Recently, many people have been asking which cryptocurrencies are worth paying attention to, so I’ve organized my observations to share with everyone.

Honestly, the virtual currency market has changed quite rapidly in recent years, but some coins still hold an important position. I’ve noticed that the top-ranked cryptocurrencies by market cap tend to attract more attention, not only because they are quality projects but also because they often guide the overall market direction.

Let’s start with the top ten by market cap. Bitcoin remains the leader, with a current market cap of about $1.58 trillion, accounting for over 41% of the market share. This guy was born in 2008, with a fixed total supply of 21 million coins, halving every four years, so scarcity is truly undeniable. Ethereum follows closely, with a market cap of around $268 billion and about 7% market share. Its smart contract functionality attracts a swarm of developers, and its application scenarios are incredibly rich. Ripple, Tether, Binance Coin, Solana, and USDC are also in the top ten, each with their own characteristics.

Personally, I think choosing cryptocurrencies still depends on the current market environment. There’s an old saying: “Buy altcoins in a bull market, buy mainstream coins in a bear market.” The logic behind it is simple—altcoins tend to surge more easily during bull markets, offering higher returns; in bear markets, mainstream coins are more resilient and less risky. So, the first step is to judge the overall trend, then consider factors like notoriety, trading volume, and liquidity.

From my observation, Bitcoin and Ethereum are must-watches. BTC is a market anchor due to its scarcity and anti-inflation features; ETH, with its rich application scenarios, often has trading volumes that reach 60-70% of BTC’s. Recently, there’s an interesting trend: TAO coin has risen with the AI hype. Its underlying Bittensor network aims to build a machine learning service marketplace, with a design inspired by Bitcoin’s fixed supply of 21 million coins.

I’ve also been paying attention to Solana, which claims to be the “Ethereum killer.” Its transaction speed can reach 3,000 to 4,000 transactions per second, with almost negligible fees, making it highly cost-effective. Chainlink is also worth watching; it connects blockchain with real-world data and has solid infrastructure attributes. As for Dogecoin and TON, they are supported by influential backers, and their prices tend to be highly volatile.

Regarding investment strategies, my experience is: beginners should stick to long-term holding—simple and straightforward, with less psychological pressure. Short-term trading requires systematic strategies and position management skills, which most people find hard to master and often lead to losses. I’ve also found that long-term investing tends to yield higher returns because short-term trading often involves chasing highs and selling lows, ultimately missing big market moves. I remember buying a few BTC around $5,000 in 2018 and selling at $7,000; it then surged to $12,000, and I regretted not holding longer. Luckily, I had another chance to get in later.

Stablecoins like USDT and USDC fluctuate less than 1%, mainly used to store cash, and shouldn’t be relied upon for profit. The real gains come from non-stablecoins—BTC, ETH, TAO, XRP, DOGE, SOL—these tend to perform well in each bull cycle.

For buying and selling, the most common method is to register an account on a major exchange, complete real-name verification, link a payment method, then buy stablecoins with fiat currency, and finally trade on the crypto-to-crypto markets to buy other coins. Some platforms support direct fiat-to-crypto purchases for BTC and ETH. If that’s too complicated, you can also find trustworthy acquaintances for OTC trades, but face-to-face transactions are safest.

My advice is: conservative investors can focus only on BTC and ETH; growth-oriented investors who understand trading can add DOGE, ADA, SOL, and other mainstream coins. As for smaller altcoins, their volatility is too high and speculative risks are strong, so I don’t recommend them much.

Finally, I want to remind everyone: no matter which cryptocurrencies you choose, avoid common mistakes like blindly following trends, not setting stop-losses, or holding trash coins long-term. Especially for beginners, it’s easy to be fooled by low-priced coins, thinking that a coin worth a few cents will make you rich once it hits a dollar. The reality is, these coins often either go to zero or are on the way there. Also, protect your assets well—use strong passwords for exchange accounts, and if storing coins in wallets, keep your private keys and seed phrases safe.

The crypto market is constantly evolving, and rankings will change. What we need to do is select coins based on our trading goals and risk tolerance. Long-term investing doesn’t require frequent monitoring, saving time and fees; short-term trading offers higher risks and potential rewards but isn’t suitable for beginners, especially when using leverage, which can easily lead to liquidation. In short, whether cryptocurrencies are suitable for investment depends on your goals and capabilities.