XRP has had quite a month. It hit a new all-time high of $3.66 ten days ago, then sold off, pulling back into its current range above $3.10. Still, with buzz building around a potential spot XRP ETF in the US, plenty of traders think the token’s cool-off won’t last long.
But with a $187 billion market cap, XRP would need serious capital inflows to make big price moves from here. While it could well provide steady long-term gains, traders looking for bigger price gains typically prioritize low-cap, emerging altcoins that have more upside potential.
So, if you’re looking for the best crypto to buy that could outperform XRP throughout the remainder of 2025, we’ve picked out three smaller-cap alternatives that are worth a closer look.
1. Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER)
Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER) might be the newest name on this list, but it’s already generating serious hype – raising over $6 million in its presale and available for just $0.012475 per token. Investors are buzzing because it’s aiming to give the Bitcoin blockchain a much-needed upgrade.
It’s a Layer-2 network built on Solana’s tech stack that brings thousands of transactions per second and sub-second finality – all while settling to Bitcoin. Think of it as Bitcoin in turbo mode, running on Solana’s virtual machine (SVM) to power everything from DeFi and NFTs to gaming.
Investors seem excited about the idea of doing all this without sacrificing Bitcoin’s security. Plus, with an APY of 169% on offer to those who stake their HYPER tokens, it’s easy to see why traders are racing to get involved in the presale.
Compared to XRP’s $187 billion market cap, Bitcoin Hyper’s tiny valuation means even a little traction post-launch could lead to a 10x (or even 100x) move. And with a rapidly growing community that’s investing millions each week, we could well see HYPER become one of the biggest winners of 2025. Visit Bitcoin Hyper Presale.
2. Hedera (HBAR)
Next up is Hedera (HBAR). It’s trading around $0.273 today, up 6% in the past 24 hours. And despite solid gains recently, its market cap is still just a fraction of XRP’s, which means there’s a lot more room to run.
What makes Hedera a solid alternative? It’s because the platform is built differently: no traditional blockchain here. Hedera uses something called a “hashgraph” – a super-fast consensus algorithm that can handle roughly 10,000 transactions per second for practically no fees.
Banks use Hedera for cross-border payments, companies use it for tracking supply chains, and others are experimenting with tokenizing assets like real estate or even artwork. Plus, with clear regulatory standing – unlike XRP’s ongoing struggle with the SEC – Hedera could have much better upside potential.
3. Sonic (S)
Sonic (S) has rebooted the Fantom blockchain into something even faster and more versatile. Trading today at $0.33 and up almost 10% in just the past 24 hours, Sonic has become one of those tokens people start talking about when they’re looking for XRP alternatives.
Sonic’s pitch is speed – ridiculous speed. It advertises 10,000+ transactions per second with near-instant finality, way beyond XRPL’s current limits. And unlike XRP, Sonic is fully Ethereum-compatible, meaning developers can easily port over apps for DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and more.
Plus, there’s a grassroots community fueled by staking, liquidity incentives, and growth initiatives like airdrops. If Sonic continues to grow and achieve roadmap milestones, its market cap below $1 billion could give it the runway for much bigger gains than XRP.
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