XRP, BTC, ETH: The 3 Cryptos You Must Own Before 2026 Hits

The clock's ticking. With 2026 on the horizon, the scramble for position is real. Forget the noise—focus on the bedrock. Three digital assets stand apart, not as speculative bets, but as foundational pillars for the coming cycle.

The Establishment Play: Bitcoin (BTC)

It's not a coin; it's the benchmark. While every other asset argues its utility, Bitcoin simply exists as digital gold. Institutional adoption isn't coming—it's here. The network hash rate screams security, and the upcoming supply dynamics are mathematically set in stone. It's the ultimate hedge in a world printing currency like there's no tomorrow—which, for some fiat, might just be the case.

The System's Engine: Ethereum (ETH)

Where Bitcoin stores value, Ethereum builds worlds. Its pivot to proof-of-stake cut its energy appetite by a staggering 99.95%, silencing one of the loudest critics. Now, layer-2 networks are exploding on top of it, scaling transactions and fees down to cents. This isn't just a blockchain; it's the settlement layer for the next internet. DeFi, NFTs, and identity protocols don't choose a chain—they default to Ethereum.

The Regulatory Gambit: XRP

Love it or hate it, its path is unique. While others run from regulators, XRP spent years in the courtroom forging a weapon: clarity. Its designated use case—cross-border settlement—bypasses the traditional correspondent banking mess, a trillion-dollar problem. Major financial institutions are already piloting the technology. It's the high-stakes bet that the old financial system will, reluctantly, plug into the new one. A cynical jab? It's the only crypto that sometimes moves more in the courtroom than on the charts.

The Verdict

Diversification is the only free lunch, even in crypto. This trio represents sovereignty, utility, and bridge-building. One protects your capital, one builds the future, and one navigates the labyrinth of legacy finance. Own all three before the calendar flips. The train isn't just leaving the station—it's building its own tracks.

Best Crypto To Buy Before 2026, 30 December 2025 – XRP, BTC, ETH

Ripple ($XRP)

At $1.86, the xrp price is down by 1% in a week, 15% in a month and by 10% in the past year.

On the other hand, it does remain up by around 270% since last November’s U.S. presidential election, which brought Donald TRUMP back to the White House and which vastly improved the coin’s long-term outlook.

And this outlook remains as positive today as it was when Trump regained office, or even when Ripple and the SEC finally settled their long-running legal battle.

If we look at the XRP price chart today, we see that it’s very close to a potential breakout, given that a bullish pennant has formed over the past few months.

The coin’s indicators (RSI, MACD) are also in oversold positions, and have been in such positions for too long now, suggesting that a breakout is long overdue.

Such a breakout could come in the New Year, and in the longer term the launch of XRP ETFs and Ripple’s ongoing growth should push the XRP price much higher.

It could reach $2 in the first week of 2026, before returning to $3 in Q2.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Bitcoin has inched up to $87,824 today, and it has occupied the $86,000 to $90,000 range since the middle of December.

These latter two prices are the key support and resistance levels to watch out for in the coming days and weeks, with BTC’s fate likely to set the direction for the rest of the market.

The original cryptocurrency is due a rebound, seeing as how it’s down by 3.5% in a month and by 6% in a year.

But as with XRP, bitcoin is still firmly above the price it had (c. $67,000) in early November 2024, and there’s no real reason to believe that it will drop much lower from its current level.

Indeed, with analysts expecting additional rate cuts next year, the overall direction can only be upwards.

Its chart also suggests that a positive correction should be coming soon, with its MACD (orange, blue) working its way back to 0 (and higher) after several weeks at one-year lows.

Now could therefore be a good time to buy Bitcoin, given how undervalued it is right now, despite it remaining massively popular with funds and institutions.

BTC could therefore return to $90,000 within the first couple of weeks of the New Year, while its target for 2026 could be as high as $200,000.

This is why it’s one of the best crypto to buy before 2026, and while it remain so for the foreseeable future.

Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum has done better today than most other major cryptocurrencies, with its current price of $2,979 representing a 2% gain in 24 hours.

Much of this gain has gone towards compensating for recent losses, with the altcoin up by only 1% in a fortnight, while remaining down by 1% in a month and by 12.5% in a year.

That said, there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful about Ethereum, not least because it remains the biggest layer-one network by quite some margin.

It also hosts more in stablecoin value than any other chain, while it currently hosts $10.5 billion in real-world assets, with its nearest rival – BNB Chain – hosting only $2 billion.

As such, if we look at Ethereum’s chart today, we can expect that a big recovery will arrive sooner or later.

In fact, not only did ethereum bottom out a couple of weeks ago, but its RSI (yellow) is about to pass 50 anytime soon.

Once it does this, it could signal a breakout, as also suggested by the fact that its price has been trading within a bullish pennant.

A climb towards $3,500 could be imminent, while the altcoin could reach $5,000 by H2 2026, making it one of the best crypto to buy before 2026.

Why AI-Enabled Content Creation Platform SUBBD Could Be One of 2026’s Success Stories

While the above coins will remain three of the most bankable tokens in the market for some time to come, traders may also want to diversify into newer tokens, since these can outpace the market.

It may be worth allocating a percentage to presale coins, since the most popular of these can go on to rally strongly once they list for the first time.

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One example looking to do this is ERC-20 token SUBBD ($SUBBD), which has now raised $1.4 million in its ongoing presale.

What sets SUBBD apart from most other new alts is that it’s in the process of launching an adult-focused content creation, one which harnesses AI tools and crypto to ensure that creators get a better deal.

On the one hand, content creators can use AI tools to generate VIRTUAL performers and posts, and to aid with new ideas.

On the other hand, the use of the Ethereum blockchain will ensure that payments remain transparent, fair and immediate, something which should overcome many of the problems users face with similar legacy platforms.

Encouragingly, SUBBD already reaches over 38,000 followers on X, a sign of how popular it could become once it launches.

Investors can join its presale by going to the project’s official website and connecting a compatible wallet, such as Best Wallet.

SUBBD currently costs $0.057325, but investors should MOVE quickly, since this price will continue to rise until its sale ends.