Is 2025 the year of the crypto underdogs? 

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In the crypto space, the conversation mostly revolves around Bitcoin: its dramatic bull and bear cycles, its steadfast dominance, its appreciation potential, the ability to act as a store of value or even serve as a legal tender, and so on. As the poster child of the crypto market and the initiator of the crypto phenomenon, Bitcoin is and will undoubtedly remain one of the most talked about and widely used assets of its class.    

However, just because Bitcoin was the first digital currency and continues to command such a large market share doesn’t mean we should gloss over the existence of altcoins. By the latest count, the number of alternative cryptocurrencies available rises above 13,000, and although many lack value, there are plenty of hidden gems among them. But to spot these promising assets, one has to look away from Bitcoin and its powerful pull. 

Once you allow yourself to explore the wider crypto market and read about topics like the most recent TRX coin price prediction or newly launched crypto projects, you’ll come to realize that Bitcoin is not the be-all and end-all of the cryptocurrency scene. In fact, rumors have it that 2025 is the year in which the narrative finally shifts and altcoins get to take center stage.  

Are we up for an altcoin season?

In 2024, Bitcoin was once again the main character, stealing the show with a series of breakthrough moments. These include the historic approval of the first batch of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the quadrennial halving event, the Bitcoin Ordinals boom, and the crossing of the $100 threshold.   

So, as we move further into 2025, what could possibly curtail Bitcoin’s preeminence and put altcoins in the spotlight instead? The main reason why analysts and pundits believe that other digital assets will enjoy a favorable context this year is the possibility of crypto regulations becoming more permissive under President-elect Donald Trump. 

Early in the year, Bitcoin and its associated ETFs experienced a slowdown, which many attributed to the Federal Reserve’s commentary regarding interest rate cuts in 2025. During this time, the majority of altcoins continued to gain ground, and many of them outperformed the main crypto. According to Citi analysts, this could signal that certain market participants have their hopes tied to 2025 being an altcoin year. 

Having Bitcoin and altcoins move in separate directions could be explained by the fact that the two categories are influenced by different forces. Bitcoin enjoys greater legitimacy due to stronger regulatory support, so its rallies are generally fueled by the promise of wider adoption. On the other hand, altcoins have been walking on thin ice with regulators, being subjected to intense scrutiny and even penalties following the SEC’s actions. 

Now that Gary Gensler, the person who led the government’s charge on the crypto crackdown, has stepped down as SEC Chair, we might see the agency renounce its aggressive approach. Therefore, if the regulatory landscape for crypto changes for the better, as expected, altcoins and newcomers will be the biggest winners. This means that assets like Ripple or Tron, which have been a constant presence in the market but haven’t gotten the attention they deserved, might finally come to the forefront. 

Meme coins also saw a resurgence in 2024, with tokens like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Pepe Coin or Bonk registering considerable gains, especially in the second half of the year. This also plays into the narrative that lesser-known cryptocurrencies are getting ready to rise to the top.

Crypto underdogs to keep an eye on 

If 2025 turns out to be the year of the altcoins, what cryptos should one watch out for? Although trying to predict the future performance of altcoins is as tricky as ever, certain assets might be poised for notable growth, according to experts. 

Tron (TRX) 

Tron is a crypto project launched in 2017 as an ERC20 token on the Ethereum network that later developed and transitioned to its own blockchain. Tron’s purpose is to revolutionize the entertainment space by providing a decentralized solution for content sharing. 

Despite being in the market for quite some time and having strong fundamentals, Tron and its native crypto, TRX, never really got their big break. However, that might change in 2025 as TRX has been performing extremely well in recent months. Tron had a good run in 2024, being the asset with the highest revenue and having almost 95% of its addresses in the green. 

Besides, Tron also benefits from the backing of a large user community, counting over 100 members, which makes it one of the most widely used blockchain platforms in existence. This gives Tron a notable competitive advantage over other cryptos that could materialize into more substantial gains in 2025. 

Pepe Unchained (PEPU)

Designed with speed, security, cost-effectiveness, and a touch of humor in mind, Pepe Unchained is a Layer-2 blockchain that offers an interesting alternative to its more famous counterpart, Pepe Coin. The token promises to become a leader in the meme coin niche thanks to its native chain that can process a large number of transactions and thus effectively tackle congestion concerns and offer lower fees. 

Toncoin (TON)

Toncoin entered the crypto space as Telegram’s blockchain project, and although the two entities parted ways for a while, they resumed their partnership in 2023. Having a strong focus on scalability and facilitating fast and secure transactions through its innovative sharding technology, TON emerges as a notable contender in the crypto race. This year might see the asset gain more ground and make its way into more investors’ portfolios. 

Chainlink (LINK)

Chainlink is another altcoin whose potential could propel it to new highs in 2025. The crypto boasts unique use cases as it aims to serve as a decentralized bridge between on-chain and off-chain data, allowing external entities to connect with smart contracts on any blockchain platform. The interoperability contributes to the development of the DeFi space and places LINK among the most promising altcoins in the market.   

2025 is shaping up to be a favorable year for the crypto environment in general and altcoins in particular, so you have plenty of reasons to keep a close eye on the industry.