Which crypto to buy today for the long-term?

When looking for cryptocurrencies to hold over the long term, there is more to consider than recent price movements. For this selection, we look at projects that have been around for several years, have sufficient market capitalization, and have demonstrated their ability to withstand different market conditions over time.

The ranking is based on five factors:

• project age;
• market capitalization;
• long-term price performance;
• recovery after the bear market;
• current market share.

Only cryptocurrencies currently available on Finst that have existed for at least five years, have a market capitalization of at least €500 million, and are not stablecoins are eligible. We also use our neutral prediction model as an additional selection criterion: to qualify, the model must project positive price performance over 1, 3, 5, and 10 years.

Predictions do not determine the position in the ranking. They are used solely as an additional eligibility criterion.

This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The crypto market is highly volatile and influenced by various external factors. Cryptocurrency values can fluctuate significantly, and you may lose some or all of your investment.

This list was last updated on 29 October 2026.

Top 10 best cryptocurrencies for the long term

Investing in crypto-assets involves a risk of loss. Historical returns and price predictions do not guarantee future performance. The predictions shown are based on historical data and are provided for informational and educational purposes only. Before trading crypto-assets, you should conduct your own research and assess your risk tolerance.

1. Bitcoin (BTC)

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is the first digital currency and works without a central authority like a bank or government. Transactions are recorded on a public, decentralized blockchain network and secured by thousands of computers around the world. Because the maximum supply is 21 million BTC, Bitcoin is often seen as a scarce digital asset and as digital gold.

Bitcoin price performance

Bitcoin was last recorded at € 72,840.23. Since the first available measurement on November 4, 2021, the price has risen overall over the long term, with a return of 122.54% over three years and 36.88% over five years. During the bear market, Bitcoin fell from € 59,647.19 to € 15,134.83, a drop of 74.63%. The recovery from that bottom has regained 100% of the move toward the earlier bear-market peak; the all-time high stands at € 107,698.41.

Fundamentals

These are the key fundamentals of Bitcoin:

• Limited supply: Issuance is capped algorithmically, with the block reward halving about every 210,000 blocks and supply eventually moving toward 21 million BTC.
• Permissionless payments: BTC enables peer-to-peer value transfer without users needing a trusted intermediary.
• Proof-of-work security: Proof-of-work, validation by full nodes, and the accumulated blockchain history together form a security model that resists Sybil attacks and makes transaction reversals difficult.
• Global ecosystem: The open-source network of users, miners, nodes, and developers supports network effects and helps reinforce Bitcoin’s monetary credibility.

Updates and developments that could affect Bitcoin

Bitcoin Core has disclosed three security vulnerabilities found by an AI scan, including a bug that could cause nodes on Windows and macOS to crash. The project released a fix and is changing its security policy by reporting easy-to-find vulnerabilities to the public faster. Bitcoin Core's new approach therefore shortens the time between finding, fixing, and disclosing certain security issues.

Long-term price prediction for Bitcoin

According to our prediction model, in a neutral scenario, the price of Bitcoin could reach €87,711.98 in one year, €123,269.77 in three years, €130,549.29 in five years, and €181,664.48 in ten years. The further into the future a prediction looks, the greater the uncertainty. These scenarios are based on historical data and do not guarantee future prices.

2. Zcash (ZEC)

What is Zcash?

Zcash (ZEC) is a blockchain and cryptocurrency that launched in 2016 with a focus on privacy and anonymity in transactions. Thanks to zero-knowledge technology, amounts, senders, and recipients can be shielded while the network remains decentralized. That sets Zcash apart from blockchains where transactions are fully public by default.

Zcash price performance

Zcash was last recorded at € 1,174.01, compared with € 271.94 during the earlier bear-market peak in December 2021. The price then fell 87.75% to a bottom of € 33.32 in November 2022. Since that bottom, the recovery has been fully regained and the price is also below the all-time high of € 2,305.73. The return over three years is 4,297.04%.

Fundamentals

These are the key fundamentals of Zcash:

• Limited supply: The maximum supply of ZEC is set at 21 million coins, and issuance follows a schedule with periodic halvings, which limits long-term supply growth.
• Payment function: ZEC is the native settlement asset of Zcash and is needed to pay transaction fees within both transparent and shielded payments.
• Privacy technology: Shielded transactions using zero-knowledge technology offer a specific privacy feature that could matter if private digital payments become more widely used.
• Specialized infrastructure: The mature and extensible protocol and cryptographic infrastructure can offer technical and ecological advantages that are hard to copy.

Updates and developments that could affect Zcash

The developers behind Zakura want to better shield ZEC swaps through NEAR Intents from future quantum risks by giving each swap its own viewing key. This approach is meant to prevent a refund address on the public NEAR blockchain from linking payment histories together; the proposed wallet and security changes are explained in a technical breakdown of quantum-safe swaps. Wallets on Zakura's open-source software could add the feature in the coming weeks, according to the article, while hardware wallets depend on firmware support.

Long-term price prediction for Zcash

According to our prediction model, in a neutral scenario, the price of Zcash could reach €4,899.14 in one year, €58,531.34 in three years, €146,598.68 in five years, and €2,784,783.26 in ten years. The further into the future a prediction looks, the greater the uncertainty. These scenarios are based on historical data and do not guarantee future prices.

3. Binance Coin (BNB)

What is Binance Coin?

Binance Coin (BNB) is the native cryptocurrency of the crypto exchange Binance. The coin is used within the BNB Chain ecosystem, including Binance Smart Chain, and was originally launched as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum before moving to Binance’s own blockchain.

Binance Coin price performance

BNB is currently trading at € 680.37 and has shown a positive long-term trend since the first available measurement in November 2021. During the bear market, the price fell 68.83% from the earlier peak to the bottom. Recovery followed: according to the measurement method, 100% of the move toward the earlier bear-market peak has been regained. The current price is still below the all-time high of € 1,187.68.

Fundamentals

These are the key fundamentals of Binance Coin:

• Limited supply: Auto-Burn targets a circulating supply of 100 million BNB, and BEP-95 destroys part of the transaction fees, which limits supply growth.
• Ecosystem utility: BNB is needed for transaction fees and governance on BNB Smart Chain, opBNB, and Greenfield, tying its use to activity across these networks.
• Staking and security: Staking helps determine which validators qualify and helps secure BNB Smart Chain through Proof-of-Staked-Authority and slashing.
• Network effects: BNB’s use across different BNB Chain services and Greenfield can strengthen network effects as developers, users, and applications continue to gather around the ecosystem.

Long-term price prediction for Binance Coin

According to our prediction model, in a neutral scenario, the price of Binance Coin could reach €794.57 in one year, €1,118.38 in three years, €1,132.90 in five years, and €1,535.42 in ten years. The further into the future a prediction looks, the greater the uncertainty. These scenarios are based on historical data and do not guarantee future prices.

4. Ripple (XRP)

What is Ripple?

Ripple is a blockchain-based payment network that uses the XRP Ledger. XRP is the native cryptocurrency for transactions on the network, which focuses on fast and low-cost cross-border payments and crypto liquidity for financial institutions. Through RippleNet, Ripple aims to connect banks and other parties as an alternative to traditional systems like SWIFT.

Ripple price performance

XRP was last recorded at € 1.1872; since the first available measurement, the long-term return comes to 51.19%. During the bear market, the price fell from € 1.17 to € 0.2738, a drop of 76.6%. From that bottom, the recovery is complete according to the method used, which means the earlier bear-market peak has been regained. The all-time high stands at € 3.30087.

Fundamentals

These are the key fundamentals of Ripple:

• Limited maximum supply: XRP has a maximum supply of 100 billion tokens, and transaction fees are permanently destroyed, without ongoing mining issuance.
• Bridge currency within XRPL: XRP is used for payments, settlement, the built-in decentralized exchange, and liquidity between different currencies.
• Fast settlement: The XRP Ledger offers fast, predictable settlement and built-in features for exchange, escrow, and payments, based on the described properties.
• Network security without mining: An open validator network provides security and finality without requiring XRP staking.

Updates and developments that could affect Ripple

Ripple connected Privy wallet technology to the XRP Ledger, allowing financial apps and AI agents to create wallets and make payments with, among others, XRP and RLUSD; the development is described as the integration of Stripe wallets with the XRP Ledger. In addition, a series of bug fixes for the XRP Ledger was about to go live, while the proposed lending system and related vaults still did not have enough validator votes for approval; this is explained in the update on the ledger bug fix and lending. RLUSD also received an investment-grade A2 rating from Moody's for the long term and a P-1 rating for the short term, a development discussed in the coverage of Moody's rating for RLUSD.

Long-term price prediction for Ripple

According to our prediction model, in a neutral scenario, the price of Ripple could reach €1.78 in one year, €3.20 in three years, €3.36 in five years, and €5.85 in ten years. The further into the future a prediction looks, the greater the uncertainty. These scenarios are based on historical data and do not guarantee future prices.

5. Tron (TRX)

What is Tron?

Tron is a blockchain network for fast and low-cost transactions without a third party. The project focuses on a global system for content and digital entertainment, where creators can communicate more directly with their audience. Tron also supports smart contracts and decentralized applications, such as DeFi projects, social platforms, and games.

Tron price performance

TRON is currently trading at € 0.2953, compared with an earlier bear-market peak of € 0.1127 on November 22, 2021. From that peak, the price fell 61.13% to a bottom of € 0.0438 on November 23, 2022. Since then, the recovery has been fully regained and the price is above the earlier bear-market peak, but still below the all-time high of € 0.4267. The return over three years is 223.95%.

Fundamentals

These are the key fundamentals of Tron:

• Token functionality: TRX is needed for transaction fees, access to smart contract resources, staking, governance, and as collateral within DeFi.
• Staking and network resources: Staking provides Bandwidth or Energy, voting power, and rewards, and makes it possible to delegate network resources to applications and users.
• Fee burning: Burning transaction fees can offset the issuance of new tokens when network activity is higher than the rewards.
• TRC-20 ecosystem: The established TRC-20 ecosystem and the network’s own resource model can support demand for TRX as Tron usage grows.

Updates and developments that could affect Tron

Polygon has added TRON to the Open Money Stack, allowing companies to handle stablecoin payments and cross-border transfers through a single integration: the integration of TRON into the Open Money Stack. The use case is aimed in part at remittance companies, fintechs, and payment companies that want to streamline payments between fiat currencies and USDT.

Long-term price prediction for Tron

According to our prediction model, in a neutral scenario, the price of Tron could reach €0.398 in one year, €0.6577 in three years, €0.8203 in five years, and €1.47 in ten years. The further into the future a prediction looks, the greater the uncertainty. These scenarios are based on historical data and do not guarantee future prices.

6. Ethereum (ETH)

What is Ethereum?

Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain platform where developers can build smart contracts and decentralized applications. The native cryptocurrency Ether (ETH) is used for transaction fees and to secure the network through Proof-of-Stake. Ethereum also forms the foundation for many DeFi applications, NFTs, and layer-2 networks.

Ethereum price performance

Ethereum is currently trading at € 2,112.98. From the first available measurement on November 4, 2021, the price initially rose to a bear-market peak of € 4,249.53 on November 22, 2021, after which it fell to € 903.45 on June 30, 2022; that meant a drop of 78.74%. Since that bottom, a partial recovery has started: 36.15% of the move toward the earlier peak has been regained. The return over three years stands at 22.01%, while the five-year performance comes to -46.22%.

Fundamentals

These are the key fundamentals of Ethereum:

• Transaction fees: ETH is the mandatory fee asset for Ethereum transactions, creating direct demand for the token when the network is used.
• Fee burning: EIP-1559 burns the base fee of transactions, while issuance under proof-of-stake is lower and can be offset by sufficient network activity.
• Staking and security: Staked ETH secures consensus through validator rewards, slashing, and economically costly attacks.
• Layer-2 ecosystem: Through its rollup-centric architecture, Ethereum can extend its role as a settlement and data-availability layer across many applications and layer-2 networks.

Updates and developments that could affect Ethereum

Ethereum developers have fixed a bug in the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade that could incorrectly assign staking deposits to builders under certain conditions; the change has been included in the Ethereum consensus specifications. In addition, Teku and Besu released updates to fix a certificate issue in their Docker images, because in some validator setups this could make reward redirection possible; the development is described in the security update for Ethereum clients. These developments affect the continued operation and security of Ethereum infrastructure, but the Glamsterdam fix still needs to be implemented by client teams in their software.

Long-term price prediction for Ethereum

According to our prediction model, in a neutral scenario, the price of Ethereum could reach €2,350.79 in one year, €2,971.48 in three years, €2,714.41 in five years, and €3,130.16 in ten years. The further into the future a prediction looks, the greater the uncertainty. These scenarios are based on historical data and do not guarantee future prices.

7. Solana (SOL)

What is Solana?

Solana is a blockchain for fast and low-cost transactions. The network uses Proof-of-History, among other things, to process transactions efficiently and supports applications such as smart contracts. The native cryptocurrency SOL is needed for transaction fees and participation in the ecosystem.

Solana price performance

The first available measurement dates from November 4, 2021; the most recent closing price is € 91.73. Solana reached a bear-market peak of € 230.83 on November 22, 2021, after which the price fell to € 7.53 on December 29, 2022, a drop of 96.74%. Since that bottom, 37.71% of the recovery toward the earlier peak has been regained. The return over three years stands at 131.66%, while the return over five years is -57.15%; the all-time high is € 287.41.

Fundamentals

These are the key fundamentals of Solana:

• Transaction fees: SOL is needed to pay for transactions on Solana, giving the token a direct function within the protocol.
• Burn mechanism: Half of the base transaction fees are burned, which offsets part of the issuance as network usage grows.
• Staking and security: Staking SOL supports consensus and rewards participants who delegate their tokens, creating an economically bonded security layer.
• Scalable network: Solana’s architecture is designed for high throughput and low costs, which can strengthen network effects as applications, liquidity, and users continue to concentrate on the blockchain.

Updates and developments that could affect Solana

Solana has activated a major network upgrade with Alpenglow that, according to the reporting, is meant to shorten finality from about six seconds to around 150 milliseconds, while the validator voting process is being adjusted through certificates (the Alpenglow upgrade). The update also lowers costs for validators by replacing the existing vote fees with an admission ticket of 0.8 SOL per epoch. The security infrastructure around Firedancer has also been adjusted: bug reports now require 1 SOL, which is burned, to limit AI-generated spam and free up more attention for real security issues (the new bug report terms).

Long-term price prediction for Solana

According to our prediction model, in a neutral scenario, the price of Solana could reach €115.30 in one year, €184.47 in three years, €173.99 in five years, and €253.30 in ten years. The further into the future a prediction looks, the greater the uncertainty. These scenarios are based on historical data and do not guarantee future prices.

8. Quant (QNT)

What is Quant?

Quant is a blockchain technology company that aims to connect different blockchains and traditional systems through Overledger. The QNT token is used within the ecosystem for things such as licenses, access to services, and transactions. The project mainly focuses on interoperability between financial institutions, businesses, and different DLT networks.

Quant price performance

Quant is currently trading at € 180.75 and is still below the all-time high of € 368.45. After an earlier bear-market peak, the price dropped sharply to the bottom, with a maximum decline of 86.7%. The price then partially recovered; 60.73% of the move toward the earlier peak has been regained. Over the past three years, the return was positive, while the five-year performance remained negative.

Fundamentals

These are the key fundamentals of Quant:

• Limited supply: QNT has a constrained supply with no documented ongoing issuance after part of the original tokens were destroyed on-chain.
• Platform utility: QNT is used for Overledger subscriptions, licensing, transactions, and potentially staking, linking demand to platform usage.
• Native token and staking: The newer Overledger architecture describes QNT as the native token and staking mechanism for trusted transaction-processing nodes.
• Interoperability: Overledger aims to connect blockchains, traditional systems, and tokenized assets through APIs, which can create network effects as the number of supported networks and users grows.

Long-term price prediction for Quant

According to our prediction model, in a neutral scenario, the price of Quant could reach €272.60 in one year, €603.50 in three years, €693.74 in five years, and €1,577.88 in ten years. The further into the future a prediction looks, the greater the uncertainty. These scenarios are based on historical data and do not guarantee future prices.

9. Stellar (XLM)

What is Stellar?

Stellar is an open blockchain network for fast and low-cost international payments and the issuance of digital assets. The native cryptocurrency XLM is used for transaction fees and minimum account reserves. The network focuses on payments and connecting traditional financial systems with digital assets.

Stellar price performance

Stellar is currently trading at € 0.15442; over three years, the price is 33.92% higher, while the return over five years is negative. During the earlier bear market, the price fell from € 0.3824 to € 0.06595, a drop of 82.75%. Since that bottom, a partial recovery has started: 27.96% of the move toward the earlier peak has been regained. The all-time high stands at € 0.9155.

Fundamentals

These are the key fundamentals of Stellar:

• Fixed supply: All XLM tokens were created at launch, inflation ended in 2019, and inaccessible balances are permanently destroyed.
• Network functionality: XLM is needed for transaction fees, account reserves, and Soroban smart contract resources.
• Payments and asset issuance: Stellar supports fast, low-cost settlement, built-in asset issuance, trading, and payments, which can support network effects.
• Efficient consensus: The Stellar Consensus Protocol enables consensus without staking or mining and supports low latency and broad validator participation.

Updates and developments that could affect Stellar

Janus Henderson launched JQQQ, a fund that tracks the Nasdaq-100 and is issued on Stellar in partnership with Centrifuge and with a license from Nasdaq; more details are in the announcement of the tokenized fund. The launch positions Stellar as blockchain infrastructure for an issuer-backed investment product and fits into the broader development of institutional tokenization.

Long-term price prediction for Stellar

According to our prediction model, in a neutral scenario, the price of Stellar could reach €0.2151 in one year, €0.3438 in three years, €0.3467 in five years, and €0.531 in ten years. The further into the future a prediction looks, the greater the uncertainty. These scenarios are based on historical data and do not guarantee future prices.

10. Near Protocol (NEAR)

What is Near Protocol?

Near Protocol is a blockchain platform designed to enable fast, low-cost, and scalable transactions. The network uses sharding to distribute transactions across multiple parts of the blockchain. The native cryptocurrency NEAR is used for transaction fees, staking, and participation in the network.

Near Protocol price performance

Near Protocol is currently trading at € 4.24. Since the first available measurement, the long-term performance comes to 47.78%, while the return over the past three years is 200.28%. During the bear market, the price fell from € 15.10 to € 1.17, a drop of 92.26%. Since that bottom, 22.03% of the recovery toward the earlier peak has been regained; the current price is still below the all-time high of € 19.59.

Fundamentals

These are the key fundamentals of Near Protocol:

• Network functionality: NEAR is needed for transaction fees, storage, staking, and validator security, tying the token directly to network usage.
• Fee burning: Transaction fees are burned, and governance changes can direct more gas fees toward permanent token burning.
• Staking and security: Proof-of-stake staking secures the network and ties capital to validator participation.
• Scalability: Nightshade sharding, stateless validation, low fees, and fast finality can support further adoption and network effects as usage grows.

Long-term price prediction for Near Protocol

According to our prediction model, in a neutral scenario, the price of Near Protocol could reach €6.42 in one year, €14.69 in three years, €16.10 in five years, and €35.95 in ten years. The further into the future a prediction looks, the greater the uncertainty. These scenarios are based on historical data and do not guarantee future prices.

Risks of holding cryptocurrencies for the long term

Even projects with a long track record, high market capitalization, and strong fundamentals can lose value. The crypto market remains volatile, and technological, economic, and regulatory developments can significantly affect the value of a cryptocurrency.

Key long-term risks include changing regulations, competition between blockchains and protocols, declining network activity, technical vulnerabilities, changes in tokenomics, and a lack of real-world adoption.

Strong historical price performance or a positive prediction scenario therefore does not mean a cryptocurrency will perform well again in the future.

Conclusion

A good cryptocurrency for the long term is not simply one that has risen sharply in the past. For this ranking, we combine a project's age and size with historical price performance, recovery after major declines, and current market share.

The ten cryptocurrencies on this list also meet our additional prediction criterion for 1, 3, 5, and 10 years. This makes them worth researching further, but it remains important to consider each project's specific fundamentals and risks.

Always do your own research and keep in mind that you could lose some or all of your investment.