Key Points
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Bitcoin ETF inflows are picking up, showing that the largest cryptocurrency still has ample institutional support.
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Ethereum is the top settlement layer for stablecoins and has seven upgrades planned through 2029.
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Solana’s speed and low transaction fees are significant competitive advantages.
- 10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin ›
The stock market is having a down year so far, with the S&P 500 down 3% as of March 19. The crypto market is doing even worse. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has lost 19% in 2026 alone, continuing a slump that started last October, and other major coins have declined even more.
If there’s a silver lining in that sea of red, it’s that investing in cryptocurrency is much cheaper than it was a few months ago. With that in mind, let’s look at the best cryptocurrencies if you want to buy the dip.
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1. Bitcoin
Sometimes keeping it simple is the way to go. In crypto investing, the simplest option is to buy Bitcoin. It’s not the most advanced cryptocurrency, and you can’t launch decentralized finance (DeFi) projects or meme coins on its blockchain. But Bitcoin’s name value and size make it arguably the safest cryptocurrency investment.
The case for Bitcoin is that it’s the largest digital asset and has a maximum supply of 21 million coins. Investors buy it as a store of value and to diversify their portfolios, and the supply cap means there’s only so much Bitcoin to go around.
Since the launch of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in 2024, institutional investors have also been able to get in on the action. Bitcoin ETFs have received $56.7 billion in total net inflows, and they recently recorded seven straight days of net inflows. That’s the longest such streak since October and a good sign that Bitcoin still has plenty of institutional support during this downturn.
2. Ethereum
Like Bitcoin, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) is attracting institutional attention, both as an investment and as a settlement layer. About $165 billion in stablecoins are on Ethereum, which is over half the stablecoin market and includes Tether, USDC, PayPal USD, and Ripple USD. When JPMorgan Chase Asset Management launched its first tokenized money market fund last December, it chose the Ethereum blockchain.
Traditional finance is increasingly merging with blockchain technology, as evidenced by the growth of stablecoins (the market has increased by about $85 billion over the last year) and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). The latter are digital tokens that represent financial assets, such as stocks and ETFs. Ethereum has emerged as the most trusted blockchain for both. It’s also home to $15.5 billion in RWAs, and the total market is currently worth $27.3 billion.
One of the biggest criticisms of Ethereum is that it’s not as efficient as many of its competitors, with slower transaction processing and higher transaction fees (gas fees).
However, the Ethereum Foundation has announced a long-term plan through 2029, including seven hard forks to upgrade the network. Goals include getting the Ethereum blockchain to 10,000 transactions per second (tps) and reducing transaction finality times from about 16 minutes to as little as eight seconds. It’s an ambitious plan that could dramatically improve Ethereum’s performance.
3. Solana
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) is Ethereum’s biggest competitor. While it’s still far behind in terms of market cap and total value locked (TVL) on its blockchain, it does beat Ethereum on efficiency. It processes over 1,000 tps, with an average transaction fee of $0.002 and a transaction finality time of just 13 seconds.
In other words, Solana is extremely fast and cheap to use, two important qualities for attracting users and developers. That has made it a popular place for RWAs, and it has nearly $2 billion worth. Solana is also the blockchain of choice for one of the top financial companies. When Visa announced the launch of stablecoin settlement in the U.S. in December, it chose Solana as the settlement layer.
While Ethereum and Solana occupy similar territory, they’re both worth considering for a crypto portfolio. Either one could succeed, and they could also coexist, each doing well, similar to Visa and Mastercard.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana are my highest-conviction cryptocurrency investments. That said, the market is still extremely risky. Even though this looks like a solid buying opportunity, avoid putting too much of your money into crypto. A small crypto position is enough and limits your potential downside.
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JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Lyle Daly has positions in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Tether, and USDC. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, Solana, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
