While you should have high-risk, high-reward cryptos in your portfolio to drive outsized returns, I also believe you should put most of your crypto portfolio into a select few safer projects. There are some evergreen crypto projects that have performed well during crypto bull markets time and time again. Buying these cryptos and holding them through the next bull market will give you a good chance of outsized returns without taking on an extreme level of risk you would have to take with smaller altcoins.

In other words, if you want to maximize your chance of making big gains in crypto while minimizing your chances of getting wiped out, you need exposure to the right projects. I’m not only talking about small cryptos with small market caps and high potential, but also those with massive adoption that helps them perform well regardless of market conditions.

Obviously, if you’ve looked at any of my previous crypto articles, you’d see that I strongly underscore that you should do your own research and assess the amount of risk you will be taking. The same applies here. Accepting risk (low or high) is a part of capitalism, and it is your choice to invest in any asset you like, but you should still study your investments. That said, here are the seven you should consider for your portfolio.

ChainGPT (CGPT-USD)

Recent AI enthusiasm is spilling over into the crypto space, with many AI-related projects starting to skyrocket. ChainGPT (CGPT-USD) has also seen a lot of positive movement in recent weeks, and I believe it is a strong candidate for the next bull run.

ChainGPT is still quite small, with a $41 million market capitalization, and I believe it has ample room for growth in the coming months if the crypto market keeps booming. Unlike many other crypto AI projects, it’s not just a token with “AI” in its name. CGPT has its own chatbot, a Telegram bot, an AI NFT generator, an AI-based news generator, and more crypto-focused AI features. There’s also ChainGPT Pad with a TVL approaching $10 million with over a million web visitors.

Simply put, if AI continues gaining popularity as expected, CGPT will likely rise with the tide. Its array of AI offerings tailored to crypto sets it apart from AI hype-driven tokens with no substance. If CGPT executes well, its solid tech and real-world usage could propel its valuation much higher in 2024 and beyond.

DEXCheck (DCK-USD)

DEXCheck (DCK-USD) is a more newly-launched crypto that is even smaller, and I believe it also has substantial room to run in the coming months if a new bull market develops. The platform has integrated several blockchains and helps investors/developers gain insight into a project’s parameters with analytics and charts, whale tracking, volume tracking, and more, including AI bots.

In my opinion, this micro-cap has a wealth of features that could make it much more valuable in the long term if product-market fit is achieved. DCK aims to be a one-stop dashboard for crypto analytics, a sort of Bloomberg Terminal for crypto. If crypto really goes mainstream, platforms providing robust analytics like DCK could see surging demand.

DCK could become an indispensable tool for seasoned investors and developers. With additional planned features like derivatives analytics, lending insights, arbitrage alerts, and more, DCK may craft a composable toolkit that crypto power users will find essential during market expansions.

GT-Protocol (GTAPP-USD)

GT-Protocol (GTAPP-USD) is a relatively new token I also believe could thrive in the next bull market. It is a decentralized platform that allows any entity/person to create a DeFi smart contract pool for collecting funds and managing liquidity based on a profit-sharing model.

During bull runs, complex trading like arbitrage, staking, and farming tend to increase significantly as volume spikes sharply. I believe GTAPP can benefit greatly from this dynamic. My main reason for selecting it is that the token is awaiting listing on several top price-tracking websites like CoinMarketCap.

Once more investors discover it, GTAPP could ride a wave of momentum. Its platform facilitates the proliferation of community-based investment pools that are possible in DeFi. With strong wealth creation mechanisms intrinsically built in via shared incentives, GTAPP pools could propagate widely as crypto mass adoption continues.

If GTAPP sees more adoption combined with exchange listings and widening awareness, its valuation may balloon much higher. Despite being relatively unknown, don’t sleep on GTAPP – it could deliver outsized returns if the stars align during the next bull market’s euphoria.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD)

This is an obvious safe pick. As the leading cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC-USD) has always been the asset that has spurred every crypto bull run, and I believe it will continue to lead the pack for a long time. The recent Bitcoin dominance has also shown that investors are far from losing faith in this old-but-gold blockchain.

It doesn’t have flashy Web 3.0 features, but it has a tremendous amount of trust from investors. With many ETFs likely being approved in the future, Bitcoin can continue to grow. It has other catalysts, too, like the halving next year and possible Fed rate cuts. I view it as a must-buy crypto if you’re looking to invest in cryptocurrencies. This is definitely the place to start.

No other crypto has the brand recognition and proven track record of Bitcoin. Despite bear markets and crashes, it has consistently regained its value and hit new all-time highs. As both a store of value and a speculative asset, Bitcoin occupies a unique position in the crypto ecosystem.

Its scarcity and position as the progenitor of crypto give Bitcoin unmatched stability and belief from investors. When the next wave of adoption comes, Bitcoin will likely be the first purchase for many investors. Its stability and infrastructure also make it ideal for larger institutions to invest in. In essence, Bitcoin represents an uncomplicated but essential building block of any crypto portfolio. It may not have the most features, but it has earned investor confidence over time. With future innovations on the Bitcoin network itself and broader acceptance on the horizon, the original crypto has substantial room left to run.

Ethereum (ETH-USD)

This is naturally the second-most obvious safe pick. Ethereum (ETH-USD) is one of the safest blockchains out there, and one could argue that it is an even better investment than Bitcoin because it has outperformed its bigger peer in every bull run since its inception.

I believe Ethereum can continue that trend, as it is much more advanced than Bitcoin in terms of Web 3.0 features. That said, if the Bitcoin ETF goes through and the Ethereum one doesn’t, Bitcoin may still keep dominating.

Investors are starting to view Bitcoin as digital gold, and Ethereum is yet to get that treatment, even if it is deflationary already.

But Ethereum unquestionably has momentum and developer mindshare on its side. With innovations like proof-of-stake coming online, Ethereum is positioning itself as a versatile, scalable blockchain with vast real-world applicability.

Decentralized apps of all types are continuing to launch on Ethereum, capturing value and bringing more users into its ecosystem. And with lower fees and faster transaction times coming, many believe Ethereum is on an unstoppable path to cementing itself as the definitive Web3 foundation.

If developers build the most groundbreaking crypto projects on Ethereum as expected, investors will undoubtedly want exposure. As crypto adoption accelerates, Ethereum looks poised to grow exponentially while transforming countless industries.

Solana (SOL-USD)

Solana (SOL-USD) is the most logical and the biggest competitor to Ethereum right now. The blockchain is very fast and has very high transaction speeds with low fees. This is very attractive for developers who wish to base their project on the Ethereum blockchain but cannot do so due to the costs and transaction time.

Solana is very attractive for such developers, especially during crypto boom cycles where Ethereum and Bitcoin become congested. Thus, I think Solana can very well attract another big inflow of developers and investors alike when the next crypto bull run comes around.

Unlike most “Ethereum killers,” which fade away over time, Solana seems to have real viability that keeps growing. Each passing month brings new projects into the Solana ecosystem. And with transaction fees mere pennies compared to Ethereum’s occasionally exorbitant gas prices, migrating to Solana makes obvious financial sense.

Developers won’t abandon Ethereum outright, but Solana gives them the scalability today that Ethereum hopes to achieve tomorrow. And many investors want exposure to this unique combination of capabilities not fully matched by other blockchains yet.

XRP (XRP-USD)

I feel XRP (XRP-USD) is definitely one of the must-buy cryptos after its win against the Securities and Exchange Commission this year. This is one of the only crypto projects that have strong ties to banks and other big financial institutions and could integrate itself with traditional finance. Ripple’s technology makes it very easy for banks to process remittances, and it has partnerships with over 100 financial institutions.

These institutions stayed back during Ripple’s case with the SEC, but after its win, I believe these financial institutions are likely to start executing on their partnerships with Ripple and start creating more value for XRP and the wider crypto market. It may not be a flashy pick, but it is definitely a project that has a lot of potential if you think that cryptocurrencies are on their way to normalization with traditional finance.

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, Omor Ibne Ehsan 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.