12 Best Crypto to Buy Right Now — September 2025

Are you looking to invest in cryptocurrencies but unsure which one to buy? With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to decide how to invest your money. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best crypto to buy now, based on factors such as project developments, price performance, and market capitalization, as well as the overall potential for growth.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the most promising cryptocurrencies, including staples such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, and a combination of several other promising crypto projects. We’ll discuss their features, advantages, and potential drawbacks, as well as provide insights into market trends. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just starting out, this article will help you make an informed decision about the best crypto to buy now. 

So, let’s dive in and explore the best cryptocurrencies to invest in September 2025:

1. Solana – Smart contracts platform with high speeds and low fees
2. Bitcoin – The world’s oldest and largest crypto
3. Monero – A privacy-first cryptocurrency with fully obfuscated transactions
4. Ethereum – The leading DeFi and smart contract platform
5. Hyperliquid – Decentralized perpetuals exchange with an efficient order book
6. Ethena – Ethereum-based stablecoin protocol
7. Cardano – A peer-reviewed blockchain built for smart contracts and scalable dApps
8. LayerZero – One of the best blockchain interoperability protocols
9. BNB – The native coin of the Binance exchange
10. XRP – The leading crypto remittance solution
11. Kaia – A fast-growing L1 chain designed for high performance and cross-chain integration
12. Zcash – Privacy-focused cryptocurrency

The best cryptos to buy right now: Discover top investments for September 2025

The following three cryptocurrency projects highlight our investment selection thanks to important developments and upcoming events that make them especially interesting to follow in the near future. These projects are updated each week based on the most recent developments and trends taking place in the crypto market.

1. Solana

Solana is a smart contract platform known for its distinctive architecture, enabling it to handle thousands of transactions per second while maintaining very low costs. It accomplishes this by using a combination of a unique Proof-of-History algorithm and a Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism. SOL, the native cryptocurrency of the platform, is one of the cheapest to transfer, with users typically paying less than $0.001 per transaction.

Founded in 2018 by Anatoly Yakovenko, Solana’s mainnet went live in March 2020 and experienced a surge in adoption throughout 2021. Despite a significant drop in value during the 2022 bear market, Solana remains one of the most robust ecosystems in the cryptocurrency space and continues to be seen as a potential candidate for significant future growth.

Why Solana?

Solana surged this week as Galaxy Digital ramped up accumulation, purchasing $306M worth of SOL in a single day and over $1.5B across five days. The aggressive buying spree is tied to Galaxy’s involvement in a $1.65B private placement for Forward Industries, which recently pivoted to become a Solana treasury company. On-chain data shows Galaxy acquired 6.5M SOL, moved to custody with Fireblocks, marking one of the largest institutional moves into the ecosystem this year.

This wave of activity is part of a broader trend. Solana treasury companies like DeFi Development Corp have been building major SOL positions, while Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz estimates that such firms have raised a combined $3–4 billion. Total value locked on Solana recently hit $12B, solidifying its status as the second-largest DeFi ecosystem behind Ethereum.

Solana also made headlines as Galaxy became the first Nasdaq-listed firm to tokenize its shares on the Solana blockchain, further validating its appeal as a scalable base layer. SOL rose 17.3% on the week and nearly 30% over the past 30 days, driven by both on-chain traction and growing institutional alignment.

With key players like Jump Crypto and Multicoin Capital joining the fray, Solana is attracting serious capital as a next-gen asset for treasury management and blockchain-native finance.

2. Bitcoin

Bitcoin (BTC) is the original decentralized digital currency, enabling peer-to-peer transactions without the need for intermediaries such as banks or financial institutions. It was created in 2009 by an unknown person or group of people using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin was the first digital currency to eliminate the double spending problem without resorting to any central intermediaries.

Bitcoin transactions are recorded on a public ledger called the blockchain, which is maintained by a network of computers around the world. This means that the transactions are secure and transparent, as anyone can view them, but they are also anonymous, as the identity of the participants in the transaction is not revealed.

Bitcoin is often referred to as “digital gold” or a store of value, as it has a limited supply of 21 million coins, and its value is determined by market demand. Some people also see it as a hedge against inflation or a way to diversify their investment portfolio. It is by far the largest cryptocurrency by market cap in the industry, accounting for the value of more than 50% of all digital assets in circulation combined, making it arguably the most popular crypto to buy.

Why Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is trading at $115,030 with a market cap of $2.29 trillion, recovering from a weekly low to reach as high as $116,652. The rally coincided with a dramatic surge in demand for spot Bitcoin ETFs, which pulled in $2.34 billion in cumulative net inflows over the past five trading days. That includes over $642 million in a single day, according to SoSoValue. Institutions like Fidelity and BlackRock led the charge, and total net assets for these ETFs now represent more than 6.6% of Bitcoin’s total market cap.

The week also brought a boost from Capital Group, a traditional investment giant managing trillions in assets. Its Bitcoin treasury exposure has grown from $1B to $6B in just four years, driven primarily by its stake in Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) and Metaplanet. Capital Group now joins the ranks of aggressive corporate accumulators reshaping long-term BTC supply dynamics.

Amid this momentum, the broader crypto market again crossed the $4.1 trillion mark. Even Binance co-founder CZ chimed in, noting that the total crypto market is now roughly equivalent in value to Nvidia, which stands at around $4.3T. Spot ETFs, in his words, are now a “fundamental gateway for traditional capital,” and appear to be firmly reshaping BTC price discovery and liquidity patterns.

Despite short-term volatility, this week’s ETF activity and corporate positioning suggest that institutional confidence in Bitcoin remains strong, with many treating BTC as a digital commodity akin to gold. The bullish sentiment is further reinforced by expanding treasury holdings, ETF tokenization plans by BlackRock, and the continued narrative of Bitcoin as a macro hedge.

3. Monero

Monero is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency designed to offer anonymous and untraceable transactions. Launched in 2014 as a fork of Bytecoin, Monero was introduced through a whitepaper written by the pseudonymous “Nicolas van Saberhagen.” Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, Monero conceals sender and receiver identities, as well as transaction amounts, through advanced cryptographic techniques such as stealth addresses and ring signatures. This strong focus on privacy has made Monero a favorite among users seeking true financial confidentiality.

Monero runs on a Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism and is deliberately resistant to ASIC mining to support decentralization. It can be mined efficiently using consumer-grade hardware, and its privacy-preserving features also improve fungibility—individual XMR coins are indistinguishable from one another and can’t be blacklisted. Despite its strong standing within the crypto community, Monero has been the subject of regulatory scrutiny due to concerns over its potential use in illicit activities. Nonetheless, it remains the most widely adopted privacy coin in the market today.

Why Monero?

Monero rallied over 7% this week despite facing one of the largest security incidents in its history. On Sunday, the privacy-focused network experienced an 18-block reorganization that reversed 117 transactions—an event triggered by Qubic, a layer-1 AI blockchain that had previously amassed over 51% of Monero’s hashrate. The attack renewed long-standing concerns about Monero’s vulnerability to 51% attacks and the structural risks of low-hashrate proof-of-work networks.

Notably, the price of XMR barely reacted during the reorg, then spiked from $287.54 to $308.55 just hours later, bucking broader market weakness. Some community members speculated that Qubic may have engineered the event to prevent further price drops, although this remains unconfirmed.

The incident has intensified internal debates around Monero’s decentralization model. Developers are now weighing temporary centralization measures like DNS checkpoints to prevent deep reorganizations in the future. Others have floated longer-term changes such as transitioning to merge mining or integrating ChainLocks—a technique used by Dash to mitigate similar threats.

While Monero has historically been seen as the gold standard among privacy coins, this second major reorg in a month has sparked public skepticism. Prominent developers and community members are now calling for urgent consensus changes, warning that failure to act could undermine Monero’s reliability as a censorship-resistant payments network.

Despite the network instability, Monero has held up relatively well price-wise since July, down less than 6% over that period even as hash rate centralization worsened. The resilience highlights a loyal user base but also the precarious balance the network must now strike between decentralization and security.

4. Ethereum

Launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and a team of developers, Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain platform that allows developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts. 

Ethereum has a wide range of use cases beyond just a store of value or medium of exchange. Ethereum’s smart contract functionality allows developers to build dApps that can run without the need for intermediaries, like centralized servers or institutions.

The Ethereum platform has gained widespread adoption and has become the backbone of the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry. DeFi applications built on Ethereum allow users to access financial services without relying on traditional banks or financial institutions. Ethereum’s smart contract functionality has also enabled the creation of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which have gained popularity in the digital art and gaming worlds.

While Ethereum has a strong community and has been highly influential in the cryptocurrency industry, it also faces challenges, such as scalability issues and high gas fees. These issues have spurred the development of various Layer 2 scaling solutions. In the long run, future updates are supposed to massively increase Ethereum’s throughput bringing the transaction per second (TPS) figure from 15 to 100,000.

Why Ethereum?

Ethereum is trading at $4,406 after gaining nearly 27% in August, fueled by explosive institutional demand. Ether spot ETFs now manage over $13.7 billion in assets, up 44% from the start of the month. Flows into ETH funds have outpaced Bitcoin by a factor of 10 in recent days, as Wall Street ramps up its exposure to Ethereum’s broader utility. Corporate treasuries are also accumulating rapidly, with companies now holding 4.4 million ETH, worth more than $19 billion.

ARK Invest added another $15.6 million to its position in BitMine, one of the largest ETH treasury holders, while strategic ETF inflows have pushed total custodianship above 8.8 million ETH, or 7.4% of the circulating supply. Analysts point to supportive regulation like the Genius Act, growing staking adoption, and Ethereum’s dominant share in tokenized real-world assets as key tailwinds.

Ethereum’s roadmap is also reaching a critical inflection point. The recent Pectra upgrade paved the way for validator efficiency and account abstraction, while the upcoming Fusaka hard fork (Nov. 5) will further ease node workloads. Despite its momentum, ETH revenue generation lags behind rivals like Tron, suggesting significant room for upside as protocol activity scales.

Technically, ETH has reclaimed key resistance levels and remains in breakout territory, with bull flag targets extending toward $6,000–$10,000. Bitfinex analysts note that growing Layer 2 adoption and restaking via EigenLayer are steadily pulling developers and capital back into the ecosystem.

5. Hyperliquid

Hyperliquid is a decentralized perpetual futures exchange built to rival centralized trading platforms in speed, liquidity, and user experience—all while remaining fully on-chain. Unlike traditional DEXs that often struggle with performance bottlenecks, Hyperliquid uses a custom high-performance layer-1 blockchain specifically optimized for trading. This allows it to offer ultra-low latency, high throughput, and a seamless trading experience without relying on external validators or rollups.

One of Hyperliquid’s key innovations is its order book-based model, which is uncommon among decentralized platforms. While many DEXs use automated market makers (AMMs), Hyperliquid implements a central limit order book (CLOB), giving traders more control over order execution and tighter spreads. This design makes it particularly appealing to professional and high-frequency traders who expect the responsiveness of centralized exchanges but want the trustlessness of DeFi. Its deep liquidity pools and tight integration with crypto-native assets further enhance its trading dynamics.

Why Hyperliquid?

Hyperliquid’s HYPE token is nearing new all-time highs after climbing past the $50 mark on Monday.

The Hyperliquid team recently revealed plans to introduce a stablecoin under the ticker USDH. To determine the issuer, the project is collecting proposals from stablecoin providers, with the final selection to be made through a validator vote. Well-known issuers such as Paxos, Frax, and Agora have already submitted their bids.

— Paxos (@Paxos) September 6, 2025

Additional participants are expected in the coming days. Ethena Labs, the company behind the world’s third-largest stablecoin by circulating supply, hinted on X that it may also put forward a USDH proposal.

Hyperliquid has asked for submissions by Wednesday, September 10, with voting set to take place on Sunday, September 14. The team added that the Hyperliquid Foundation will “effectively abstain” from casting a vote.

Separately, USDC issuer Circle confirmed that it will deploy a native version of its stablecoin on the Hyperliquid network.

— Jeremy Allaire – jda.eth / jdallaire.sol (@jerallaire) September 7, 2025

The growing attention from stablecoin issuers is matched by strong activity from traders. On-chain analytics platform Lookonchain reported significant whale accumulation of HYPE, including a single investor purchasing $13 million worth of tokens.

6. Ethena

Ethena is a protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain that issues a synthetic dollar known as USDe, along with a yield-bearing counterpart called sUSDe. The stability of USDe is maintained through the protocol’s strategy of hedging its collateral with futures contracts.

By aligning the size of these hedges with the price exposure of the underlying assets, Ethena reduces the effects of market volatility as losses or gains in the assets are generally offset by opposite movements in the hedge.

This mechanism helps ensure that the collateral’s synthetic USD value remains relatively stable, even in shifting market conditions.

Why Ethena?

ENA is positioned to benefit from the growing trend of crypto-focused treasuries. TLGY Acquisition Corp. and StablecoinX Assets Inc., which plan to merge and debut on Nasdaq under the StablecoinX (USDE) name, have secured a fresh $530 million PIPE round, raising their total funding to $890 million.

The round attracted investors such as YZi Labs, Brevan Howard, Susquehanna Crypto, IMC Trading, and existing backers.

— Ethena Labs (@ethena_labs) September 5, 2025

The capital will be used to purchase locked ENA tokens, Ethena’s native asset, from a subsidiary of the Ethena Foundation. Proceeds from this sale will be reinvested into spot ENA purchases. StablecoinX already holds 7.3% of ENA’s circulating supply and intends to grow that share to 13% with the new financing. The tokens will remain locked, with any potential sales after the SPAC merger requiring Ethena’s approval to avoid excess market pressure.

According to CEO Young Cho, the strategy enables StablecoinX to establish a long-term ENA position while providing investors with transparent exposure to the Ethena ecosystem.

The announcement has fueled strong momentum in ENA markets. The token has climbed 21% against the U.S. dollar over the past week, though it still trades about 49% below its $1.51 all-time high—suggesting there could be considerable room for further upside.

7. Cardano

Cardano is a decentralized proof-of-stake blockchain platform that aims to offer a more sustainable and scalable infrastructure for smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). It was launched in 2017 by Input Output (IOHK), co-founded by Charles Hoskinson, one of the original creators of Ethereum. Cardano stands out for its strong academic roots, with its protocol development guided by peer-reviewed research and formal verification methods.

Unlike proof-of-work systems like Bitcoin, Cardano uses a unique proof-of-stake consensus mechanism called Ouroboros, which allows it to achieve network security and decentralization with significantly lower energy consumption. ADA, the native cryptocurrency of Cardano, is used for staking, paying transaction fees, and participating in governance.

Cardano’s development is organized into multiple phases, focusing on areas such as decentralization, scalability, and interoperability. Its layered architecture separates settlement and computation, making it easier to upgrade and maintain. The platform supports smart contracts through its Plutus framework and is actively expanding its DeFi and NFT ecosystems.

Why Cardano?

Cardano surged nearly 11% over the past week, briefly breaking above $0.97 and reaching a five-month high. The move comes amid strong altcoin momentum, with ADA outperforming much of the market as capital rotated out of Bitcoin and Ethereum following their respective highs. ADA has traded in a tight range recently, but technical analysts are eyeing a confirmed breakout above resistance as a setup for an extended rally.

Chart watchers have flagged a multi-month bull flag breakout pattern on Cardano’s three-day chart. If the move holds, projections by Clifton Fx suggest the token could gain as much as 150% in the coming weeks, potentially targeting the $1.60–$1.75 range. Trader sentiment is being reinforced by on-chain data showing over 15 billion ADA — roughly 45% of total supply — has remained unmoved for more than a year, signaling long-term conviction. Retail interest is also on the rise, with Google Trends data showing “Cardano” searches at a five-month high.

Cardano’s latest rally also comes after Grayscale registered a “Grayscale Cardano Trust ETF” entity in Delaware — a move that typically precedes an S-1 filing with the SEC. While no official filing has yet been submitted, such developments hint at increasing institutional attention toward ADA. If approved, a Cardano ETF could help boost demand further, particularly among U.S.-based investors.

Adding to the week’s activity was the Glacier Drop airdrop, which distributed NIGHT tokens across eight chains including Cardano. Despite initial technical hurdles for Ledger users, the issue was quickly resolved, allowing Cardano to reclaim a spot in the top 10 cryptos by market cap and surpass Tron. ADA is now one of the biggest gainers both daily and weekly, with analysts watching closely for a potential run toward the $1.30–$1.60 region if momentum continues.

8. LayerZero

LayerZero is an interoperability protocol built to connect different blockchains in a secure, seamless manner. It enables decentralized applications (DApps) to interact across multiple blockchains without relying on traditional, often risky, bridging methods.

Its technology allows developers to create “omnichain” applications that work across various blockchain ecosystems while maintaining strong security and decentralization. By using ultra-light nodes and a unique message-passing system, LayerZero supports trustless cross-chain communication.

As the blockchain space becomes increasingly fragmented, LayerZero’s capacity to unify networks positions it as a key infrastructure project. Its integration into major DeFi and NFT ecosystems has further strengthened its reputation as one of the top interoperability solutions.

Why LayerZero?

LayerZero’s ZRO token could be one to watch this week following the LayerZero Foundation’s $110 million proposal to acquire the Stargate protocol.

— LayerZero (@LayerZero_Core) August 10, 2025

The plan involves swapping Stargate’s STG tokens for ZRO at a fixed exchange rate. If approved, the move could bring the two projects closer together under a unified platform. The announcement already sparked a surge in ZRO’s price — up 27% in 24 hours and 39.3% over the past week.

By regaining control of Stargate, LayerZero aims to accelerate its development and expand its use cases beyond bridging, potentially increasing the value proposition of the ZRO token.

While some STG holders have voiced concerns about the fairness of the exchange ratio, the market’s reaction has been largely positive, as traders anticipate the deal’s approval.

The coming days will be pivotal as Stargate’s community discusses and votes on the proposal. If it passes, ZRO could see further upside, making it a coin worth monitoring closely.

9. BNB

BNB (formerly Binance Coin) is a cryptocurrency created by the popular cryptocurrency exchange Binance. Binance is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, allowing users to buy, sell, and trade a wide range of digital assets.

BNB was initially one of the ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain but has since migrated to its own blockchain, known as BNB Chain. BNB is used as a utility token within the Binance ecosystem and has a variety of use cases. For example, users can use BNB to pay for transaction fees on the Binance exchange, receive discounts on trading fees, participate in token sales on Binance Launchpad, and purchase goods and services from merchants that accept BNB as payment.

One of the unique features of BNB is that it has a deflationary model. Binance uses a part of its profits each quarter to buy back and burn BNB tokens, reducing the total supply of the token over time. This mechanism is designed to create scarcity and increase the value of BNB over time, with the end goal of reducing the circulating supply of BNB from the initial 200 million to 100 million BNB.

Why BNB?

BNB hit a new all-time high of $860.14 on Monday, wrapping up a strong weekly climb of 11.61%. Currently trading at $850, BNB has maintained bullish momentum fueled by chain-wide activity, treasury demand, and heightened interest from institutional buyers. The asset’s market cap now stands at $125.5 billion, securing its position as the fifth-largest cryptocurrency.

Much of the excitement centers around Binance co-founder CZ’s massive BNB holdings, now valued at over $75.8 billion, according to Nansen. CZ reportedly holds 64% of BNB’s circulating supply, while the Binance exchange holds another 7%. Analysts say the surge has been driven by rising metrics on BNB Chain, such as all-time highs in TVL and PancakeSwap volumes, alongside the positive impact of recent token burns and June’s Maxwell upgrade, which improved network performance. CZ is currently ranked as the 23rd richest person in the world, according to Forbes.

Institutional accumulation has also ramped up. Windtree Therapeutics secured a $500M equity line and an additional $20M investment from Build and Build Corp, with 99% of proceeds earmarked for BNB purchases. The firm is working with Kraken for custody and OTC services and is on track to become one of the largest corporate BNB holders. At the same time, Nano Labs expanded its balance sheet to $90M worth of BNB and plans further accumulation—solidifying a growing trend of altcoin-heavy treasuries among public companies.

10. XRP

XRP is a digital cryptocurrency that was created by Ripple Labs in 2012. It is used as a means of payment and transfer of value on the Ripple payment protocol, which is designed to enable fast and secure transactions between financial institutions as well as individuals.

XRP is unique in that it is not based on the blockchain technology used by many other cryptocurrencies. Instead, it uses a distributed consensus ledger called the XRP Ledger, which is maintained by a network of validators. This allows for faster transaction processing times and lower fees compared to traditional payment methods.

XRP has been popular among cryptocurrency traders and investors due to its high liquidity and clear potential for broader adoption, especially as a remittance solution. However, it has also been the subject of controversy and legal action, with US regulators alleging that it is a security and should thus be subjected to securities regulations. This has somewhat hindered the potential of XRP as an investment, and handcuffed Ripple’s growth as a company.

Why XRP?

XRP is currently priced at $3.52, up 18.42% over the past 7 days, having hit a new all-time high of $3.64, finally eclipsing its previous record from January 2018. The rally comes amid strong altcoin momentum and renewed institutional interest in the XRP Ledger (XRPL), whose daily transaction volume recently surged to $1.4 billion. With XRP flipping USDT to become the third-largest crypto by market cap at over $208 billion, bullish sentiment is high.

Much of the buzz surrounds Ripple’s positioning within the U.S. financial system. The recent GENIUS Act, now signed into law, gives stablecoin issuers like Ripple a regulatory green light, but experts caution the move will have minimal direct impact on XRP’s price. While Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin could thrive domestically by competing with USDC and PayPal USD, XRP’s price remains largely decoupled from RLUSD adoption. Network fees in XRP are negligible, and only 14 million XRP have been burned since launch, which is insignificant compared to the 59.1 billion coins in circulation.

Despite the regulatory clarity for stablecoins, XRP’s own legal classification remains uncertain. The recently passed CLARITY Act could finally establish XRP’s status and determine whether Ripple can broaden its use case across tokenized assets. Until then, XRP continues to act primarily as a bridge currency, with its value driven more by market momentum than Ripple’s evolving infrastructure strategy.

11. Kaia

Kaia is a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain designed for speed, scalability, and seamless cross-chain interaction. Initially launched as part of the Klaytn ecosystem, Kaia emerged in 2024 following a strategic merger between Klaytn and Finschia—two major blockchain platforms backed by Korean tech giants Kakao and LINE, respectively. The goal behind Kaia is to create a unified infrastructure optimized for mass adoption in both Web2 and Web3 environments, particularly across Asia.

Kaia uses a Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism that enables fast block times and low transaction fees, making it well-suited for high-throughput applications like gaming, NFTs, and consumer-facing dApps. Its architecture supports EVM compatibility, allowing developers to easily deploy existing Ethereum-based smart contracts with minimal adjustments.

One of Kaia’s core features is its strong emphasis on interoperability and regional adoption. The chain is built to connect various blockchain ecosystems while also partnering with enterprise players and public institutions to drive real-world use cases. Kaia’s governance is handled by the Kaia Council, a group of ecosystem partners responsible for key protocol decisions and treasury management.

Still in the early stages of expansion, Kaia is gaining attention for its steady price growth and rising on-chain activity. With strong backing, technical flexibility, and a focus on real-world integrations, it aims to become a major player in the next phase of blockchain adoption.

Why Kaia?

Kaia has surged from roughly $0.15 to $0.20 and is currently trading around $0.19. That’s about a 33% move in days, putting Kaia on the radar as one of the fastest-rising mid-cap tokens right now.

The rally gained a boost from Phase 2 of the $100K Kaia × KaitoAI Yapper campaign, which just kicked off. The campaign adds $38,200 in rewards—combining leftover funds from Phase 1 with a new $30K injection.

Technically, Kaia broke through resistance around $0.17–$0.18, clearing the 50-day and 200-day averages on solid volume. Its RSI is climbing but not overheated, suggesting room for another leg up. Analysts point to bullish chart patterns, with possible targets up to $0.26–$0.30 if the rally continues.

On-chain activity supports the move too: Kaia’s TVL has jumped nearly 50% in the past 30 days to about $121 million, while stablecoin supply on its network rose to $41 million. These metrics show developers and users are engaging more, an encouraging sign for Kaia’s growth story.

12. Zcash

ZCash (ZEC) is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that was launched in 2016 by Zooko Wilcox-O’Hearn. It is a fork of Bitcoin, designed to enhance privacy and anonymity for its users. Unlike Bitcoin, where transaction details (such as sender, recipient, and amount) are publicly visible, ZCash allows users to choose between two types of transactions: transparent and shielded.

Transparent transactions work similarly to Bitcoin, where all transaction details are recorded on the blockchain and visible to everyone. However, shielded transactions use a cryptographic technology called zk-SNARKs to allow fully private transactions. In shielded transactions, the details are encrypted, meaning that only the parties involved have access to the information, while the validity of the transaction is still verifiable by the network.

ZCash is particularly valued by those who prioritize financial privacy and security, as it offers optional anonymity in a way that few other cryptocurrencies do.

Why Zcash?

Zcash has re-emerged as a top privacy play, jumping over 23% in the last week and 51% in the past month as the privacy coin sector quietly reclaimed a $10 billion market cap. With most major cryptos pausing, privacy coins like Zcash are lighting up the charts, reminding investors that demand for financial anonymity hasn’t faded.

This momentum isn’t just about price. Zcash just achieved a major technical milestone with its integration into the Maya Protocol, a decentralized, cross-chain liquidity network. For the first time, ZEC holders can permissionlessly swap their coins across multiple chains—no centralized exchange or account required. In a climate where regulatory scrutiny is pressuring exchanges to delist privacy coins, this direct DEX access makes Zcash both more accessible and future-proof.

The partnership between Zcash and Maya is rooted in shared values—privacy, self-sovereignty, and decentralization. Unlike traditional platforms that require KYC and can ban assets at a moment’s notice, Maya enables truly open, censorship-resistant trading. Zcash’s upcoming Zashi wallet integration will take this further, bringing cross-chain shielded payments and Maya-powered swaps directly to mobile users in 2025.

With Zcash and other privacy coins gaining traction while liquidity remains limited due to centralized exchange bans, the Maya Protocol integration is a crucial hedge. It ensures ZEC users can move, trade, and spend—regardless of regulatory headwinds. In short: as privacy becomes harder to access, Zcash is building the tools and partnerships needed to keep it alive.

Best cryptocurrencies to buy at a glance