Last updated:

April 1, 2024

The Eight Best Cryptocurrencies to Buy for The Long Term

A. Rapsey

Table of contents

What Are The Best Cryptocurrencies To Buy For Long Term Profits?

Bitcoin

What is a Long-Term Cryptocurrency Holding?

What are The Benefits of Long-Term Crypto Holdings?

How to Choose The Best Long-Term Cryptocurrency Holdings

Should You Hold Cryptocurrency?

What Do Crypto Experts Recommend?

How to Get The Best Return On Your Crypto Holdings

Conclusion

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One of the most common questions people ask when they enter the crypto market is about which assets they should buy today for the long term. Naturally, this industry is filled with people who are looking to improve their financial situation, and so there is a widespread focus on achieving the best returns.

However, unsurprisingly, there is no easy answer, as trading is as much an art as it is a science. That being said, there are some assets that look appealing in the market, and could lead to significant gains in the long run. Let's see which cryptocurrencies these are, and take a look at how Ledn can help increase financial security for people.

It should be noted that this is essentially an opinion-piece, and should not be taken as investment advice. When it comes to the crypto market, you should never listen to just one voice, but rather research and consume as much information as you can, so as to form your own nuanced and unique perspective. The intention here is to just add to the overarching discourse in the sector.

What Are The Best Cryptocurrencies To Buy For Long Term Profits?

Here are eight of the best cryptocurrencies to buy and hold if you are looking for long-term gains.

Bitcoin

It should come as no surprise to see Bitcoin at the top of our list. This is the gold standard of the cryptocurrency market. Not only is it the first asset in this space, but it is arguably the most architecturally sound project in the industry. Its blockchain is older than practically every other cryptocurrency out there, its legacy means it is extremely decentralized, and it has global name recognition.

Bitcoin is typically considered to be the economic barometer of the crypto sector. If BTC rises, there is a chance other assets will. If it falls, they will likely do the same. There are definitely some outlier situations that have occurred where the market did not coincide with it, but this is typically abnormal.

In previous years, people would hold Bitcoin simply because it has a strong legacy and track record, however, in 2025 there are three new reasons to consider it as a long-term hold.

New Developments on Bitcoin: The Bitcoin development space has been heating up in recent times, with several projects out there looking to add additional functionality to it. In particular, people are working on making smart contracts more compatible with it. This is extremely exciting from a DeFi perspective, as it allows for applications to get built on top of the BTC blockchain. However, even for people who focus on CeFi services (such as Ledn), this is great news as more functionality typically means greater price increases because it makes Bitcoin more capable and usable.

The Halving: In 2024 Bitcoin miners experienced a halving of their rewards. This means that instead of receiving 6.25 BTC, miners got 3.125 BTC instead. This affected the price of Bitcoin by adding scarcity. Alongside that, it dropped Bitcoin's inflation rate. It’s reasonable to believe it contributed to the meteoric rise in value we saw near the end of 2024, carrying into 2025.

Bitcoin ETF Approval: Bitcoin ETFs were recently approved by the SEC. An ETF, or exchange traded fund, is a collection of investments that you can buy and sell on the stock market. They can contain many types of assets, like stocks, gold, or bonds, and their prices change throughout the day as it is bought and sold. A Bitcoin ETF is a specific kind of ETF that tracks the price of BTC. Instead of buying Bitcoin directly, you can buy shares of the Bitcoin ETF. This way, you can invest in it through a regular stock exchange, making it easier and more familiar for most people.

There has been a push for this for several years, and so people are extremely excited now that it has been approved. The general idea is that by making BTC accessible to people who are economically literate, but perhaps not technologically inclined, it will bring more capital to the space.

Let’s take a look at how Bitcoin performed in the last year. In March 2024, Bitcoin was worth $62,449.00 USD. In March 2025, it was worth $86,036.00 USD. This is a 37.77% rise.

Ethereum

Ethereum could be described as the leader of the altcoins. In terms of price, it is squarely in second place compared to Bitcoin. However, the best way to view Ethereum is as the current powerhouse of the DeFi world. The majority of tokens in this sector are built on Ethereum's architecture, along with most dApps. It is a huge pillar of the industry.

It would be hard fully explain why Ethereum makes for a strong long-term hold, as there are many fantastic reasons. However, this mostly boils down to the fact that a huge collection of global developers build new tools and services within its ecosystem. There is so much being built on Ethereum that it almost feels like it has its own digital culture.

With that being said, some people question whether Ethereum can stay relevant in the future, as there are other networks out there with speedier and arguably more robust blockchains. The question you need to ask yourself is whether you believe the main ETH dev team can make the right updates at the right time, and whether you believe its community is strong enough to keep it going. Many people say yes to this, but you should definitely research it yourself and see where you land on the debate.

Let’s examine Ethereum’s activity over the last year. In March 2024, ETH was worth $3,436.00 USD, but in 2025 it was worth $2,216.00. You might look at this and question why somebody would consider Ethereum worthwhile, given its drop in value over this time. But the answer is more complicated than that. While Ethereum has struggled in the last year, its upward trajectory when zoomed out further ia unmatched. The significance of a four-figure holding in the crypto industry cannot be overlooked. While Ethereum’s activity has been contentious, that’s not to say it should be ignored.

USDC

It will likely come as a shock to see a stablecoin on this list. As the term suggests, it is an asset that is not known to rise in value. In fact, its value largely comes from its lack of movement. However, you actually can hold it for gains. These would not come from simply having some in your wallet, but rather by placing them in a savings or Growth account, which gives interest.

For instance, if you use one of Ledn's Growth Accounts, you can currently earn up to 10% APY on your USDC. This means you can make consistent returns, even if the asset itself is stable and non-moving. USDC is a great choice for these accounts as there is a good level of interest out there on offer. Plus, Circle, the company behind it, has a good reputation for being transparent about its reserves, meaning it is largely considered to be trustworthy.

Solana

Solana has gained prominence in the last few years as being a main competitor against Ethereum. Like ETH, Solana is an ecosystem-focused asset, meaning its worth comes from others being able to build on it. This is why people often pit SOL against ETH. However, in 2025, Solana’s reputation was called into question as its ease of use has made it the home of memecoins. Libra, the Solana-based memecoin created by the Argentinian President, was uncovered for being involved in insider trading. The same happened with Trump coin, which also had unusual trading activity.

These two events have tarnished Solana’s standing, which has affected its financial state. Despite that, if you were to look at SOL’s price from March 2024 and compare it to March 2025, you wouldn’t notice much difference. Back then it was worth $130.00 USD, more recently it’s been worth $143.00 USD. Looking at performance throughout the year shows it wasn’t merely a non-moving asset, but rather it rose significantly between the period, only to fall at the start of 2025.

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XRP

XRP is the asset created by Ripple, a company focused on providing cryptographic frameworks for banks. While XRP stands ideologically separate from many other cryptocurrencies as it's designed for corporations rather than individuals, this hasn't stopped it from rising in value.

While XRP struggled several years ago due to a legal battle with the SEC about whether it was a digital currency or an investment contract, when the 2025 Trump administration came to power they began to soften their approach, helping its price increase. In March 2024, XRP was worth $0.612, now it's worth $2.309. This is a staggering 277.28% rise.

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Cardano

Cardano (ADA) is one of the top ecosystem assets in the industry. Often compared to against Ethereum and Solana, Cardano is a leader when it comes to blockchain ecosystems. In 2025, Cardano has had an unusual relationship with the US government. Initially there was word its co-founder, Charles Hoskinson, would be involved in the Trump Administration, although it appears he's been snubbed by them. This has caused its price to fluctuate in recent times.

In 2024, ADA was worth $0.589. In 2025 it's now worth $0.713. That's a 21.05% increase.

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Dogecoin

It can feel strange to consider a memecoin as a serious contender for holding crypto, but after so many years, DOGE has made a name for itself and arguably proven its place in the industry. This asset might not have much real world functionality or stellar tokenomics, but its loyal following and name recognition means it cannot be ignored. Elon Musk’s association with the asset is also meaningful, as his intimate relationship with the US government, and the fact that he named a new department after it, means DOGE is constantly in the public consciousness.

In 2024, DOGE was worth $0.128. In 2025 it's now worth $0.167. This is a 30.46% rise.

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Monero

Monero is not exactly an asset people think of when they’re looking for long-term holds, but its trajectory in the last year might make people reconsider. While the privacy-focused asset has a reputation for being stagnant, its 2024 history tells a different story. In March 2024 it was worth $133.99, and in March 2025 it was worth $207.94. This is a 55.19% rise. It’s hard to say why exactly this happened– it could be due to people wanting to be more protective of their holdings, or because they believe Trump’s stance on crypto will mean the SEC loosens their grip on privacy-coins. But regardless, for XMR holders this was a strong year.

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What is a Long-Term Cryptocurrency Holding?

A long-term cryptocurrency holding is typically where you buy a digital asset and hold onto it for a long period of time. What counts as “long” will depend on your own definitions, but in traditional financial institutions, it is usually 3-5 years or more. However, some people consider 6-12 months to be long in the crypto space because the market is perceived as moving much faster.

What are The Benefits of Long-Term Crypto Holdings?

The benefits of long-term holds include the following:

Less stressful than day-trading: the crypto industry is notoriously volatile. The market trend is that assets rise and fall tremendously often, sometimes without any obvious reasons. If you are trying to day-trade or time the markets, then you might get extremely uncomfortable when watching the charts. To avoid this, many people choose to simply buy a cryptocurrency and hold onto it– a process that provides more peace of mind, whilst still being a potentially sensible strategy.

Earn interest on your holdings: If you are holding cryptocurrency for the long-term, then you have the option of earning interest on it within a savings or Growth account, yield-farming protocol, or even via staking rewards (depending on the asset). For instance, you can earn interest on BTC, ETH, USDC and USDT via Ledn's Growth Accounts. For Bitcoin and Ethereum, this allows you to make additional gains whilst also benefiting from any long-term price increases.

Be part of a community: This might sound like a strange benefit, but the crypto industry does not function in the same way as traditional financial institutions. Many people support assets because they both believe in the project, and because they enjoy the community-spirit attached to it. There is a collective comradery that comes with being involved in a certain coin or token, where you can connect with other individuals going through the same rises and falls as you, and can share tips, ideas, and insights. Despite being a highly distributed and decentralized space, the industry is actually extremely social. Look no further than X or Reddit to see this for yourself.

How to Choose The Best Long-Term Cryptocurrency Holdings

There is no easy answer to this question, as it is deeply personal and specific to an individual's financial situation and the strategies they might be interested in. But with that in mind, let's see what elements to consider.

Understand how risk works: Everybody reacts differently to risk, with some people being more tolerant than others. When it comes to crypto holdings, there is always some level of risk involved (even with stablecoins).

Understand where the value comes from: The crypto space is highly varied, and so no two assets derive their value from the same place. For whatever assets you add to your portfolio, be sure to look into why exactly people favour them, and what their worth comes from.

Research as much as you can: You should be consuming as much media as you can about the asset you are considering. This is not just in terms of its financial history or what economists think its future will be– it includes understanding the types of problems it is trying to solve, why people support it, what credentials its team has, and what its future goals are.

Risks of Holding Cryptocurrency

Let's see what the risks of long-term holds are.

You may miss your chance to cash out: While holding is less stressful than day-trading, there is always a risk that you will miss out on your chance to cash out when the asset is at its peak. Some altcoins have peaked in the past, only to never reach that state again on crypto exchanges.

Cryptocurrencies Might Break or Malfunction: While it is unlikely for the top assets out there, it is always theoretically possible for a cryptocurrency to malfunction or get hacked in some way. If this happens when you are holding them you could be left in a financially worrisome position. If, for instance, somebody figured out how to hack BTC, then it would likely tarnish its reputation, and its price alongside it.

Personal Hacks or Theft: You need to be extremely careful when it comes to holding your cryptocurrency. There are two options: custodial, or non-custodial. Both of which come with their own drawbacks. If you choose the non-custodial route, then you will be looking after your assets wholeheartedly. However, when you are fully in control of your own money, you need to be extremely vigilant about hacks or thefts of any sort.

Alternatively, you could look into custodial wallets where an external third party holds onto your assets (such as a crypto exchange or CeFi savings service). This can be good on one hand as it means your money is the responsibility of another organization who might be well-versed in safety protocols. However, there is also the risk that the project will collapse or choose to withhold your own assets from you. This has happened in the past, with FTX and BlockFi being two big examples. Therefore, you need to be very aware and cautious when going through this route.

Should You Hold Cryptocurrency?

Nobody can answer this question but you. However, many people view crypto holdings as a smart option for improving their economic situation. Consider the risks, the benefits, your own mindset, and your own finances to see if it is a good idea.

How to Get The Best Return On Your Crypto Holdings

To get the best returns on a long-term crypto hold, you should look into methods of earning interest. This could be via staking rewards (if the asset allows it), yield farming via DeFi tools, or savings or Growth accounts. For example, you can earn interest via Ledn's Growth Account by simply holding your assets in it and letting them increase in value over time. This is possible with Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, and USDC.

Conclusion

There are tons of options to choose from when it comes to holding cryptocurrencies in the long-term. However, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDC are three top choices for many people. If you are looking to increase your finances during your holding period, then make sure to take a look at Ledn's Growth Accounts, as these can help improve your situation even more, and maximize your returns.

Sponsored by 21 Technologies Inc. and its affiliates (“Ledn”). All reviews and opinions expressed are based on my personal views. There are risks involved with buying, selling, or holding digital assets as explained in Ledn's Risk Disclosure Statement, which can be accessed here.

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