Table of Contents
As one of the emerging asset classes, cryptocurrencies have been gaining global traction lately. With adoption rates reaching record-breaking levels, more and more people are showing interest in cryptocurrency investments and trading. While there are thousands of cryptocurrencies floating in the market, the one question that always comes to our mind before we begin investing is ‘which crypto to buy today for long term?’
To solve your indecision and confusion, here is the list of the 6 best cryptocurrencies to invest in 2022 for short term and long term:
(Market cap and price as on 20th April, 2022, on CoinMarketCap)
#1 Bitcoin (BTC)
Market Cap: $787 billion
Price: $41,346
Bitcoin remains the number one cryptocurrency by market cap. Despite the wide slumps and jumps in its prices since its inception in 2009, Bitcoin remains a favorite among institutions, businesses, and individuals. El Salvador’s adoption of Bitcoin as a legal tender and SEC’s approval of the Proshares Bitcoin ETF back in October 2021 proved to be a game changer for the crypto king. Bitcoin reached its ATH of $69,000 and continues to show resilience around the $40,000 mark.
The peer-to-peer payment network currently suffers from scalability issues and high gas fees. But the upcoming Lightning network will help in making bitcoin transactions instantaneous. With a growth of over 9000% from 2016 to April 1, 2022, Bitcoin continues to remain the best cryptocurrency to invest in 2022.
#2 Ethereum (ETH)
Market Cap: $371 billion
Price: $3077
The second-largest blockchain network Ethereum could be your answer to the question ‘ which cryptocurrency to buy today for the long term. Ethereum hosts over 80% of the dApps and Defi platforms, has millions of NFTs built over it and houses a majority of the DAOs. Ethereum’s developer community is working hard to solve its scalability issues. Experts call Ethereum the highway to the web3 internet.
Ethereum is awaiting its Merge when it will shift from the PoW to the PoS consensus mechanism. In all probabilities, Ethereum is being considered undervalued and might explode in the coming months. It has experienced multi-bagger growth of over 31,000% from 2016 to 2022 and is the best cryptocurrency to invest in 2022.
#3 Solana (SOL)
Market cap: $35.5 billion
Price: $106
Solana is a layer-1 scaling solution to the Ethereum network. It is the most popular smart contracts protocol after Ethereum, attracting more and more developers and investors alike. It uses the dual consensus mechanism of Proof of Stake and Proof of History to validate transactions.
It hosts over 1300 dApps and Defi platforms and can handle up to 50,000 transactions per second. Solana has registered a growth of 17,500% since its launch in 2020 and continues to remain the best cryptocurrency to invest in 2022.
#4 Terra (LUNA)
Market Cap: 33.7 billion
Price: $95
Terra is a blockchain protocol that powers price-stable global payment systems via fiat-pegged stablecoins such as TerraUSD. Terra protocol combines the price stability and wide adoption of fiat and the decentralized censorship-resistant features of cryptocurrencies. It offers fast and economical settlement systems.
Luna, the native coin of the Terra platform, powers the platform and is used for minting stablecoins. Terra has recently been on a buying spree and has considerable amounts of Bitcoin and AVAX tokens in its treasury reserves. It can be a great choice for the best cryptocurrency to invest in short term in 2022 as stablecoins are gaining traction, and Terra itself as a platform has been actively seeking to widen its adoption and use cases. Luna witnessed a growth rate of 16,400% from January 3, 2021, to April 1, 2022.
#5 Cardano (ADA)
Market Cap: $31.6 billion
Price: $0.93
The Cardano protocol is another popular Layer-1 scaling solution to the Ethereum network. Cardano is being considered the best cryptocurrency to invest in 2022 for Ethereum’s upcoming Merge will likely lead to a spurt in the prices of the tokens of L1 and L2 scaling protocols. It offers high scalability and transaction speed and houses hundreds of dApps and Defi platforms on its network.
It uses the Ouroboros Proof of Stake consensus mechanism to validate its transactions. It is one of the few platforms that publish its own peer-reviewed research and reviews and has a five-stage roadmap. It can handle 250 transitions per second. Since its inception in 2017, the ADA token has witnessed a growth rate of 5,750%, giving a staggering ROI of 16,000% to early investors.
#6 XRP (XRP)
Market Cap: $35.86 billion
Price: $0.75
XRP is a peer-to-peer network built to make global payments affordable for retail customers and banks. It charges very low transaction costs and offers less than 5 seconds of transaction finality. Ripple, the parent company of the XRP protocol, had been in troubled waters due to a lawsuit filed by the US SEC for non-compliance. Despite the tug-of-war proceedings, Ripple has greater chances of securing a win.
XRP facilitates the exchange of fiat and other major cryptocurrencies and holds umpteen potential as one of the best cryptocurrencies to invest in 2022. As of April 1, 2022, XRP secured more than 13,700% growth rate.
Does this list of the 6 best cryptocurrencies to invest in 2022 help you decide which crypto to buy today for long term? The crypto market has been performing well despite some adverse developments around the globe. But as an informed investor, you should make it a point to DYOR and avoid FUD and FOMO to get the best out of your crypto investments.
Head over to WazirX for a seamless, smooth, secure trading experience. Happy Trading!
Frequently Asked Questions
How To Invest In Cryptocurrency Stocks?
Cryptocurrency can be purchased in two ways: through mining or exchanges. The process of confirming and adding transactions to the blockchain public ledger is known as cryptocurrency mining. Cryptocurrency exchanges are another option. Exchanges make money by charging transaction fees, but there are alternative platforms where you may communicate directly with other cryptocurrency traders.
Which Cryptocurrency Is Best To Invest In 2021?
Many altcoins are flourishing to invest in. Some cryptocurrencies with great potential are Ether, Ripple, Tron, and more. Investors are trying to diversify their portfolios and are flocking to the leading cryptocurrencies. Many growing businesses are already accepting cryptocurrency as acceptable payment methods.
What Is Virtual Currency?
Virtual currency is a type of uncontrolled digital currency that can only be used online. It is exclusively stored and transacted using designated software, mobile or computer applications, or unique digital wallets, and all transactions are conducted through secure, dedicated networks. Because digital currency is just currency issued by a bank in digital form, virtual currency is not the same as a digital currency. Virtual currency, unlike ordinary money, is based on a trust structure and cannot be issued by a central bank or other banking regulatory organization.
Is Mining Cryptocurrency Legal?
Cryptocurrency mining can be time-consuming, expensive, and sporadically profitable. Mining has an appeal for many cryptocurrency enthusiasts as miners are paid directly with crypto tokens for their efforts. The legality of cryptocurrency mining is dependent on where you live. In India, there is no restriction on crypto mining.
Is Cryptocurrency Banned In India?
No, cryptocurrency is not banned in India. India has seen its ups and downs in the crypto sector concerning its legal status. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a circular in April 2018 advising all organizations under its jurisdiction not to trade in virtual currencies or provide services to assist anyone in dealing with or settling them. A government committee proposed outlawing all private cryptocurrencies in mid-2019, with up to ten years in prison and severe penalties for anyone dealing in digital currency. The Supreme Court overruled the RBI's circular in March 2020, allowing banks to undertake cryptocurrency transactions from dealers and exchanges.
Are Cryptocurrencies Legal In India?
In India, cryptocurrency is legal, and anyone can buy, sell, and trade it. Because India lacks a regulatory system to regulate its operations, it is presently uncontrolled. According to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, companies must now document their crypto trading/investments inside the financial year.
What Is Cryptocurrency?
A cryptocurrency is a digital currency secured by encryption, due to which chances of activities such as counterfeiting and double-spending taking place get close to impossible. Cryptocurrencies get created on blockchain technology ( a distributed ledger enforced by a distributed network of computers). Cryptocurrencies are unique in that they do not get issued by any central authority. The term "cryptocurrency" comes from the encryption techniques used to keep digital currencies and the network safe.
Is Crypto Legal In India?
Cryptocurrencies are legal in India, and anyone can purchase, sell, and exchange them. It is currently uncontrolled, as India lacks a regulatory structure to oversee its operations. Per the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, companies must now record their crypto trading/investments within the financial year. In cases where a person receiving the gains is an Indian tax resident, or the cryptocurrency is regarded as domiciled in India, cryptocurrency transactions have been taxable in India
Are Cryptocurrencies A Good Investment?
Cryptocurrency has the potential to make you extremely wealthy, and the potential to cause you to lose your money. Crypto assets, like any other investment, come with many risks and potential rewards. Fundamentally, cryptocurrency is an excellent investment, particularly if you want to gain direct exposure to the demand for digital currency.
Is Bitcoin And Cryptocurrency The Same Thing?
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that was designed to facilitate cross-border transactions, eliminate government control over transactions, and streamline the entire process without third-party intermediaries. The absence of intermediaries has resulted in a significant reduction in transaction costs. Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, created the first cryptocurrency in 2008. It began as open-source software for money transfers. Since then, plenty of cryptocurrencies have emerged, with some focusing on specific fields.
Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency is not a legal tender and is currently unregulated. Kindly ensure that you undertake sufficient risk assessment when trading cryptocurrencies as they are often subject to high price volatility. The information provided in this section doesn't represent any investment advice or WazirX's official position. WazirX reserves the right in its sole discretion to amend or change this blog post at any time and for any reasons without prior notice.
