10 Best Cryptocurrencies of April 2024

Read our Advertiser Disclosure.
Contributor, Benzinga
April 3, 2024

Benzinga’s choices for top cryptocurrencies to invest in this March are Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. You can get them on exchanges such as eToro, Coinbase and Kraken.

bestcrypto2024

The rise of crypto has brought with it the opportunity for investment gains on an unprecedented scale. Tokens routinely appreciate thousands of percent within weeks, and crypto millionaires continue to pop up. However, with over 13,000 different tokens available for trading, it can be difficult to pin down the exact tokens that could potentially be profitable. A handful of projects have been able to establish themselves in the crypto space. Below is a list of the top 10 tokens that you can buy in April 2024. 

Disclosure: eToro supports the following currencies: BTC, ADA, DASH, DOGE, EOS, ETH, LTC, NEO, XLM, XTZ, TRX, ZEC. eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal. T&Cs apply. *The bonus is available to Benzinga readers in the US for open states only. Served by eToro USA LLC.

Best Crypto to Buy Now

Since the crypto landscape is continually changing, the list of best cryptocurrencies shifts. However, here are some of the best tokens for April 2024.

1. Bitcoin (BTC)

JOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST

Bitcoin thumbnail

btc

Bitcoin

$63444.00*

*prices delayed up to 10 minutes

+3.80%

24H
Buy Bitcoin
745 votes

Disclosure: eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Price: ~$66,000

Market cap: ~$1.3 trillion

Year-over-year return: ~150%

Bitcoin was the leader in the cryptocurrency sector, paving the way for all other projects. The token serves as a form of payment and a store of value. It has performed well in 2024, reaching new all-time highs (ATHs), surpassing previous records set in 2021. Sentiment on Bitcoin is largely bullish, and many do not see the price rally ending anytime soon. In 2024, the main catalysts have been spot exchange-traded funds (ETF) approvals and the upcoming Bitcoin halving, expected to happen in the second half of April. ETFs have brought a host of new investors to the project, while the halving is projected to lower the amount of tokens sold each day. 

2. Ethereum (ETH)

JOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST

Ethereum thumbnail

eth

Ethereum

$3059.60*

*prices delayed up to 10 minutes

+1.79%

24H
Buy Ethereum
1106 votes

Disclosure: eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Price: ~$3,300

Market cap: ~$400 billion

Year-over-year return: ~100%

Ethereum is the largest blockchain that allows users to access decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. It supports nearly all of the top projects, ranging from AI startups to top meme coins. This is possible through its strong development platform and easily usable smart contract system. It is a versatile chain, allowing users to access all aspects of Web3 with ease. The chain switched from a proof-of-work (PoW) system to a much more efficient proof-of-stake (PoS) system in 2022. In 2024, some of the major events include planned upgrades to the blockchain, as well as the potential for the approval of spot Ethereum ETFs, which could happen as soon as May 2024. 

3. Solana (SOL)

JOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST

Solana thumbnail

sol

Solana

$145.57*

*prices delayed up to 10 minutes

+10.6%

24H
Buy Solana
470 votes

Disclosure: eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Price: ~$180

Market cap: ~$80 billion

Year-over-year return: ~800%

Solana had a rough start in 2023 because Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX were some of the largest investors in the project. This resulted in the token losing over 96% of its value within 11 months of the FTX collapse. At the time, many thought that SOL was a dead project. However, 2023 and 2024 have seen a revival of the project. Many new tokens have started on Solana recently. These projects include staking protocols, storage, AI and many others. Meme coins have been a driving force in Solana’s resurgence. These tokens have attracted new investors who have to buy SOL and swap it for meme coins. 

4. Ripple (XRP)

JOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST

XRP thumbnail

xrp

XRP

$0.591563*

*prices delayed up to 10 minutes

-0.51%

24H
Buy XRP
25 votes

Disclosure: eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Price: ~$0.60

Market cap: ~$35 billion

Year-over-year return: ~70%

Ripple is a centralized company that is hoping to bring the possibilities of crypto to the banking sector. Its business model revolves around the use of its native token, XRP, to facilitate transactions. Ripple can use the XRP token to serve as an intermediary between other assets. For example, BTC and ETH are not directly interchangeable. However, Ripple can convert BTC to XRP and then convert the XRP into ETH. This concept can be applied to any currency swap or other transaction that a bank may have to make daily. XRP is particularly useful in this case because it is fast and has transaction fees that are a tiny fraction of a cent. If financial institutions begin to start using XRP on a larger scale, the price could see massive increases. 

5. Dogecoin (DOGE)

JOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST

Dogecoin thumbnail

doge

Dogecoin

$0.150435*

*prices delayed up to 10 minutes

+1.22%

24H
Buy Dogecoin
857 votes

Disclosure: eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Price: ~$0.18

Market cap: ~$25 billion

Year-over-year return: ~120%

DOGE has been able to stick around in the top 20 tokens by market cap for some time and has gone up with the rest of the market in 2024. Additionally, new use cases in the future could send the token even higher. Elon Musk said that he would consider allowing users to buy a Tesla car with DOGE and currently allows people to buy Tesla merch with DOGE. If this were to happen, it could increase demand for the token and send the price higher. DOGE has also been able to hold its spot as the top meme coin throughout the past bull and bear markets. 

6. Avalanche (AVAX)

JOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST

Avalanche thumbnail

avax

Avalanche

$34.91*

*prices delayed up to 10 minutes

+1.75%

24H
Buy Avalanche
47 votes

Disclosure: eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Price: ~$45

Market cap: ~$18 billion

Year-over-year return: ~170%

Avalanche is a chain focused on high speeds and low costs. It hopes to make the process of interacting with DeFi as straightforward and cheap as possible. The project saw relatively low volatility in 2023 but has performed exceptionally well in 2024. Its success has been the result of new projects making a home on the chain. Most of these projects revolve around exchanges and trading. For example, one of the most popular protocols is called Trader Joe, which allows users to trade, stake, yield farm and provide liquidity for a handful of Avalanche-based projects. If Avalanche can attract a more diverse range of projects, it could continue its upward momentum.

7. Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL)

JOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST

Quantum Resistant Ledger thumbnail

qrl

Quantum Resistant Ledger

$0.336943*

*prices delayed up to 10 minutes

+15.0%

24H
Buy Quantum Resistant Ledger
23 votes

Disclosure: eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Price: ~$0.30

Market cap: ~$20 million

Year-over-year return: ~130%

One of the defining characteristics of computing is exponential growth. Computers are becoming increasingly faster and take up less space, and advances in quantum computing could pose a risk to some of the larger blockchains. For instance, a quantum computer could overthrow the current mining system on Bitcoin through a 51% attack, or the computer could bypass the current cryptographic protocols and obtain access to anyone’s wallet address. While these may seem like distant threats, researchers are already using quantum computing in a variety of contexts. Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL) is looking to solve this issue by creating a new security protocol called the eXtended Merkle Tree Signature Scheme (XMSS). The blockchain is specifically designed to be resistant to quantum computing attacks, potentially allowing it to survive if other blockchains go down from quantum attacks. 

8. NEAR Protocol (NEAR)

JOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST

NEAR Protocol thumbnail

near

NEAR Protocol

$5.72*

*prices delayed up to 10 minutes

+3.61%

24H
Buy NEAR Protocol
12 votes

Price: ~$6.50

Market cap: ~$6.5 billion

Year-over-year return: ~225%

NEAR is hoping to solve one of the biggest issues that many see with Ethereum and other chains. These chains require huge amounts of computing power to operate and provide services to their users. This requirement puts lots of strain on the chain, which can result in slow speeds and high costs. NEAR uses cloud computing to help bolster speeds and increase scalability. Developers can benefit from others’ projects, as everything on the platform is open source. These are optimal conditions for developers, as it is much easier to make faster applications. If NEAR can attract more projects that lead to more use cases, the price has room to keep going up. 

9. Optimism (OP)

Price: ~$3.5

Market cap: ~$3.5 billion

Year-over-year return: ~30%

Optimism is a Layer 2 chain that works with Ethereum. The project is meant to help users access Ethereum decentralized applications (dApps) for a fraction of the cost on the Ethereum mainnet. This is accomplished through the use of Optimism rollups, which work similarly to a credit card. Effectively, the protocol allows users to make transactions on Optimism’s Layer 2 solution and then enters a seven-day window in which the transaction can be verified before it is uploaded to the Ethereum ledger. Coinbase’s Layer 2, called Base, uses Optimism and has attracted lots of volume. Base has brought in lots of new meme coins and users, which have helped OP do well in 2024.  

10. dogwifhat (WIF)

JOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST

wif

dogwifhat

$1.75*

*prices delayed up to 10 minutes

-4.41%

24H
Buy dogwifhat
5 votes

Disclosure: eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Price: ~$4

Market cap: ~$4 billion

Year-over-year return: ~2,200%

dogwifhat (WIF) has been one of the most interesting projects to watch in 2024. The project was launched just a few months ago but has risen to the top 30 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. It began the year trading at an all-time low of $0.07, but the price went as high as $4.85 by the end of March. The project is based on a meme of a Shiba Inu dog wearing a pink knitted cap. The project is based on the Solana chain and is one of the tokens that has helped propel SOL higher. 

What is Cryptocurrency and How Does It Work?

Cryptocurrency is a token-based way of transacting online. Tokens are stored on an unchangeable ledger that can be viewed by anyone. The data is also stored on a large network of computers, which allows for much easier scalability. 

Most cryptocurrencies are processed by other users on the blockchain. Other users can verify transactions in exchange for rewards. This is usually done through staking (PoS) or mining (PoW).

Since the basic framework for technology has been developed by previous projects such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, it is somewhat easy for new developers to create a blockchain of their own. Additionally, projects like Ethereum allow users to create their own tokens with little effort. Because of this, there are tens of thousands of cryptocurrencies available to invest in.

How to Invest in Cryptocurrency

To invest in crypto, you first have to make an account on a crypto trading platform. Some of the top firms are Coinbase, Kraken, Webull and eToro. These sites are well known for their low fees, security and ease of use.

To get started, create an account and verify it using an email and some form of identification. From there, you can fund your account by linking a bank. With a linked bank account, you can begin trading a variety of cryptocurrencies. 

Crypto trading is similar to stock trading. However, most sites offer a separate crypto trading platform or only offer cryptocurrency. Robinhood is a well-known trading platform that offers both stock trading and crypto trading on the same site. 

How to Report Crypto on Taxes

The IRS treats cryptocurrency as a form of property. Because of this, you are required to pay capital gains tax on sales of crypto. Crypto exchanges send Form 1099s, which report capital gains and losses for the year. You can use this form to report your taxes on crypto transactions.

What Are Cryptocurrency Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)?

A recent phenomenon has been that of spot ETFs for crypto. An ETF is a fund that pools investors' money and uses it to buy an underlying asset. In this case, the underlying asset is crypto. The fund then takes the assets and packages them into shares that are distributed to the investors. As of right now, only Bitcoin ETFs exist. However, Bitcoin ETFs have been the most successful in history, so many firms are pushing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to approve more ETFs in the coming months. 

Top Cryptocurrencies: Lots of Options

With seemingly endless options for cryptocurrencies to invest in, it is important to consider your own risk tolerance and investing strategies before taking a look at different tokens. With your personal financial situation in mind, you can begin honing in on potential investments and supplementing with your own research to find tokens to invest in. 

Disclosure: ²Sum of median estimated savings and rewards earned, per user in 2021 across multiple Coinbase programs (excluding sweepstakes). This amount includes fee waivers from Coinbase One (excluding the subscription cost), rewards from Coinbase Card, and staking rewards. ³Crypto rewards is an optional Coinbase offer. Upon purchase of USDC, you will be automatically opted in to rewards. If you’d like to opt out or learn more about rewards, you can click here. The rewards rate is subject to change and can vary by region. Customers will be able to see the latest applicable rates directly within their accounts

Frequently Asked Questions

Q

Which crypto will boom in 2024?

A

While it is hard to tell, cryptocurrencies with potential catalysts may be more likely to boom if the events play out in their favor.

 

Q

What is the highest-rated cryptocurrency?

A

Bitcoin is the highest-rated cryptocurrency because of its longevity and size.

 

Q

What is the safest cryptocurrency?

A

All crypto is potentially susceptible to hacking, but larger projects are generally considered to be safer. Additionally, Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL) is a blockchain that places an emphasis on safety. 

The Crypto Rocketship: Weekly Newsletter
  • Exclusive Crypto Airdrops
  • Altcoin of the Week
  • Insider Interviews
  • News & Show Highlights
  • Completely FREE

About Caden Pok

Caden has been involved with crypto since 2018, when he began investing, trading, and mining tokens. He took part in undergraduate research studying cryptoeconomics at the University of Michigan, where he will graduate Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor’s in economics in 2025. He is experienced with DeFi technology and multiple blockchains, currently investing in Ethereum and Bitcoin.