price (USD) | YTD % | 7D % | Market Cap (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethereum (ETH) | 2,059.81 | -38.17 | -14.49 | $248,424,089,837 |
| XRP (XRP) | 2.17 | 4.63 | -21.01 | $126,325,855,041 |
| BNB (BNB) | 564.28 | -19.50 | -6.99 | $80,397,354,504 |
| Solana (SOL) | 127.12 | -32.82 | -23.39 | $64,707,211,252 |
| Cardano (ADA) | 0.7393 | -12.37 | -28.09 | $26,043,674,714 |
ADA replaced Dogecoin, securing its place among the top five altcoins by market cap. Ethereum remains dominant in the smart contract space, powering decentralized finance with its EVM. XRP continues to play a crucial role in cross-border payments with its scalable infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Solana stands out for its high developer activity, and BNB is renowned for having one of the most comprehensive ecosystems. In terms of year-to-date performance, XRP has increased by 9.72%, while Solana has declined by over 15% during the same period.
How to Pick an Altcoin to Invest?
Altcoins, or alternative coins, refer to all cryptocurrency tokens other than Bitcoin. While thousands of altcoins exist, only a select few offer real utility and the potential for significant returns. To help investors navigate the vast altcoin landscape, here are key benchmarks to consider when choosing an altcoin for investment:
- Use Case: Choose altcoins that solve real-world problems.
- Team and Community: Evaluate the experience of the development team and the size and activity level of the community.
- Tokenomics: Assess token supply, emission rates, and whether the coin is inflationary or deflationary.
- Market Metrics: Look at market capitalization, liquidity, trading volume, and exchange listings.
- Historical Performance: Study past price movements and volatility.
- Fundamental and Technical Analysis: Conduct thorough research on the project’s fundamentals and do technical chart analysis.
Top 5 Best Altcoins to Buy Now
Based on project fundamentals and technical indicators, our team has shortlisted top altcoins investors can capitalize on during the ongoing bull run. Below are our top picks for the best altcoins worth considering right now.
1. Ethereum (ETH)
Ethereum (ETH) continues to lead the pack among altcoins, known for its smart contract capabilities. It serves as the foundation for DeFi protocols and dApps, driving innovation in decentralized finance, decentralized applications, and smart contracts with its scalable infrastructure.
As a strong contender in the crypto space, Ethereum benefits from its large market cap, strong developer community, and high brand recognition. Ongoing network upgrades continue to enhance its efficiency, including the transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake via key hard forks. This shift aims to lower gas fees and reduce Ethereum’s carbon footprint.
Despite competition from Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and XRP, which offer higher scalability and low cost transactions, Ethereum remains the leader. The recent approval of an Ethereum ETF has further fueled investor optimism, reinforcing ETH's position in the current crypto bull run.
Currently, Ethereum is in oversold territory, signaling a potential bullish reversal. The price has been trending downward, mirroring previous supply zones. ETH is struggling to hold above the key psychological support level of $2,000. If this level holds, a reversal toward $2,250 is expected this week, representing a 10% potential upside from current price levels.
2. Cardano (ADA)
Since its launch in 2017, Cardano (ADA) has remained a top contender in the crypto space, with growing institutional interest and strong fundamentals. Founded by one of Ethereum’s co-founders, Cardano has consistently ranked among the top five cryptocurrencies, recently surpassing Dogecoin in market cap.
ADA is backed by a research-driven approach and a strong technical foundation, making it a promising long-term investment. The ADA network continues to evolve with upgrades aimed at improving scalability, security, and interoperability.
However, after a strong rally last month, ADA faced significant selling pressure due to profit-taking, further exacerbated by the broader market downtrend. Currently, ADA is moving within a bearish trendline, approaching the key support level at $0.67. If the price finds support and reverses, ADA could offer a solid return this week, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
3. Litecoin (LTC)
Launched in 2011 as a hard fork of Bitcoin, Litecoin (LTC) was designed to offer a more decentralized and efficient alternative for digital transactions. While it initially aimed to reduce Bitcoin’s mining centralization, it later faced similar challenges as large mining firms took control. However, Litecoin remains one of the most recognized minable cryptocurrencies and a widely used peer-to-peer payment system.
LTC is retracing after testing its lower support at $93. A rebound to $100 is expected, and if bullish momentum strengthens, LTC could rally up to $106, delivering a potential 11% return this week. On the downside, if the market continues its bearish trend, LTC has strong support at $90, which could serve as a key level to watch for a potential reversal.
4. Bittensor (TAO)
Bittensor (TAO) is an open-source protocol powering a decentralized, community-driven blockchain network for machine learning model training. Its native token, TAO, is used for staking, governance, and rewarding contributions, making it essential to the platform's ecosystem.
Bittensor aims to transform AI into an open-market commodity, reducing reliance on centralized AI providers. The project’s success hinges on increased adoption, demand, and strategic partnerships, positioning it as a key player in both the AI and blockchain industries.
The TAO price has been in a strong downtrend over the last 30 days, currently trading below a curved resistance line after hitting a new low of $238. If TAO fails to break above this resistance, it could decline further to $220. However, a confirmed breakout could see TAO rally toward $270 or higher, making this a key level to watch in the coming days.
5. Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a Bitcoin fork created in 2017 to improve scalability and transaction speed. It achieves this through larger block sizes, allowing for faster and lower-cost transactions, making it a potential alternative for peer-to-peer digital payments. However, BCH faces competition from Bitcoin and concerns regarding network security and adoption.
BCH is up 12% during the last 7 days, showing exponential gains even in this extremely bearish market. However, selling pressure has triggered a retracement, with $350 acting as a key support level. If BCH holds above this support, a bullish rally toward $400 is expected, offering a potential 15% gain this week.
Low-Cap SOL Altcoins to Invest in 2025
Low-cap crypto gems are known for their low liquidity, making them highly volatile. Even small investments, like a few thousand dollars, can significantly impact their price. This volatility also means that large holders, often referred to as "whales," have the power to easily dump their tokens, causing the price to crash.
While low-cap altcoins present the opportunity for massive, quick gains, they come with extremely high risks. Without a deep understanding of the project’s fundamentals or tools like wallet tracking, investors risk losing their entire investment. It's important to note that the massive gains in these projects are not solely dependent on the broader cryptocurrency bull run.
Solana meme coins represent another promising but risky opportunity with significant growth potential. If you’re looking to invest in projects that haven't yet caught the attention of whales, consider exploring low-cap Solana coins.
| Name | Price (USD) | Market Cap (USD) | YTD Gain (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staika (STIK) | 5.16 | $243,027,942 | 267% |
| Zebec Network (ZBCN) | 0.001482 | $109,864,537 | 66% |
| GEODNET (GEOD) | 0.3130 | $99,296,648 | 32% |
| GateToken (GT) | 20.01 | $1,718,122,063 | 20% |
| PAX Gold (PAXG) | 2,908.07 | $609,419,912 | 11% |
| Olympus v2 (OHM) | 22.63 | $377,601,210 | 11% |
Investing in Altcoins vs. Bitcoin
The ongoing cryptocurrency market crash is expected to be short-term, with the bull run still showing signs of favoring Bitcoin. However, 2025 is projected to be a breakout year for altcoins, and we are only in March.
Whether you should invest in Bitcoin or altcoins depends on several factors. Altcoins generally offer higher growth potential and diversification benefits compared to Bitcoin. On the other hand, Bitcoin's credibility, adoption, and limited supply make it an appealing choice for institutional investors.
If you're someone who thrives on high volatility and is open to risk exposure, altcoins may be the better choice for you. However, if you're looking for high liquidity and more balanced gains, Bitcoin could be the safer bet. Ultimately, it's wise to have a diversified investment portfolio that includes both Bitcoin and altcoins, as this approach can help maximize growth potential while minimizing risks.
Conclusion
Choosing the right altcoins can be challenging due to the increased inherent risks. However, with careful evaluation of project fundamentals, technical indicators, and growing adoption across different sectors, investors can take advantage of their potential for significant gains, especially considering ETH, ADA, LTC, TAO, and BCH.
One key area where altcoins are seeing increased value is as payment methods on crypto betting sites like Rivalry, where ETH and SOL are both accepted. As more betting platforms accept altcoins, these tokens are becoming more widely recognized and valued for their utility in real-world applications. This shift enhances their demand and could drive further price appreciation.
While the altcoin season is still in its early stages, now could be the perfect time to invest in promising altcoins before they take off. However, as always, it’s crucial for investors to conduct their own due diligence, assess their risk tolerance, and stay informed about market trends before making any serious crypto investments.
