The cryptocurrency market has experienced significant movements in the first half of the year, with major assets rallying and various altcoins showing explosive growth. Despite the volatility, many investors remain optimistic, believing this bull cycle could be the longest in history, with expectations of a dramatic finale. Bitcoin’s price action has surpassed many predictions, yet some seasoned traders feel it hasn’t met their full expectations. Increased institutional participation has brought more retail capital into the market, often in concentrated forms. The rise of DeFi since last year has pushed decentralized investing to new heights, with many sectors still underdeveloped, offering ample opportunities for imaginative investors.
FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is inherent in bull markets. The anxiety isn’t just personal; it’s collective. Even when holding a diversified portfolio, investors often compare their holdings to others, especially when other assets are skyrocketing. Beyond self-regulation, the best way to mitigate this anxiety is to hold cryptocurrency assets that provide conviction—allowing you to profit whether you’re active or passive. Therefore, it’s crucial to analyze projects thoroughly, ensuring they have few major flaws, and then let the bull market do the rest. Below, we analyze several promising cryptocurrencies, excluding purely speculative assets.
Why You Should Hold Some Bitcoin and Ethereum
It might sound obvious, but holding some Bitcoin and Ethereum at all times is fundamental advice. When Bitcoin hit $10,000, it felt like the beginning; at $20,000, there was mild excitement; $30,000 seemed unbelievable; and $50,000 left everyone in awe. Many who bought at $10,000 thought it was expensive, but today, that price is commonplace. Holding Bitcoin reinforces your presence and participation in the crypto space—it’s not about proving anything but being part of the journey. Regardless of how high the market goes or how complex the ecosystem becomes, Bitcoin remains the foundational consensus layer of blockchain technology.
Ethereum has proven to be one of the best investment assets. Like Bitcoin, it boasts a massive, high-quality community. From the ICO boom in 2017 to this year’s DeFi surge, Ethereum has consistently emerged as the dominant platform, despite numerous competing blockchains. While returns might not always match those of smaller projects, Ethereum is the testing ground for blockchain innovation. Nearly every major trend, from smart contracts to decentralized applications, started here. If you’re not heavily invested, holding a small amount is wise. Beyond returns, if Bitcoin represents consensus and belief, Ethereum represents progress and experimentation—it’s the capital for innovation.
Forked Coin Representative: Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Bitcoin (BTC) are deeply intertwined yet have diverged significantly. They follow different development paths, serve distinct communities, and have unique ecological layouts. BCH has experienced several "siphoning" rallies, where it absorbs market attention and capital. Its all-time high surpassed $4,000, and it currently trades above $1,400. Compared to other major cryptocurrencies, BCH’s gains have been modest, with its strongest rally occurring recently. However, it remains a favorite for investors expecting a catch-up rally.
After four years of market reshuffling, BCH is held by Grayscale and other institutional investors. Its leadership includes renowned entrepreneurs and blockchain influencers. With the recent launch of the sidechain project SmartBCH, community expectations are soaring. As Litecoin and Ethereum hit new highs, BCH seems poised for a significant move. 👉 Explore more strategies for altcoin investments
Privacy Coin Contender: Dash (DASH)
Privacy coins are a perennial niche, and Dash, as a leading anonymous cryptocurrency, has attracted considerable investor interest. It reached an all-time high of over $1,500 and now stabilizes above $400. Compared to its performance in the last bull market, Dash has been relatively subdued this cycle. While the community anticipated at least $500, it has lagged behind peers like ETC, EOS, and even its privacy counterpart Monero (XMR). Another privacy coin, ZEN, held by Grayscale, has seen more aggressive price action.
Dash is one of the few major cryptocurrencies that hasn’t yet broken out on the monthly chart, and the expected impact of its reduction in block rewards hasn’t fully materialized. However, as a representative privacy coin with a reduction event and the status of a legacy asset, it’s worth considering for medium to long-term holding. Investors should also note the delisting risk, as exchanges like Bittrex have previously removed privacy coins including XMR, Dash, and Zcash due to regulatory pressures.
Chinese Public Chain Example: WaykiChain (WICC)
WaykiChain stands out as one of the most dynamic Chinese public blockchain projects. Its founder, an early blockchain evangelist and beneficiary, played a key role in revitalizing Dogecoin and promoting it in China for three years. With a sharp eye for secondary market investments, he holds early stakes in multiple major assets and has built a loyal community following. WaykiChain’s DeFi ecosystem is now mature and comprehensive, integrating blockchain with commercial applications, including stablecoins,抵押借贷, decentralized exchanges, synthetic assets, and NFTs.
WICC gained attention during the World Cup and could see another surge around the next event, given its established community presence and potential chain reactions across its ecosystem. For such projects, short-term moves often follow the broader market, but medium to long-term holding via dollar-cost averaging is a viable strategy. The founder’s marketing skills and the team’s continuous efforts might eventually reflect in the token’s price—it just needs the right catalyst.
The Underrated Performer: NuCypher (NU)
Coinbase is synonymous with quality assets for most investors, and its recent IPO set a benchmark for centralized exchanges. NuCypher, hailed as a "wizard" for blockchain cryptography, was listed on Coinbase with much fanfare. Surprisingly, it has remained stable amid recent market rotations and altcoin rallies. Even its listing on Huobi didn’t cause significant price movements, leaving hopeful investors disappointed.
The "Coinbase effect" often triggers连锁 reactions across exchanges. Binance, known for creating wealth myths and driving traffic, hasn’t yet listed NU. This could be NU’s final chance or the start of an opportunity—worth a small allocation for speculative plays.
POC Disruptor: Chia (XCH)
Chia has been incredibly popular, pushed by market momentum while capitalizing on the residual benefits of IPFS. Compared to Filecoin (FIL) and Crust (CRU), which have rigorous mechanisms, Chia eliminates staking requirements to encourage broader participation and utilize idle resources. However, this model is inevitably susceptible to capital manipulation.
On one hand, there’s a race to deploy mining hardware; on the other, investors face volatile secondary market prices. Nonetheless, Chia currently offers the fastest returns in the Proof of Capacity (POC) space. If possible, partnering with established data enterprises to leverage idle resources can be advantageous. Mining farms also have an edge in POC due to their existing infrastructure in computing power, power supply, hardware, and maintenance. Thus, mining is the most beneficial way to participate in Chia—approach the secondary market with caution and avoid盲目接盘.
Promising Yet Challenging: Swarm (BZZ)
Swarm is an official part of the Ethereum project, primarily developed by the foundation. It allows矿池 to contribute storage, bandwidth, and computing resources to support Ethereum-based applications. After over five years of intensive research since 2015, Swarm is a born明星项目 backed by renowned capital.
Currently, some teams involved in IPFS and Chia are already exploring Swarm, with some abandoning Chia’s intense competition for Swarm’s opportunities. However, Swarm has relatively high barriers to entry, requiring node deployment to qualify for airdrops. Even testnet tokens from faucets became highly sought after. Once the official BZZ tokens are airdropped, their price will be worth watching.
Still a Favorite: EOS (EOS)
Historically, EOS remains popular至少 until its founder, BM, launches a new project. After protocol upgrades increased staking rewards, EOS doubled in price, with excellent gains in recent days, though it remains below its all-time high. While the recent surge is notable, EOS had been relatively stagnant earlier, and this movement is largely part of the major asset rotation.
EOS parent company Block.one is exceptionally wealthy, reportedly holding 240,000 Bitcoins among other assets. If they truly want to shed EOS’s reputation as one of the market’s underperformers, raising its price would be the best PR move. Therefore, those holding bags might consider keeping them, and new positions could be opened before new highs are reached, in anticipation of a multi-wave rally.
Awaiting Full Bloom: Binance NFT
Major assets have dominated attention, overshadowing the frenzy around NFTs—but not entirely. From DeFi last August to decentralized exchanges, cross-chain solutions,抵押借贷, and now NFTs, these aren’t new concepts but have taken turns in the spotlight. This time, it’s NFTs’ turn. Tokens like SLP, GHST, and AXS have performed well, but热门概念币 tend to have short cycles and high volatility. Few hold them long-term; they’re更适合 small-scale speculative plays or large allocations for those with ample capital. If you pick the right one, a 10x return is possible. After the major asset wave, NFTs could see explosive action.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best strategies for altcoin investing in a bull market?
Diversification is key. Focus on projects with strong fundamentals, active development, and community support. Avoid chasing pure hype, and consider dollar-cost averaging to mitigate timing risks.
How important is it to hold Bitcoin and Ethereum in a portfolio?
Bitcoin and Ethereum are foundational assets. They provide stability and exposure to the core of the crypto market. Even small holdings can enhance portfolio resilience and participation in overall market growth.
What risks are associated with privacy coins like Dash?
Privacy coins face regulatory scrutiny, leading to potential delistings from exchanges. While they offer anonymity features, investors should be aware of changing compliance landscapes and market perceptions.
Is mining Chia more profitable than buying it outright?
Mining Chia can be profitable if you have access to low-cost hardware and idle resources. However, secondary market prices are volatile, and mining requires upfront investment and technical expertise.
How can I participate in Swarm?
Swarm requires running a node to qualify for airdrops and contribute to the network. It involves technical setup and ongoing maintenance, making it more suitable for advanced users.
Why consider EOS despite its past performance?
EOS has strong backing and significant resources. Protocol upgrades and potential buybacks from its wealthy parent company could catalyze price recovery, making it a speculative opportunity.
Conclusion
Exiting at the top is an art, but it’s personal. Each investor has different return expectations. Meeting or approaching your reasonable goals means the bull market has been worthwhile, compensating for lost sleep from constant monitoring. Additionally, if you lack the psychological fortitude, avoid futures trading—especially during extreme volatility, as no one leaves the赌桌 safely every time.
If you can’t read K-lines or perform data analysis, and there are too many cryptocurrencies to track, the author will continue sharing insights in plain, friendly language. The above represents personal opinions and not investment advice. If there are errors, we hope you can laugh them off.