Best Crypto in 2025 December: 10 Best Performing Cryptocurrencies
Disclaimer: Crypto is a high-risk asset class. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. You could lose all of your capital.
Over the past year, a lot of crypto assets have shown great growth, especially meme coins and payment tokens. Toshi, XRP (XRP), and Stellar (XML) have seen the most significant growth over the past year, rising around +102.47%, -16.54%, and Coin data not available, respectively. We are also seeing new top-performing niches, including AI, RWA, and gamification.
This guide details the top 10 coins with high returns over the last 12 months. We also explain how to find crypto coins before they explode, with proven methods including presale events, predicting upcoming narratives, and following the smart money.
- In This Article
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- 1. Bitcoin (BTC) – Scarce Digital Gold and Decentralization Pioneer
- 2. XRP (XRP) – Enterprise-Grade Instant Cross-Border Payment Solution
- 3. TRON (TRX) – High-Throughput Entertainment and Content Sharing Network
- 4. Stellar (XLM) – Low-Cost Financial Inclusion and Remittance Bridge
- 5. Sui (SUI) – Parallel-Processed Next-Generation Smart Contract Platform
- 6. Monero (XMR) – Untraceable Privacy-First Cryptographic Currency System
- 7. Zcash (ZEC) – Privacy Coin that Integrates ZKP Technology
- 8. Beldex (BDX) – Ecosystem-Wide Privacy-Centric Blockchain Infrastructure
- 9. Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT) – Whimsical Community-Driven Meme Token Mascot
- 10. Toshi (TOSHI) – Base Meme Coin Named After Brian Armstrong’s Cat
- In This Article
-
- 1. Bitcoin (BTC) – Scarce Digital Gold and Decentralization Pioneer
- 2. XRP (XRP) – Enterprise-Grade Instant Cross-Border Payment Solution
- 3. TRON (TRX) – High-Throughput Entertainment and Content Sharing Network
- 4. Stellar (XLM) – Low-Cost Financial Inclusion and Remittance Bridge
- 5. Sui (SUI) – Parallel-Processed Next-Generation Smart Contract Platform
- 6. Monero (XMR) – Untraceable Privacy-First Cryptographic Currency System
- 7. Zcash (ZEC) – Privacy Coin that Integrates ZKP Technology
- 8. Beldex (BDX) – Ecosystem-Wide Privacy-Centric Blockchain Infrastructure
- 9. Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT) – Whimsical Community-Driven Meme Token Mascot
- 10. Toshi (TOSHI) – Base Meme Coin Named After Brian Armstrong’s Cat
- Show Full Guide
Top-Performing Cryptocurrencies in 2025
We trimmed out the list of the top-performing crypto coins to these ones below, as they show more growth and potential according to our methodology. Here’s a comparison of the 10 best-performing coins with high returns over the last 365 days, broken down by market cap, current price, and yearly price change:
| Coin | Symbol | Market Cap | Current Price | Price Change 1Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin (BTC) |  BTC +0.09% |
$1.76T | $88,362.85 | -10.18% |
| XRP (XRP) |  XRP 0.91% |
$193.50B | $1.94 | -16.54% |
| TRON (TRX) |  TRX +1.85% |
$24.55B | $0.28 | +10.90% |
| Stellar (XLM) |  XLM 2.52% |
$10.88B | $0.21 | -40.98% |
| Sui (SUI) |  SUI 1.85% |
$14.50B | $1.45 | -69.23% |
| Monero (XMR) |  XMR +3.71% |
$8.55B | $463.43 | +136.29% |
| Zcash (ZEC) |  ZEC 1.92% |
$7.23B | $442.54 | +714.50% |
| Beldex (BDX) |  BDX +5.67% |
$995.43M | $0.10 | +22.95% |
| Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT) |  PNUT 0.16% |
$72.08M | $0.072 | -88.41% |
| Toshi (TOSHI) |  TOSHI +0.50% |
$141.89M | $0.00033 | +102.47% |
ℹ️The data in this table is revised weekly.
Crypto Coins with the Highest Returns Reviewed
Let’s take a closer look at the best-performing crypto coins listed above. This will help you decide whether additional upside is available or if a market reversal is more likely.
1. Bitcoin (BTC) – Scarce Digital Gold and Decentralization Pioneer
- % Return in Past Year: -10.18%
- 24 Hour Price Change: +0.09%
- Market Cap: $1.76T
Bitcoin hit an all-time high of $126,173.18 on October 6, 2025 thanks to the growing institutional demand and improved policies. With over $160 billion in BTC ETF inflows and the 2024 halving, BTC is now valued at $1.76T, highlighting BTC’s status as digital gold.
Though price predictions are projecting a high of $94,036.32 later in 2026, BTC is expected to face price volatility, dipping further in H1 2026 before climbing back up to $140,000.
Even though BTC’s long-term future seems bullish, there’s still a possibility of bearish scenarios. Expect typical Bitcoin volatility with monthly averages swinging substantially. Its correlation with stocks persists, but crypto-specific developments remain key price drivers.
2. XRP (XRP) – Enterprise-Grade Instant Cross-Border Payment Solution
- % Return in Past Year: -16.54%
- 24 Hour Price Change: -0.91%
- Market Cap: $193.50B
XRP rallied in 2024-2025, breaking years of sideways price action after the conclusion of the SEC lawsuit. The token jumped from $0.55 to $3.65, nearly overtaking its all-time high of $3.84. Relaxed crypto policies in the U.S. and major exchanges relisting XRP also contributed to higher highs for XRP’s price.
Ripple’s partnerships, especially in Asia and the Middle East, give the token real demand. Its On-Demand Liquidity service and low transaction fees are likely to attract institutions as well. Transactions burn tokens, and institutional demand could reduce available tokens. This will reduce the effective and available supply and potentially increase prices.
Bullish forecasts suggest $2.44 by 2026 if regulations ease and adoption grows. But if legal challenges resurface, volatility could pull prices around $2.10. Either way, XRP’s tech and role in payments keep it relevant.
3. TRON (TRX) – High-Throughput Entertainment and Content Sharing Network
- % Return in Past Year: +10.90%
- 24 Hour Price Change: +1.85%
- Market Cap: $24.55B
TRON handles more daily transactions than most blockchains. Its adoption in Asia makes it ideal for stablecoins, especially USDT. It has the second-highest volume in USDT to Ethereum. This practical focus helped TRX increase +10.90% last year. It is currently trading at $0.28.
Technical indicators show strong momentum, and the price is holding above key support levels. TRX shows some bullish patterns that suggest a potential upside toward No price prediction available for the specified year. in 2025. The market sentiment around TRX remains positive overall.
Forecasts see TRX around $0.33 in 2026. A long-term projection could see TRX at $0.78 in 2030. However, competition from chains like Ethereum and regulatory uncertainty could suppress its prices.
4. Stellar (XLM) – Low-Cost Financial Inclusion and Remittance Bridge
- % Return in Past Year: -40.98%
- 24 Hour Price Change: -2.52%
- Market Cap: $10.88B
Stellar’s real-world utility drives steady growth. The platform processed 3.8 billion payments last year with fees under $0.0000006 per transaction. Its focus on tokenizing assets – targeting $3 billion by 2025 – attracts major partners like Franklin Templeton and WisdomTree. You’ll find this infrastructure supports everything from remittances to charity work efficiently.
Collaborations with Société Générale’s blockchain arm and DeFi projects strengthen its use case as a cross-border payments solution. Moreover, the network now handles almost 10 million accounts.
XLM’s price reflects its early launch and lasting impression in the crypto market. Analysts expect its price to be No price prediction available for the specified year. in 2026. While developer tools support smart contract development, Stellar’s core use remains in real-world finance.
5. Sui (SUI) – Parallel-Processed Next-Generation Smart Contract Platform
- % Return in Past Year: -69.23%
- 24 Hour Price Change: -1.85%
- Market Cap: $14.50B
Sui has grown significantly since its launch. It is now ranking among the top 25 cryptocurrencies with a $14.50B market cap. Its ecosystem expanded rapidly between 2024 and 2025. In terms of DeFi activity, Sui has at times peaked at over $2 billion in total value locked (TVL). Active accounts increased tenfold, showing strong user adoption despite some market volatility recently pulling TVL back to $1.2 billion.
Sui uses an object-based design via the Move programming language. It handles 297,000 transactions per second and has 400ms finality. Major DeFi projects like Navi Protocol and Suilend launched on it, while gaming projects like MemeFi migrated to its network. Stablecoin issuance has also increased, which has historically been a good indicator of adoption.
Upgrades (such as Mysticeti v2) improved its scalability, while cross-chain tools expanded its ability to interoperate with other networks. Sui targets broader roles in finance, gaming, and real-world assets. However, its success will depend on maintaining or increasing the number of developers who build on the network.
6. Monero (XMR) – Untraceable Privacy-First Cryptographic Currency System
- % Return in Past Year: +136.29%
- 24 Hour Price Change: +3.71%
- Market Cap: $8.55B
Monero increased +136.29% in the last year. Due to many factors, there has been an increase in its demand due to a need for financial privacy. XMR’s untraceable features (ring signatures, stealth addresses) make it the top choice for users who value anonymity. This fueled seven straight weeks of gains at one point in time despite exchange delistings.
Much of the trading for XMR occurs on exchanges like KuCoin, HTX, and MEXC. Upgrades, like version 0.18.4.0, increased its privacy and transaction throughput. XMR mining remains accessible, too. Monero’s RandomX algorithm favors regular computers over specialized hardware and keeps the network decentralized.
Analysts expect XMR around $585.68 by late 2026, with long-term targets near $1,237.47 by 2030. Technical signals suggest possible short-term pullbacks, but the core appeal stays strong: when privacy matters, Monero delivers.
7. Zcash (ZEC) – Privacy Coin that Integrates ZKP Technology
- % Return in Past Year: +714.50%
- 24 Hour Price Change: -1.92%
- Market Cap: $7.23B
Zcash is another privacy coin. It performed even better than Monero in 2025. Launched in 2016, Zcash followed in Bitcoin’s footsteps while introducing zk-SNARKs, a type of zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology that allows transactions to be verified without revealing their origins.
ZEC surged at the end of 2025. It rose tenfold from August, from around $40 to $333 in October. This was its highest level in nearly a decade. Solana contributor Mert said that ZEC fulfills Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision for a privacy-focused Bitcoin.
ZEC currently has a market cap of $7.23B, reflecting a +714.50% increase over the past year. Despite this massive growth, Zcash’s market cap remains lower than that of the category leader, Monero (XMR), which stands at $8.55B.
8. Beldex (BDX) – Ecosystem-Wide Privacy-Centric Blockchain Infrastructure
- % Return in Past Year: +22.95%
- 24 Hour Price Change: +5.67%
- Market Cap: $995.43M
Beldex supports privacy tools like BChat messenger and its private browser, not hype. This approach gives BDX utility unlike typical privacy coins. It is currently trading at $0.10 and has a market cap of $995.43M. You also get regular staking rewards and low fees on Beldex.
Technically, BDX faces headwinds: it trades below key moving averages with a “fear” sentiment reading. Some indicators signal oversold conditions, though, hinting at potential near-term recovery. Prices may be set around No price prediction available for the specified year. through 2025, requiring patience during volatility.
Future projections for BDX suggest it will increase to $0.25 by 2029 and $0.30 by 2030. This reflects the increased demand for privacy solutions in 2025.
9. Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT) – Whimsical Community-Driven Meme Token Mascot
- % Return in Past Year: -88.41%
- 24 Hour Price Change: -0.16%
- Market Cap: $72.08M
Since its launch on Solana in 2024, Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT) has grown its market cap to around $72.08M. The meme coin, inspired by the outrage over a squirrel’s euthanization in New York, has managed to unlock a listing on Binance quickly, raising its trading volumes during its peak.
Today, PNUT is priced at around $0.072 with all tokens in circulation, providing investors reassurance when it comes to dilution risks. Analysts expect PNUT to reach $0.077 by late 2026, with a long-tail projection suggesting it will reach $0.15 by 2030.
10. Toshi (TOSHI) – Base Meme Coin Named After Brian Armstrong’s Cat
- % Return in Past Year: +102.47%
- 24 Hour Price Change: Coin data not available
- Market Cap: Coin data not available
Toshi is currently the largest meme coin on Base, a popular Ethereum Layer 2 chain developed by Coinbase. The token is named after Coinbase co-founder Brian Armstrong’s cat and Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous entity behind Bitcoin. The community-driven token aims to become the “Face of Base,” and it has recently overtaken Brett (BRETT) as the leading meme coin on the Base network.
Note that Toshi is highly speculative and driven by meme culture rather than fundamentals. The token has rapidly become one of this year’s breakout crypto stars. The coin increased around Coin data not available as traders piled into one of the market’s top daily gainers.
In September 2025, TOSHI secured its spot among new OKX listings, fueling a fresh rally that sent it to the highest level since January 2025. The result has been massive trading volumes and a seat among the top-performing tokens, underscoring how quickly a viral meme narrative can translate into real market value.
How to Find Crypto Coins With High Returns
Now that we’ve covered the top coins with high returns, you might be wondering how to find them. Read on, we discuss some of the best methods for 2025.
🔍 Look For Cryptocurrencies in Presale
Crypto presales are one of the best ways to find high-growth coins early. This is because presales offer new crypto coins to invest in before they trade on exchanges. They enable projects to raise funds from investors, meaning presale buyers get preferential prices. This also means an immediate upside is often available when the listing eventually takes place.
Even better, the best crypto presales have low-cap valuations. This provides a solid chance of targeting substantial gains. For example, consider that in presale, Solana SOL was initially priced at $0.04, as per ICOdrops data. Solana’s all-time high is $294.16, so early investors could have gains of over 466,950%.
🗓️ Predict Future Crypto Trends in Advance
Crypto markets typically follow specific narratives for extended periods. This could be a few weeks or months. Crucially, many coins within the narrative collectively perform well.
For example, meme coins enjoyed a huge rally through much of 2024. This means diversifying into multiple meme coins paid off for seasoned investors and helped combat market volatility. Looking ahead to 2025, you can monitor new trends, such as RWA, decentralized finance upgrades, or cross-chain solutions.
The key is being informed about which trends are hot, allowing you to maximize the respective wave. Keeping an eye on crypto developments, data aggregation websites, social media, and YouTube influencers can help you achieve this goal.
🐳 Follow What Crypto Whales Are Buying
Crypto whales are successful investors with serious bankrolls. They typically invest at least six figures, meaning their purchases can influence market prices significantly. Primarily, when investing in coins with a small market capitalization.
Importantly, whales have a proven track record of picking crypto winnings, often long before the broader market catches on. For this reason, replicating whale investors can be a smart move.
This concept is similar to following successful hedge funds that consistently outperform the market. The best crypto whale trackers send real-time notifications whenever a wallet movement occurs.
Some go one step further by adding a copy trading feature. This means you can automatically buy or sell the coins being traded by the respective whale. This way, you’ll act before the broader markets can react.
💸 Invest in Low Market Cap Cryptocurrencies
Ultimately, most coins with high crypto returns started life with a low market capitalization. These projects can produce rapid growth in a short time frame. Unlike large-cap coins, they don’t need substantial buying pressure to increase by many multiples.
Now compare this with a large-cap like Ethereum, which had a market capitalization of over $550 billion at its peak. Ethereum would need an $82.5 trillion valuation to achieve 150x gains, which is a mammoth undertaking.
Therefore, the best low-cap crypto coins offer a much higher upside potential. They do, however, also carry more risk, so ensure you’re well-diversified when investing in this market.
Which Types of Coins Deliver the Biggest Returns?
We mentioned earlier that certain coin types have performed considerably better than the market average. This section takes a closer look at these core niches.
Meme Coins – Best for Huge Hype-Driven Returns
Meme coins continue to produce the biggest returns. Even without any use cases, and founders who choose to remain anonymous, meme coins are the hottest trend to focus on.
Due to their growth potential, many crypto enthusiasts have exposure to this narrative.
We found that the best meme coins typically have strong communities as well as viral appeal. This means a large following on social media networks like X and Telegram. They also boast fair token distribution, transparent tokenomics, and regular updates from the core team.
Just remember that meme coins are the riskiest niche to invest in. What’s more, the only way to achieve those 100x returns is to expect pullbacks along the way. This means the price could decline by 70% before starting the next rally.
Utility-Driven Cryptocurrencies – Best Long-Term Choice
Long-term investors typically prefer utility-driven coins. This means the project is building a broader ecosystem and potentially providing solutions to real-world problems. Moreover, utility coins aren’t solely purchased for speculative gains.
They provide value or a technological edge within the project’s network. A good example is ETH, the utility coin for Ethereum. Consider a decentralized exchange like Uniswap, which operates on the Ethereum blockchain.
Whenever traders buy or sell tokens on Uniwap, they need a small amount of ETH. This covers the transaction fee when the smart contract is executed. Thousands of other projects operate on Ethereum, so ETH is always in demand.
Cryptocurrencies With Institutional Backing – Best for More Stable Returns
Another way to find top-performing coins is to explore digital asset markets with institutional interest. According to an Ernst & Young report, 60% of institutions with crypto investments have exposure beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. This means that even institutional investors are buying coins with lower market capitalizations.
For example, BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has previously expressed interest in RWA (real-world asset) projects. BlackRock believes the RWA space could be a trillion-dollar opportunity, so exploring coins in this sector could be wise. The total value of all RWA coins is currently just $40 billion, so it’s still potentially undervalued and poised for long-term growth. In our comprehensive guide, we discuss the best RWA coins to buy.
What Are the Most Expensive Cryptocurrencies?
The most expensive crypto coin in the top 100 for market capitalization is Bitcoin. It’s currently priced at $88,362.85. This is partly due to its small maximum supply of 21 million BTC.
Another popular coin with a high price is yearn finance, which has an all-time high of over $91,384.35. This project has an even smaller supply, at just under 37,000 YFI.
Highest Returns = Highest Risk – Risk Management Tips
High upside always comes with high risk. Even though Bitcoin’s long-term outlook looks strong, price swings can still be sharp. Overexposure can quickly turn gains into losses, which is why allocation matters a lot.
Rather than putting all of your funds in one place, it’s best to diversify your portfolio by balancing BTC with other assets, such as ETH and low-cap coins. This helps you manage volatility much more efficiently.
👉 Learn more about the best crypto for portfolio allocation.
We only looked at coins in the top 100 by market cap. These bigger projects usually have more stable prices, high liquidity, and lots of daily trading activity—making them easier to buy and sell without much hassle. On the flip side, small-cap coins can be super volatile. Sure, a new project with a $50,000 valuation might shoot up 100x, but that doesn’t reflect the broader market. We focused on year-to-date (YTD) performance to get a full-picture view of how a coin has performed. A coin might spike 200% in one month but then crash 80% the next. YTD data smooths out those short-term swings and shows how consistent the returns are over time. Coins with high daily trading volume and strong liquidity made the cut. The more liquid a coin is, the easier it is to trade without massive price changes—super important if you’re looking to avoid price slippage. We also considered how well a coin aligns with popular trends and market buzz. Coins riding big narratives, like AI or meme tokens, tend to see higher interest and sustained momentum. Take XRP, for example. It had a solid run in 2025 thanks to clearer regulations and being relisted on major exchanges. That momentum shows how much a project can benefit when legal uncertainty clears up, and access improves. If you seek the next high-return crypto, spotting early narratives, monitoring whale activity, and exploring presale opportunities remain some of the most effective strategies. Just remember that the higher the potential upside, the more important it is to manage risk and stay informed.
How We Ranked The Coins with the Highest Returns
We used a simple but effective process to rank the top coins with the highest returns. Here’s a breakdown of the key criteria we used:Market Cap (40%)
Last 12-Month performance (30%)
Liquidity and Trading Volume (20%)
Hype and Trends (10%)
Conclusion: Our Take on Crypto With High Returns
A coin needs to have a couple of key traits to be considered top-performing, such as strong community backing, alignment with trending narratives like memes or RWAs, and strategic exchange listings. Meme coins keep trending when it comes to short-term returns, while infrastructure and RWA-focused projects are gaining serious traction among institutional investors.FAQs
What have been the top-performing coins in 2025?
What makes a coin deliver high returns?
Do small-cap or large-cap coins deliver higher returns?
How do you measure the performance of a coin?
What is the highest-priced crypto?
How do market trends influence cryptocurrency performance?
What crypto has the highest annual returns?
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