From a technical standpoint, AAVE faces immediate resistance at $140–$142, where the broader downtrend remains intact. A break above that zone would open upside toward $150 and potentially the $165–$170 breakdown area. On the downside, key support sits at $118–$120, followed by the $100–$105 demand zone. While momentum indicators show early recovery signals, the current move still resembles a relief rally inside a wider market consolidation. For a sustained breakout, governance approval, revenue consolidation, and institutional ETF momentum will need to translate into consistent capital inflows.
Momentum indicators have supported the constructive setup. The MACD has remained positive for multiple weeks, while shorter-term moving averages continue to trend above longer-term averages, signaling sustained buyer control. Analysts note that price compression near resistance often reflects accumulation rather than distribution, particularly when supported by improving volume and broader sector strength. With ZEC already reclaiming key levels, traders are watching closely for follow-through confirmation.
CEA stock collapses as YZi Labs pushes for a board takeover. Source: Google FinanceDespite governance drama and broader market pressure, BNB has held up better than many large-cap assets this quarter, outperforming even as it trades well below its mid-October all-time high of $1,367. CEA’s reported holdings of 515,054 BNB at an average entry of $851 place its treasury slightly underwater, yet BNB itself remains up 17.8% year-to-date, reinforcing its relative strength during the latest downturn. If bullish technicals continue to hold — and especially if liquidation clusters begin to trigger — analysts say BNB could feasibly revisit the $1,020–$1,115 range before year-end.
12. Chainlink
Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network designed to provide blockchains with secure, reliable data from external sources. It addresses the long-standing “oracle problem” by safely connecting on-chain systems with off-chain information, enabling many applications that wouldn’t be possible using blockchain data alone.
Already the dominant oracle provider in decentralized finance (DeFi), Chainlink is also gaining traction in NFT projects and crypto gaming. For example, a DeFi protocol can pull price feeds from centralized exchanges through Chainlink to power its smart contracts, while NFT platforms often rely on Chainlink’s verifiable randomness to ensure fair minting processes and transparent distribution.
Why Chainlink?
Chainlink rallied 15% this week to $14.10, boosted by a major interoperability milestone: Solana and Coinbase’s Base have been connected using Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP). The new bridge allows seamless asset transfers between Solana and the Base L2 ecosystem, giving developers the ability to integrate SPL tokens directly into Base applications. This marks one of the first production-ready bridges linking an EVM chain to Solana’s non-EVM architecture, reinforcing Chainlink’s role as the industry’s dominant cross-chain infrastructure provider. Despite the breakthrough, LINK traded slightly lower on the day, mirroring broader altcoin weakness.
Chainlink also secured a significant step in institutional adoption as Grayscale’s spot LINK ETF debuted in the U.S., attracting $41 million in first-day inflows and posting “solid” trading volume, according to ETF analysts. While not a blockbuster launch like XRP’s, the ETF already manages $64 million in assets, showing that investor appetite is extending beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum into high-utility altcoins. Analysts noted the debut signals growing demand for regulated exposure to “long-tail assets,” especially those underpinning real-world tokenization infrastructure — a trend that plays directly into Chainlink’s strengths.
Still, the LINK token remains down 73% from its all-time high, and the ETF launch alone has not reversed its long-term downtrend. But Chainlink’s strategic importance continues to grow: its oracle networks and CCIP are now core infrastructure for DeFi, tokenization protocols, and cross-chain applications across the industry. With Solana, Base, and multiple ETF providers integrating or backing the network, LINK’s recent strength suggests investors are beginning to reprice Chainlink as a foundational layer for the next phase of multi-chain development.
Best cryptocurrencies to buy at a glance
| Native Asset | Launched In | Description | Market Cap* | |
| Solana | SOL | 2020 | Smart contracts platform with high speeds and low fees | $47.3 bln |
| Bitcoin | BTC | 2009 | A P2P open-source digital currency | $1.31 tln |
| Ethereum | ETH | 2015 | The leading DeFi and smart contract platform | $232 bln |
| AAVE | AAVE | 2017 | A leading decentralized lending and borrowing protocol | $1.80 bln |
| Toncoin | TON | 2021 | An efficient blockchain with Telegram messenger integrations | $3.31 bln |
| Hyperliquid | HYPE | 2024 | Decentralized perpetuals exchange with an efficient order book | $7.11 bln |
| Monero | XMR | 2014 | A privacy-first cryptocurrency with fully obfuscated transactions | $5.88 bln |
| XRP | XRP | 2012 | The leading crypto remittance solution | $85.73 bln |
| Zcash | ZEC | 2016 | Privacy-focused cryptocurrency | $4.04 bln |
| Uniswap | UNI | 2020 | A pioneering decentralized exchange protocol | $2.17 bln |
| BNB | BNB | 2017 | The native coin of the Binance exchange | $82.49 bln |
| Chainlink | LINK | 2017 | The leading decentralized oracle protocol | $6.00 bln |
Best crypto to buy for beginners
If you are just starting out in crypto, it is advisable to stick to cryptocurrency projects that are less prone to volatility and are generally more established. While this approach does have a downside, as it becomes much more difficult to expect triple-digit or larger gains, the major upside is that you are not exposed to projects that have a chance of failing and, thus, losing your entire investment.
In order to identify projects that are stable and thus feature low volatility, you can start by following the parameters listed below:
- The crypto asset has a market capitalization that places it into the cryptocurrency top 100 (roughly $500 million as of winter of 2026)
- The crypto asset is available for trading on the best crypto exchange platforms and can be exchanged for fiat currencies
- The crypto asset boasts healthy liquidity ($100M/day and more), which allows you to execute buy and sell orders quickly and without slippage
- The crypto asset is part of a reputable crypto project with clear goals, a realistic roadmap, and products and services that look to address real-world problems
Some of the best cryptos to buy for beginners are those that follow the above criteria and have earned their standing in the crypto market due to robust security, popular products and services, and clear growth potential. Some beginner-friendly crypto investments are:
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- Litecoin
- Cardano
- BNB
It is worth noting that cryptocurrency investments are inherently risky, even if you stick to the biggest and most reputable projects. The reason for this is simple – the crypto sector is relatively new, and the landscape might look completely different in the future.
Best crypto for long-term
When deciding which cryptocurrency to buy for the long term, it’s important to consider projects that are well-established, have a strong community, are highly liquid, have a large market cap, and have a clear reason for existing (such as solving a real-life problem, introducing new functionality, etc.). Without these characteristics, a project might fail to survive in the long term, rendering it a bad long-term investment.
It is worth noting that, typically, most long-term crypto investors are looking for projects that have the potential to generate decent returns but also provide a degree of investment stability. Roughly speaking, only the largest cryptocurrencies fit the bill, as others have a low market cap and liquidity that doesn’t bode well for a long-term commitment (unless you’re prepared to take on more risk).
In addition to Bitcoin and Ethereum, there are a number of other cryptocurrencies that fit the criteria of being low-risk, long-term crypto investments.
If you are planning to hold onto your digital assets for a longer period of time, it is best to take care of crypto custody yourself. Holding large amounts of crypto on an exchange can be risky, as we’ve seen over the years with the collapse of high-profile exchanges like Mt. Gox and FTX. Use one of the reputable crypto hardware wallets to store your crypto. Ledger hardware wallets, for instance, allow you to manage your crypto holdings easily and provide a much higher degree of security than crypto exchanges or even software crypto wallets.
Best place to buy crypto
One crucial aspect to consider when choosing which platform to use to buy crypto is the range of cryptocurrencies and trading pairs available. Since different exchanges support varying digital assets, it’s important to choose a platform that accommodates the specific cryptocurrencies you intend to trade.
Additionally, assessing an exchange’s liquidity and trading volume is essential. Higher liquidity generally results in improved price stability and faster trade executions. Furthermore, it is prudent to examine the fees charged by the exchange, encompassing deposit, withdrawal, and trading fees. Comparing fee structures across different exchanges can help you identify the most cost-effective option that aligns with your trading style. With that said, here are some of the best exchanges on the market right now:
- Binance – The best cryptocurrency exchange overall
- KuCoin – The best exchange for altcoin trading
- Kraken – A centralized exchange with the best security
By diligently considering these factors, you can make an informed decision and select a cryptocurrency exchange that meets your requirements for security, variety, liquidity, and affordability.
How we choose the best cryptocurrencies to buy
At CoinCheckup, we provide real-time prices for over 22,000 cryptocurrencies, with the list growing by dozens each day. As you can imagine, making a selection of a dozen top cryptocurrencies to buy out of such an immense dataset can be difficult and will for sure lead to some projects that should be featured being omitted. To minimize the chance of that happening, we follow certain guidelines when trying to identify the best cryptocurrencies to invest in.
Availability
One of the most important factors for any cryptocurrency investment is the crypto asset’s availability, meaning how easy it is to buy and sell it across various cryptocurrency exchanges. We tend to stay away from assets that are not available on major exchanges and require complex procedures to obtain.
Market Capitalization
Another important metric for identifying whether a crypto project is worth covering its market cap. A high market cap means that the project has reached a certain level of adoption from users, making it less risky to invest in.
Growth Potential
While this metric is mostly subjective, it is still an important metric on which we curate our selection. We won’t feature projects that we think are stagnating or have no real upside in the future.
Purpose and Use Case
We consider the purpose and use case of cryptocurrency, particularly in a real-world setting. Some cryptocurrencies focus on specific industries or applications, such as decentralized finance, gaming, or supply chain management.
Team and Development
The team and people involved in the project can tell you a lot about the potential of a particular cryptocurrency project. We examine the team’s experience, expertise, and track record and evaluate the development activity and updates to ensure the project is actively maintained and evolving.
The bottom line: What crypto should you buy right now?
The decision of which crypto to buy now is dependent on your own risk profile and investment goals. For some, investing in a crypto asset with a proven track record like Bitcoin is the only type of exposure to crypto they are willing to take on.
Meanwhile, those with a higher risk tolerance might see Bitcoin as too stable, looking instead toward newer and smaller projects that carry a higher degree of upside.
If you are looking for more investment ideas, check out our crypto price predictions section.
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