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Advisor Investing Cryptocurrency
Top 10 Cryptocurrencies Of April 21, 2026
Audited & Verified: Apr 21, 2026, 9:22am
Farran Powell
Written ByFarran Powell
Staff Editor
& 1 other
Have a question we may not have answered?
Ask our editors here
There are thousands of crypto coins, from bitcoin and Ethereum to litecoin and solana. Just the sheer number of available cryptos can seem overwhelming when you’re new to investing.
Forbes Advisors developed cryptocurrency screens to show the best crypto to buy now if you’re looking for momentum as well as the top 10 cryptocurrencies with strong market caps and good project theses.
Why You Can Trust the Forbes Advisor Investing Team
10 Best Cryptocurrencies To Invest In
We filtered cryptocurrencies by utility or store of value alongside other metrics, such as seven-day performance and 24-hour trading volume.
This selection of cryptocurrencies has market capitalizations greater than $5 billion. Cryptos with at least $5 billion in market cap are typically more stable with greater institutional adoption.
1. Bitcoin (BTC)
Market Cap: $1.528 trillion
7-Day Change: 2.63%
Price News: As of 8:32 a.m. ET, the price of bitcoin, or 1 BTC, traded at $76,347.70. Bitcoin’s highest 52-week intraday price was $126,198.07 on October 6, 2025.
BTC has risen from roughly $0.06 in July 2010 to around $76,347.70 as of April 21, 2026, with a staggering increase of 123,473,339%.
Bitcoin:
Created in 2009 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, bitcoin is the original and most recognized cryptocurrency.
The “OG” of crypto runs on a decentralized blockchain network. The network uses an energy-intensive, proof-of-work consensus system. On the network, miners validate transactions on the chain by solving complex puzzles. For each validated block, miners earn a reward of 3.125 BTC per block, currently worth $238,586.57.
The proof-of-work consensus model is often criticized for its carbon footprint. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that crypto mining, which bitcoin uses, represents up to 2.3% of U.S. electricity consumption.
Pros:
Viewed as a “digital gold” and a store of value.
High liquidity and market stability relative to other coins.
Cons:
High energy consumption due to the proof-of-work system.
Slower transaction speed and higher fees compared to newer networks.
Market Dominance: 59.63%
2. Ethereum (ETH)
Market Cap: $279.80 billion
7-Day Change: -2.40%
Price News:
Ethereum, or 1 Ethereum, traded at $2,318.31, as of 8:30 a.m. ET. The highest intraday price that Ethereum reached in the past year was $4,953.73 on August 24, 2025.
From $2.83 in August 2015 to about $2,318.31 as of April 21, 2026, ETH has grown by 81,674%.
Ethereum:
Ethereum harnesses a powerful blockchain platform for building decentralized applications, known as DApps. This crypto was the brainchild of Vitalik Buterin, created to apply blockchain technology to programmability.
So, how is Ethereum used in the programming world? Well, developers use Ethereum for smart contracts. These are self-executing agreements coded directly onto the blockchain. There are many use cases for DApps, as they can be applied to finance, supply chain management and more.
Ether is the native coin on the network. Developers use ETH to pay “gas” fees. These fees compensate network validators for their computational work in completing transactions and smart contracts.
Pros:
Large developer ecosystem.
A vast array of tokens and services use the Ethereum network.
Cons:
Scaling challenges (a.k.a. large volumes of traffic can cause bottlenecks).
High gas fees.
Market Dominance: 10.92%
3. XRP (XRP)
Market Cap: $88.51 billion
7-Day Change: 5.10%
Price News:
XRP stood at $1.44 per coin as of 8:31 a.m. ET, with its annual high being $3.65 on July 17, 2025.
XRP hit $1.44 on April 21, 2026, up 24,371%.
XRP:
XRP was created by Ripple Labs to facilitate fast and low-cost, cross-border payments. It acts as a bridge between currencies, enabling instant transfers with minimal fees.
Unlike bitcoin and other mined cryptos, XRP tokens enter circulation whenever Ripple chooses to sell coins. For that reason, there are concerns over the centralized nature that controls XRP’s supply.
Pros:
Strong use cases in global finance.
Backed by institutional partnerships.
Cons:
Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, worth $7.6 billion, owns a sizable portion of XRP.
Centralization concerns due to Ripple’s control over XRP’s supply.
Market Dominance: 3.45%
4. BNB (BNB)
Market Cap: $85.39 billion
7-Day Change: 2.85%
Price News:
BNB’s price was $633.55 at 8:32 a.m. ET. Its highest point in the past year came on October 13, 2025, when it hit $1,370.55.
$BNB has soared by 549,844% since CoinMarketCap started tracking it in 2017.
BNB:
Originally launched to pay trading fees on the Binance exchange, BNB has grown into a utility token used for transactions, payments and DApps within the Binance ecosystem.
As an added perk, users can get a discount on trading fees when using BNB on a Binance crypto exchange. But there’s also a utility aspect. The token can be used to pay transaction fees on the BNB Smart Chain, which supports smart contracts and DApps.
Pros:
Binance’s growing ecosystem.
Ongoing quarterly coin burns to reduce supply.
Cons:
High reliance on Binance’s success.
Regulatory scrutiny of centralized exchanges.
Market Dominance: 3.33%
5. Solana (SOL)
Market Cap: $49.39 billion
7-Day Change: 0.07%
Price News:
Solana traded at $85.82 as of 8:31 a.m. ET. The highest price in the last 12 months was $253.21, reached on September 18, 2025.
Since its launch in April 2020, SOL has risen to $85.82 as of April 21, 2026 for a gain of 38,908%.
Solana:
Solana is designed for speed and scalability, using a hybrid proof-of-stake and proof-of-history system to process thousands of transactions per second.
SOL is recovering developer and user activity despite its well-known network outages of the past. Fans of solana will believe it’s a good alternative to Ethereum, rivaling its competitor in terms of speed and cost factors.
Pros:
Active DeFi and non-fungible token ecosystems.
Innovative consensus model.
Cons:
Periodic network outages and stability issues.
Centralization concerns due to validator control.
Market Dominance: 1.93%
6. TRON (TRX)
Market Cap: $31.21 billion
7-Day Change: 2.49%
Price News: TRON traded at $0.33 as of 8:31 a.m. ET. Its yearly high was $0.37 on August 14, 2025.
TRX has grown from $0.0019 in 2017 to about $0.33 as of April 21, 2026.
TRON:
Tron originally launched in 2017 on the Ethereum token network until it moved to its own chain. Its proof-of-stake consensus makes it energy efficient, while TRX, its native token, fuels transactions and smart contracts.
One of the original premises of the crypto was to help original content creators receive income for their work. The platform supports smart contracts and DApps.
Pros:
Low-cost transactions.
Strong presence in the entertainment and gaming sectors.
Cons:
Leadership under Justin Sun. The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Sun in 2023 with alleged market manipulation regarding the supply of TRX.
Fewer institutional use cases than competitors.
Market Dominance: 1.22%
7. Hyperliquid (HYPE)
Market Cap: $10.39 billion
7-Day Change: -9.47%
Price News: At 8:30 a.m. ET, 1 HYPE was priced at $40.70. The highest price that hyperliquid hit was $59.39 on September 17, 2025.
Since launching in November 2024, HYPE is up 1,172%.
Hyperliquid:
HYPE is a decentralized exchange, known to those versed in crypto as a DEX. Unlike many other exchanges, HYPE has its own blockchain. It also offers a vast ecosystem of cryptocurrencies. The investment thesis around HYPE is that it solves a real problem in decentralized trading for speed and execution quality.
A notable feature of hyperliquid is its features, such as offering futures contracts. It’s even heralded by HYPE bulls as being the future for on-chain derivatives.
Pros:
High-speed performance without compromising decentralization.
Strong appeal to pro traders in DeFi.
Cons:
Ecosystem and liquidity are still developing.
Regulatory risks around derivatives trading.
Market Dominance: 0.41%
8. UNUS SED LEO (LEO)
Market Cap: $9.55 billion
7-Day Change: 2.58%
Price News: As of 8:32 a.m. E.T., 1 LEO was worth $10.37. Its highest value in the past year occurred on April 21, 2026, hitting $10.37.
UNUS SED LEO:
LEO is a utility token launched by iFinex, the company behind Bitfinex. It is designed to be used across iFinex’s ecosystem, including platforms like Bitfinex, Finex and Netnex.
LEO provides users with benefits such as reduced trading fees and access to platform privileges. Discounts are applied based on the amount of LEO tokens a user holds from a tokenomics perspective: LEO was launched with a maximum supply of 1 billion tokens. A key feature of the token is its deflationary model. Additional burning mechanisms are also in place to further reduce supply over time. Current holder benefits include trading fee reductions, enhanced withdrawal privileges and access to exclusive features on the platform.
Pros:
Strong deflationary model.
Meaningful user benefits, including fee discounts and platform perks.
Cons:
Utility is largely dependent on the success and usage of the iFinex ecosystem.
Limited use case outside of affiliated platforms.
Market dominance: 0.37%
9. Cardano (ADA)
Market Cap: $9.06 billion
7-Day Change: 2.83%
Price News:
Cardano’s market price stood at $0.25 as of 8:32 a.m. ET, with a 12-month high of $1.02 set on August 14, 2025.
Cardano’s ADA token has had relatively modest growth compared to other major crypto coins. In 2010, ADA’s price hovered around $0.02. As of April 21, 2026, its price traded at $0.25, an increase of 1,055%.
Cardano:
Cardano is a “next generation” blockchain platform that aims to improve the limitations of earlier blockchains like bitcoin and Ethereum. ADA pioneered proof-of-stake validation to reduce environmental impact and support smart contracts and DApps like Ethereum.
Pros:
Energy-efficient consensus model.
Focus on real-world use cases.
Cons:
Slow rollout of features compared to rivals.
Smaller DApp ecosystem.
Market dominance: 0.35%
10. Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Market Cap: $8.92 billion
7-Day Change: 1.50%
Price News: Bitcoin Cash was priced at $445.26 at 8:30 a.m. ET, with its highest intraday level over the past year being $668 on January 5, 2026.
Bitcoin Cash:
BCH is a decentralized crypto that originated from a hard fork of bitcoin in August 2017. As part of the fork, every BTC holder at the time received bitcoin cash at a one-to-one ratio based on the BTC holding(s).
Because BCH was created from bitcoin, the two cryptos share similar characteristics. For example, bitcoin, like bitcoin cash, has a fixed maximum supply of 21 million coins—it also uses a proof-of-work mechanism. That means miners compete with specialized computer hardware to solve puzzles to validate transactions and add new blocks to the blockchain.
The key motivation for Bitcoin Cash was scalability. BCH can process significantly more transactions per block (of up to 25,000) compared to bitcoin’s (of up to 1,000 to 1,500).
Pros:
Higher scalability than bitcoin.
Maintains bitcoin’s core principles (e.g., scarcity).
Cons:
Lower adoption compared to bitcoin.
Ongoing debates within the BCH community.
Market dominance: 0.35%
Methodology
To determine our list of top cryptocurrencies, we applied a series of screeners designed to highlight assets that demonstrate both market momentum and a credible underlying thesis. Our methodology focuses exclusively on cryptocurrencies with an investment thesis. These are projects whose value is expected to appreciate over time as adoption and utility grow.
Market Capitalization:
We used market capitalization as a primary screening tool. Bitcoin and Ethereum, widely recognized as the “gold and silver” of crypto, currently hold the largest market caps, at $1.5 trillion and $279.6 billion, respectively. Together, they account for approximately 71% of the total cryptocurrency market.
But our focus extends beyond the top two. To capture promising but relatively stable projects, we looked at crypto assets in the midcap to large-cap range. Given crypto’s higher volatility, we chose a more conservative cutoff: screening only for projects with a market cap of at least $5 billion.
Investment Thesis:
We considered the fundamental purpose of each crypto asset. For example, bitcoin is widely recognized as a store of value, whereas Ethereum serves as a platform for decentralized applications, including smart contracts and NFTs. For that reason, we excluded:
Stablecoins
Wrapped cryptocurrencies
Liquid staking cryptos
Meme coins
Cryptos To Buy or Watch Now
We filtered cryptocurrencies by utility or store of value, alongside trading momentum and other metrics, such as seven-day performance and 24-hour trading volume.
Our momentum screen for the best cryptos to invest in or watch is in the table below, ordered by 24-hour volume. These cryptos are not stablecoins, which are pegged to stable assets, nor are they wrapped (tokenized versions that run on nonnative blockchains) or liquid staking coins, which are given in return for staking.
Cryptos With Momentum
While watching cryptocurrencies with momentum can be exciting, it’s important to recognize that cryptos are risk-on assets.
Editor’s Note: If you’re new to buying crypto, especially altcoins (anything other than bitcoin), research and invest carefully. The screen we’ve built helps highlight cryptos with momentum, but it’s still up to you to look into each one and decide whether it makes sense for your risk tolerance and investment goals.
Nic Puckrin, analyst and founder of The Coin Bureau, an educational platform for all things cryptocurrency and blockchain, highlights, “Bitcoin is the gold standard, the ‘risk-off’ crypto, while altcoins are much more volatile and risky.”
How Does Cryptocurrency Work?
Cryptocurrencies are various forms of digital money that are usually based on blockchain technology. Blockchain technology allows most cryptocurrencies to exist as “trustless” forms of transactions. This means there is no centralized authority overseeing the transactions on a cryptocurrency’s blockchain.
Why Are There So Many Cryptocurrencies?
Cryptocurrency is an emerging area with around 19,000 crypto coins in existence, according to Coingecko.
While some cryptos function as currencies, others are used to develop infrastructure. For instance, in the case of Ethereum or solana, developers are building other cryptos on top of these platform currencies, and that creates even more possibilities and cryptos.
How To Choose the Best Crypto To Invest In
When choosing the best cryptocurrency to invest in, it is important to consider your individual goals, investment timeline and risk profile, just as you would with any investment. Additionally, you should do your due diligence to make sure that any crypto project you are interested in is legitimate and secure.
In general, investors should consider the following when evaluating crypto:
Market capitalization
Liquidity
Security
Use case
Investors should focus on cryptocurrencies that “solve problems, have strong infrastructure or legal positioning, and are building with the next wave of adoption in mind,” says Pablo Gerboles Parrilla, founding director of Alive DevOps, a software development company.
Most crypto experts, whether they work on crypto education or blockchains or are the CEO of a crypto wallet company, will tell you not to jump on the latest “hot” crypto trend, especially when it comes to meme coins.
“Most meme coin investments are quick pump-and-dump schemes, so even experienced investors get burned. Instead, go for blue-chip cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin or solana, and never invest more than you can afford to lose. If you want to experiment with altcoins, treat them as a small experimental addition to your portfolio and diversify,” Puckrin advises.
How To Invest in Cryptocurrency?
You can buy cryptocurrencies through crypto exchanges, such as Coinbase, Binance or Gemini. In addition, some brokerages, such as Webull and Robinhood, also allow consumers to buy cryptocurrencies.
Best Crypto Exchange
Kraken
Kraken
Forbes Advisor Mobile Logo
5.0
Learn More
On Kraken's Website
Trading Fees
Maker Fee 0.25%/Taker Fee 0.40% (For Kraken Pro, trading under $10,000 within 30 days.)
Tradable Coins
600+
Uphold
Uphold
Forbes Advisor Mobile Logo
4.7
Learn More
On Uphold's Website
Trading Fees
Flat fee that depends on asset (0.25% for most stablecoins; 1.4%-1.6% for BTC and ETH; 2.5%-2.95% for altcoins)
Tradable Coins
300+
Crypto.com
Crypto.com
Forbes Advisor Mobile Logo
4.6
Learn More
On Crypto.com's Website
Trading Fees
Maker Fee 0.25%/Taker Fee 0.50% (For $10,000 or less in trades within 30 days.)
Tradable Coins
400+
Gemini
Gemini
Forbes Advisor Mobile Logo
3.9
Learn More
On Gemini's Website
Trading Fees
Maker Fee 0.20%/Taker Fee 0.40% (For trades less than $10,000 within 30 days.)
Tradable Coins
70+
Coinbase Exchange
Coinbase Exchange
Forbes Advisor Mobile Logo
3.7
Learn More
On Coinbase's Secure Website
Trading Fees
Maker Fee 0.40%/Taker Fee 0.60% (For $10,000 or less in trades within 30 days.)
Tradable Coins
340+
Binance.US
Binance.US
Trading Fees
Maker Fee 0.40%/Taker Fee 0.60% for Tier I trades; Tier 0 trades for 0.00% maker fees bitcoin, Ethereum, solana, BNB and cardano, with 0.01% taker fees
Tradable Coins
180+
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers
Learn More
Via InteractiveBrokers' Secure Website
Trading Fees
Commissions of 0.12% to 0.18%, depending on trade value
Tradable Coins
11
Bitstamp
Bitstamp
Learn More
Trading Fees
Maker Fee 0.30%/Taker Fee 40% (For trades less than $10,000 within 30 days.)
Tradable Coins
100+
BitFlyer
BitFlyer
3.1
Learn More
Via eToro's Website
Trading Fees
1% fee plus bid-ask spread
Tradable Coins
100+ globally (only 30+ available in the U.S.)
How Much Does It Cost To Buy Cryptocurrency?
How much it costs to buy cryptocurrency depends on several factors, including which crypto you are buying. Many small altcoins trade for a fraction of a cent, while a single bitcoin will cost you $76,348. However, many brokerages and exchanges now allow fractional trading, offering investors the option to buy a portion of a cryptocurrency.
There are also often costs and fees associated with having a crypto wallet and/or an account on a brokerage or crypto exchange. Be sure that you understand all of the costs associated with buying and holding any cryptocurrency before you invest.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is bitcoin valuable?
Are there cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds?
Why are cryptocurrencies important?
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