Photography by Getty Images; Illustration by Bankrate
Cryptocurrency prices have fluctuated widely so far this year, leaving some investors with notable gains and others with losses. But crypto is a notoriously risky investment and prices can skyrocket or plummet in a matter of days or minutes. Keeping an eye out for the top performers every now and then can give you important context on how the market is performing.
Here are the top eight best-performing cryptocurrencies year-to-date.
Data as of March 3, 2025.
Top-performing cryptocurrencies in 2025
| Cryptocurrency | Performance YTD |
|---|---|
| Mantra | 92.71% |
| XRP | 25.04% |
| Monero | 18.89% |
| Cardano | 14.94% |
| Litecoin | 10.5% |
| UNUS SED LEO | 9.9% |
| Ethena USDe | 0.17% |
| Tether | 0.14% |
Source: Coinmarketcap.com.
Note: The top eight cryptocurrencies featured here all have a market cap above $4 billion.
1. Mantra (OM)
Mantra is a DeFi platform that uses blockchain technology to bridge the gap between traditional financial services and emerging technology. Mantra performs operations like staking, lending and governance. Its native token is OM, and it facilitates transactions, governance and rewards.
- Price: $7.38
- Market cap: $7.19 billion
2. XRP (XRP)
XRP was created to enable faster money transactions. Its main use case is to power Ripplenet, which is a system that allows fast and efficient international money transfers. In some cases, Ripplenet surpasses the capabilities of other similar platforms like SWIFT. The XRP ledger is open source, but not directly on the blockchain, which has led many people to question whether XRP is technically a cryptocurrency.
- Price: $2.60
- Market cap: $151 billion
3. Monero (XMR)
Monero is a crypto that was designed to provide privacy and security to its users, including hiding the identity of the person using the coin and the information regarding the transaction. Monero uses special cryptographic functions to hide this information on the blockchain.
- Price: $230.72
- Market cap: $4.23 billion
4. Cardano (ADA)
Cardano is the cryptocurrency platform behind ada, the name of the currency. Created by the co-founder of Ethereum, Cardano also uses smart contracts, enabling identity management.
- Price: $0.9711
- Market cap: $34.2 billion
5. Litecoin (LTC)
Litecoin is a decentralized crypto that was created from a fork of Bitcoin. Its purpose is to create faster transactions and improve storage efficiency compared to other cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. The coin was founded by Charlie Lee, a former Google engineer, in 2011.
- Price: $114.46
- Market cap: $8.61 billion
6. UNUS SED LEO (LEO)
UNUS SED LEO is a crypto coin that was introduced by the company iFinex (the parent company of Bitfinex, a crypto exchange). The coin was created to rebuild trust among investors after the company experienced several legal issues. The coin offers reduced fees and access to specific features on Bitfinex.
- Price: $9.97
- Market cap: $9.23 billion
7. Ethena USDe (USDe)
USDe is a stablecoin tied to the value of the U.S. dollar. Like other stablecoins, USDe gives investors the experience of owning a crypto without the extreme price fluctuations associated with it.
- Price: $0.9991
- Market cap: $5.46 billion
8. Tether (USDT)
Tether is one of the world’s most popular stablecoins. Its value is pegged to the U.S. dollar via a 1:1 ratio. Tether’s most popular use case is its ability to act as a medium when traders exchange one coin for another, or aren’t quite ready to cash out their earnings.
- Price: $0.9995
- Market cap: $142.41 billion
Should you invest in cryptocurrency?
Crypto prices saw some wild swings throughout 2024 and into 2025. Bitcoin reached an all-time high of almost $110,000 in January, bolstered by President Donald Trump’s re-election. Crypto prices slumped in late February as investors grappled with sticky inflation and tariffs, only to rise in early March over the news that Trump plans to create a strategic crypto reserve.
The important thing to remember is that crypto is so volatile because the tokens aren’t backed by any underlying asset, meaning that the price of crypto depends solely on what buyers are willing to pay for it.
To that end, any investments you make in the crypto space (especially during times of market uncertainty) should be part of a broader investment strategy — not your only one — in order to offset any money you could lose. Take time to consider your individual risk tolerance and time horizon for meeting other financial goals like retirement.
Bottom line
When investing in any type of asset, it helps to look at the top performers to get a sense of what’s going on in the market. When it comes to crypto, it’s especially important because the prices fluctuate so much and new coins are issued at a fast pace. Before investing in crypto, consider your own risk tolerance and only invest what you’re willing to lose.
Editorial Disclaimer: All investors are advised to conduct their own independent research into investment strategies before making an investment decision. In addition, investors are advised that past investment product performance is no guarantee of future price appreciation.
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