This has truly been a revolutionary year for investing. Perhaps because of the success of r/WallStreetBets in boosting GameStop (NYSE:GME) earlier in 2021, Wall Street has caught onto the power of digital communities. From there, Dogecoin (CCC:DOGE-USD) took hold, sparking the birth of several new cryptos. Now, as the year winds to a close, meme coins like DOGE have earned their own chapter in investing. In 2022 then, what will be the top cryptos to watch? And why?
To answer that question, it is important to look at some of the other top names in the meme coin world. After Dogecoin, we got Shiba Inu (CCC:SHIB-USD). Then, cousin Floki Inu (CCC:FLOKI-USD) began rising to prominence. These are certainly weird cryptos in that they are based off an internet meme.
And although they may not seem like traditional investments, “weird” cryptos captivated large communities and delivered astronomical gains.
So, in the coming year, weird cryptos may be some of the brightest stars… and they may not all be connected to dogs. Here are seven of the top cryptos to watch for 2022 (and yes, all the names on this list are real):
- Tiger King (CCC:TKING-USD)
- Trump Coin (CCC:TRUMP-USD)
- Petro (CCC:PTR)
- PutinCoin (CCC:PUT-USD)
- Mooncoin (CCC:MOON-USD)
- TurtleCoin (CCC:TRTL-USD)
- Unobtanium (CCC:UNO-USD)
Weird Cryptos to Watch: Tiger King Coin (TKING-USD)
It’s hard to discuss the trends of the Covid-19 pandemic without bringing up Tiger King. Netflix’s hit documentary series was released in early 2021, just as viewers across the globe were forced to shelter in place, leading to the series quickly becoming a breakout. Americans marveled at the story of Joe Exotic, and as Dogecoin dominated financial markets, a team of developers saw an opportunity.
According to its whitepaper, Tiger King Coin launched in May 2021 as an Ethereum token. It might not sound real at first glance, but this token has been approved by Joe Exotic and it’s even been written up in Forbes. Exotic’s website features a strategically placed link to Tiger King Coin’s website.
As part of its “stealth launch,” Exotic was awarded a portion of the coins. Interested investors can purchase Tiger King Coin on crypto exchange platforms Bibox, Uniswap and DexTools.io as well as with a credit or debit card.
If you’re looking for an even-stranger investment, the team behind TKING has recently launched Tiger Cub (CCC:TCUB-USD), classified as Exotic’s “official charity coin.” With the second season of Tiger King now on Netflix, TKING definitely belongs on a list of cryptos to watch for 2022.
P.S. His rival, Carole Baskin, later launched her own token as a means of rewarding fans.
TrumpCoin (TRUMP-USD)
Former President Donald Trump has made it clear that he’s not a fan of cryptocurrency. He’s called Bitcoin (CCC:BTC-USD) a “disaster hurting the U.S. dollar,” but his name is still attached to a crypto that trades under the symbol TRUMP.
According to its website, TrumpCoin is “the first and only Cryptocurrency dedicated to Patriots Worldwide.” The site emphasizes that the token was created “by Patriots for Patriots.” As of October 2021, the crypto is verified on decentralized exchange Blockspot.io. And as the website notes, the easiest way to purchase TrumpCoin is with Bitcoin – something that the man who inspired it might not approve of.
Although TrumpCoin flatlined for most of this season, it spiked on Oct. 25. The same month saw the name TrumpCoin start making headlines for another reason, though. It was reported that a fake currency with the same name was fooling Trump supporters on Telegram.
The TRUMP coin is real, though, and can be found on CoinMarketCap. However, investors should note that its website does feature photos of Trump, Michael Flynn and Mike Lindell. None of these individuals appear to have issued statements or endorsed the TrumpCoin.
Ahead of another White House run from Trump, this is certainly a crypto to watch though.
Weird Cryptos to Watch: The Petro (PTR)
Venezuela isn’t a country known for economic stability, but that hasn’t stopped it from trying to establish its own cryptocurrency.
In early 2018, President Nicolás Maduro launched a virtual currency with the backing of the country’s petroleum reserves, appropriately named The Petro. The story behind it is long and fascinating. Skilled Venezuelan coder and political activist Gabriel Jiménez began to develop the crypto to “to change the economic model of the oppressive regime,” but Maduro’s government ultimately seized his project. Maduro’s initial promise that the crypto would be backed with the nation’s petroleum reserves was quickly called into question by Venezuelan residents.
In 2020, CoinTelegraph reported that the Petro still could not be purchased on any international exchanges. In fact, it appears to be available only on a few local exchanges, as well as two government-issued platforms called Plataforma Patria and PetroApp. Investors should also note that shortly after Petro’s 2018 launch, the Brookings Institute published a study that found that the Petro undermined not only other cryptocurrencies, but also international sanctions. More recent news has reported that Venezuela may be soon be embracing Bitcoin, a move that makes sense for the country.
While there are other cryptos with similar names that can be purchased outside Venezuela, the Petro remains a nationalist play. It belongs on a list of cryptos to watch if for no other reason than its story is fascinating and if it were to gain momentum, it could serve as a precedent for other struggling economies.
PutinCoin (PUT-USD)
The theme of cryptocurrencies inspired by world leaders continues with PutinCoin. According to the crypto’s whitepaper, it was created to “pay tribute to the People and the President of Russia.” The team behind the token prides itself on its flexibility and security. Interestingly, the crypto uses both proof-of-work (POW) and proof-of-stake (POS) consensus mechanisms. It began as an open-source project in 2017, and according to its website, was quick to develop into a community. PutinCoin’s team also stresses, though, that the crypto is not an official means of payment within Russia, nor has it ever been.
Although the team is active on social media, the token hasn’t garnered too extensive of a following yet.
So what else should you know about PutinCoin? For one thing, the coin’s price is prone to extreme turbulence, typically rising as fast as it falls. In early 2018, though, it far exceeded TrumpCoin in value, boasting a market capitalization of $8.9 million. TrumpCoin at the time came in at just $2.1 million.
Nothing about the Russian leader indicates that he would support a cryptocurrency, even one with such a nationalist mentality behind it. However, PutinCoin is still certainly a weird crypto to watch.
Weird Cryptos to Watch: Mooncoin (MOON-USD)
Before many of the other cryptos on this list existed, there was Mooncoin.
Launched in 2013, this crypto claims to be “faster than Bitcoin and with lower transaction fees.” Mooncoin has also had quite the life so far. Abandoned by its initial developers and hit by a high-profile scam, a group of investors later saved it. With renewed effort starting in 2021, Mooncoin experienced a rebirth and a new team created guiding principles for MOON.
As part of this rebirth, Mooncoin is trying to revive its community on social media platforms including Discord and Reddit. Additionally, as part of its roadmap, the new team is eyeing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as well as other space-related partners.
If this sounds interesting to you, there are a few lesser-known, decentralized exchanges to purchase MOON on. Although it has been around longer, it seems years of stagnancy have kept Mooncoin from mainstream exchanges.
TurtleCoin (TRTL-USD)
The web address TutleCoin.lol doesn’t conjure up serious images. That said, neither does a crypto inspired by a popular dog meme.
Don’t be fooled, though. TurtleCoin has one of the most professional and user-friendly websites of any name on this list. It also boasts one of the largest social media followings, with more than 10,000 Twitter followers.
So what is TurtleCoin all about? According to its website, it is a decentralized, peer-to-peer cryptocurrency. Beyond that, the website also provides information for users who want to build on top of its APIs.
“When you think privacy, utility, and low cost transactions without showing the world your balance, think TurtleCoin,” a post on its blog states.
This broadly emphasizes that this odd crypto is here to stay — and it may have a reason to.
Weird Cryptos to Watch: Unobtanium (UNO-USD)
If this name of this token sounds familiar, it’s probably because it was used in the popular 2009 film Avatar.
As it turns out, though, that’s not where the term originates from. It actually dates back to the 1950s, but this crypto was founded much more recently.
So what do you need to know about Unobtanium? Its developing team advertises that it had a fair launch, and that its underlying network is particularly secure. What makes it most interesting, perhaps, is its relatively low total supply. Over the course of 30 years, the team says only 250,000 UNO will ever be mined. So far, just over 200,000 of those coins have been mined.
Beyond that, Unobtanium is slightly easier to access than other cryptos on this list, although many investors may not be familiar with compatible exchange options. Its team remains anonymous, with its founder going by the pseudonym Blazr2. Lastly, while Unobtanium has a long history as a store-of-value cryptocurrency, CoinMarketCap tracks low daily trading volume for UNO.
With more Avatar movies in the works, investors may bring this crypto back onto their radars. That is a good reason to keep it on your watch list of weird cryptos into 2022.
On Low-Capitalization and Low-Volume Cryptocurrencies: InvestorPlace does not regularly publish commentary about cryptocurrencies that have a market capitalization less than $100 million or trade with volume less than $100,000 each day. That’s because these “penny cryptos” are frequently the playground for scam artists and market manipulators. When we do publish commentary on a low-volume crypto that may be affected by our commentary, we ask that InvestorPlace.com’s writers disclose this fact and warn readers of the risks.
Read More: How to Avoid Popular Cryptocurrency Scams
On the date of publication, Samuel O’Brient did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
