The crypto world is becoming more and more popular with every passing day. With Bitcoin’s (CCC:BTC-USD) sudden rise in value, investors are flocking to put their money into cryptos.
However, with so much information on the space being released, it can be difficult for new crypto buyers to figure out what to invest in with this market opportunity. Moreover, with so many coins out there, it’s tough to narrow down the up-and-coming cryptos that can quickly build your portfolio.
The crypto trend is here to stay. That’s because cryptocurrencies represent a new way of storing value — and, in many cases, a new way of doing business. So which coins will be hot by 2022? Guesses might not matter too much, since it seems like anything could happen at any time with this asset class.
Let’s dive right into the list of top up-and-coming cryptos that can supercharge your portfolio in 2022:
- Chiliz (CCC:CHZ-USD)
- Vera (CCC:VERA-USD)
- Solana (CCC:SOL-USD)
- Waves (CCC:WAVES-USD)
- Holo (CCC:HOT-USD)
- VeChain (CCC:VET-USD)
- Elrond (CCC:EGLD-USD)
Cryptos: Chiliz (CHZ-USD)
Chiliz is a crypto that primarily focuses on monetizing fan engagement in sports. Fans can effectively trade sports-related tokens through the Chiliz.net exchange.
The crypto has partnerships with some of the world’s largest sporting entities, including English football clubs Manchester City, Arsenal and Italian football club Juventus. Chiliz has recently made moves to expand into the U.S., partnering with UFC and the Professional Fighters League.
Moreover, it also allows users to participate in the governance of these sports brands. Fans holding CHZ tokens are granted a small stake in the club. Moreover, it has returned an incredible 1,300% year-to-date (YTD). It boasts a market capitalization of $1.8 billion, making it one of the fastest-rising altcoins on the market.
Vera (VERA-USD)
Vera is another crypto project that is currently in its infancy. However, this non-fungible token (NFT) play has made great swings since its entry in September this year.
Founded in 2021, the Vera project aims to make NFTs work for its investors. It also allows investors to rent, lend and mortgage them, which essentially makes it the first NFT project to enable investors to generate an income stream.
Moreover, the project is also backed by Animoca Brands, a global leader in the blockchain and gaming realm.
Hence, VERA-USD remains an exciting NFT play in line with the explosion in the sector. Since its September debut, the coin’s price has risen in value by more than 50% to about 45 cents.
Cryptos: Solana (SOL-USD)
Solana competes with Ethereum (CCC:ETH-USD) in the fast-growing decentralized finance (DeFi) space. It is also one of the top cryptos in terms of speed and scalability.
SOL-USD has performed incredibly well in the past year, delivering more than 10,000% gains.
Solana is arguably one of the fastest blockchain protocols out there, supporting several DeFi programs, blockchain projects and NFT marketplaces. It currently has more than 400 projects running on its robust platform.
Looking ahead, some analysts have pegged its price target above $500 in the coming year. It currently hovers around the $175 mark, and if its analyst estimates come to fruition, we could be looking at another fantastic year for SOL-USD.
Waves (WAVES-USD)
WAVES-USD is another altcoin that has recently impressed investors with its eye-catching performance. It’s a blockchain platform that focuses on developing DeFi apps and smart contracts, along with launching customized crypto tokens.
Waves uses a hybrid of proof-of-stake consensus mechanism termed as leased proof-of-stake, or LPOS. This means users “lease crypto tokens to a node that intends to act as a network block producer.”
Furthermore, the WAVES token is offered as an incentive for voting rights, payments and mining-related rewards. The crypto is hovering around $16.50 and has climbed a healthy 166% value YTD.
Moreover, with a market cap of about $1.8 billion, the altcoin ranks among the top 70 cryptocurrencies in the market.
Cryptos: Holo (HOT-USD)
Holochain is an up-and-coming technology that provides an open-source network infrastructure that can efficiently communicate without the blockchain’s massive data and storage requirements.
It is a more scalable and cost-effective alternative to the blockchain network. Those who can effectively provide computing power earn “HoloFuel” for sharing their computing resources.
Users on the Holochain network can store their data locally within their devices, unlike the blockchain. Consequently, peer-to-peer web applications can perform significantly faster without requiring a centralized infrastructure.
The HOT-USD token has shot up more than 1,300% in value since the beginning of the year and has the potential to continue offering big gains in 2022.
VeChain (VET-USD)
VeChain is another promising cryptocurrency that aims to offer a greater level of scalability for enterprise-related solutions.
It specializes in supply chain tracking and offers businesses a cutting-edge solution to their logistics troubles. Consequently, VeChain has entered into partnerships with some of the top firms of the world, such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers and BMW (OTCMKTS:BMWYY).
Developers of the VeChain aim to marginalize the market of counterfeit products through smart contracts and blockchain technology. Moreover, the goal is to make things even more transparent and improve efficiency levels with business supply chains.
Additionally, VeChain has gained more than 300% in value in the past year, putting it among the best-performing cryptos on the market.
Cryptos: Elrond (EGLD-USD)
Elron is a recently-launched blockchain that can handle massive transactions through its sharding blockchain.
Sharding involves breaking down the overheads needed for transactions into smaller nodes. Hence, the protocol offers remarkable speed without compromising on security.
Its native token, EGLD-USD, can also be used in several internal functions that involve staking, rewards, and others. The crypto hovers around the $270 mark and has been up a healthy 980% YTD.
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
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On the date of publication, Muslim Farooque held a LONG position in Solana and Ethereum. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
Muslim Farooque is a keen investor and an optimist at heart. A life-long gamer and tech enthusiast, he has a particular affinity for analyzing technology stocks. Muslim holds a bachelor’s of science degree in applied accounting from Oxford Brookes University.
