Top 10 Cryptos Under $1 Set to Soar as of December 2025

Everyone wants to spot the next breakout. The next big coin. The one you say, “I got in before it soared.” If you’re searching for the “best coin to invest” or “new crypto” with “best crypto to buy today” potential, you’ve probably faced a trap: high-priced coins with three-digit dollar tags, lofty market caps, and maybe less upside. What about top 10 cryptos under $1? The ones you can still buy big, without spending life savings, that might turn into something major when the next wave hits? That’s what we will discuss in this blog post. 

Why Focus on Cryptos Under $1?

There is a psychological appeal to affordable coins: they feel accessible, easier to buy, and scalable in amounts. But beyond that, there are strategic reasons:

• Low-priced coins often have more upside, because percentage gains are easier when starting from a smaller base.
• They attract retail momentum, which means they can carry more speculative heat in a bull run.
• They often represent early-stage maturity, meaning higher risk, yes—but also higher reward if utility, adoption, or narrative shift kicks in.
• A price tag under $1 does not automatically mean low quality. Many solid projects trade under $1 despite large user bases, strong tech, and real-world use.

How We Selected These Top 10 Coins

We applied a filter. We didn’t pick coins just because the price tag looked cheap. We asked: Is the project real? Is the team credible? Is liquidity sufficient? Is the use case meaningful? Here’s what we used:

• Price under $1 at the time of writing (December 2025), to ensure accessibility.
• Market cap and volume that allow upside but reduce the “dead coin” risk.
• Real-world utility or positioning for growth (not purely memecoins chasing hype).
• Good exchange listing, decent liquidity, and observable community activity.
• Narrative fit for 2025: AI integration, DeFi, infrastructure growth, tokenization, scaling.

Top 10 Cryptos Under $1 to Watch [Updated Dec 2025]

1. VeChain (VET)
VeChain focuses on enterprise supply chain and logistics solutions using blockchain. Its real-world partnerships across automotive, luxury goods, and energy give it infrastructure weight. With a price under $1 in 2025, the upside potential lies in further enterprise adoption and token burn mechanisms.

2. Stellar (XLM)
Stellar is built for cross-border payments and asset tokenization. When banks and fintechs begin tokenizing fiat or reward points, networks like Stellar benefit. With major upgrades in 2025, reducing fees and improving asset issuance, XLM presents an accessible entry before a larger utility wave.

3. Algorand (ALGO)
Algorand is a high-speed, low-latency Pure Proof-of-Stake  (PPoS) chain designed for enterprise solutions and asset tokenization. Pilot programs in CBDCs and digital assets make ALGO attractive. Sub-$1 pricing allows accumulation ahead of a utility breakout.

4. Kaspa (KAS)
Kaspa is a unique proof-of-work crypto that uses the GHOSTDAG protocol for extremely fast block times. While still under $1 (depending on market time), it’s often cited among coins with high upside due to its novel architecture and growth potential in fast settlement. 

5. Hedera (HBAR)
Hedera uses Hashgraph consensus, built for enterprise DLT with major corporate council partners. HBAR under-$1 status gives access to a network designed for real-world use (supply chain, identity, tokenization). With global partners and steady token burns, the setup is intriguing.

6. The Graph (GRT)
The Graph is a decentralized protocol indexing blockchain data for dApps. If DeFi and Web3 continue scaling in 2025-26, data indexing becomes mission-critical. With a token price under $1, GRT offers exposure to infrastructure rather than speculation alone. 

7. Harmony (ONE)
Harmony is a fast-sharding network focused on interoperability and scaling. With lower transaction fees and strong dev activity, it sits under $1, but with a chance for major gains if adoption rises. Interchain infrastructure is becoming a central narrative.

8. IOTA (IOTA)
IOTA is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) designed for the Internet of Things, feeless, scalable, focused on machine-to-machine payments and data economies. With a token price in the low dollars or sub-$1, IOTA is a speculative play on connected devices and real-world usage.

9. XRP (XRP)
Yes, XRP trades above $1 sometimes—but historically and often dips into under-$1 territory depending on market cycles. It’s included because its cross-border settlement and bank-linked infrastructure give it upside, especially in bull markets when payment rails matter. 

10. Shiba Inu (SHIB)
SHIB is a meme coin with high community power, but also notable ecosystem growth (ShibaSwap, layer-2 Ridge, NFTs). With the price still under $1 by a wide margin, accumulation interest remains high. Meme plus utility tilt might give it classic “rocket rise” behavior.

Read More: Which Top 10 Cryptos Are Growing Fast? [Updated as of Dec 2025]

Why These Coins Have High Growth Potential

What connects them? A mix of three forces: narrative + use-case + upside-down room. Each project listed fits at least two of these:

• Narrative: Many align with 2025 themes, tokenization, AI, interoperability, DePIN, and infrastructure.
• Use-case: Whether enterprise ledger (VeChain, Hedera), payments (Stellar, XRP), interoperability (Harmony), or data infrastructure (Graph), each aims to be part of real-world systems.
• Upside room: Price under $1 means even modest adoption shifts can drastically change market cap. For instance, if a token doubles from $0.20 to $0.40 while circulating supply remains stable, that’s a 100% gain, meaningful in crypto terms.

Market Trends Supporting Sub-$1 Cryptos in 2025

Sub-$1 coins are gaining favor because of broader shifts:

• Capital reallocation: With many large-cap coins elevated, traders seek high-leverage opportunities under $1.
• Retail entry points: New retail users entering via India, Southeast Asia, and Africa often start with affordable tokens.
• Institutional layering: While institutions dominate big-cap accumulation, sub-$1 tokens remain the playground for speculative upside and ecosystem growth.
• Narrative shift: It’s less about “ICO” or “meme” now and more about utility, token burns, and infrastructure tokens. Sub-$1 pockets get value as narratives evolve.
• Token burn economics: Many sub-$1 projects aggressively reduce supply or lock tokens, raising effective scarcity without immediately raising prices.

Sectors Likely to Drive the Next Big Rally (AI, DePIN, DeFi)

The next big crypto boom is likely to be broad-based and thematic. Key sector drivers in 2025-26 include:

• AI Integration: Networks integrating AI functionality, data markets, and compute sharing. Sub-$1 coins can pivot here quickly.
• DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks): Tokens powering real-world networks, sensors, mesh networks, and compute grids. This is infrastructure meets crypto.
• DeFi and Real World Assets (RWAs): As tokenization of assets like bonds, real estate and carbon credits grows, cheaper tokens that serve as protocols or networks will rise.

How to Invest Wisely in Low-Cost Cryptos

Buying cheap doesn’t automatically mean smart. Here’s how to do it wisely:

• Do your homework: Research fundamentals, supply, roadmap, team credibility, and exchange listings.
• Invest an amount you’re comfortable losing: These coins come with high risk. Treat them as part of your portfolio as a “speculation budget.”
• Diversify: Don’t bet all on one hopeful under-$1 coin. Spread across 2-3 good picks plus a core holding.
• Track liquidity: Make sure the token has active volume to avoid being stuck in illiquid markets.
• Have an exit strategy: Define your target, define your stop-loss. Cheap coins can surge 5× fast, but also crash just as fast.
• Stay updated: Use on-chain metrics, project updates, and narrative shifts to re-assess regularly.

Risks of Investing in Under-$1 Coins

High reward often comes with high risk. Some major danger zones:

• High supply, low tokenomics: Many coins under $1 have massive circulating supply and no mechanism to reduce it, limiting upside.
• Scam or low-quality projects: Cheaper coins may attract projects without real teams or use cases. Due diligence is essential.
• Liquidity risk: Lower-cap tokens might struggle to exit without slippage or big price impact.
• Narrative fatigue: Low-cost coins often ride hype waves. When the narrative fades, the price drops quickly.
• Regulation or listing risk: If a token gets delisted or regulatory pressure increases, cheap coins have less cushion.

Read More: Top 10 Cryptos To Invest By Market Cap

Conclusion

If you’re looking for “best crypto coins” or wondering “which crypto to buy” under $1, you’re scanning the right space. Sub-$1 cryptos give you access, scalability, and high potential, especially in a market gearing up for a bull run. 

The 10 coins we highlighted, VeChain, Stellar, Algorand, Kaspa, Hedera, The Graph, Harmony, IOTA, XRP, Shiba Inu, are not guaranteed winners. But each checks multiple boxes: under-$1 price, established liquidity, sector fit, upside room.

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The post Top 10 Cryptos Under $1 Set to Soar as of December 2025 appeared first on CoinSwitch.

The post Top 10 Cryptos Under $1 Set to Soar as of December 2025 appeared first on CoinSwitch.