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Cryptocurrency prices have fluctuated widely so far this year, with some investors bringing notable returns and others losing. However, Crypto is an infamous, high-risk investment, with prices that can spike or plunge in days or minutes. Keeping an eye on top performers from time to time can provide important context for market performance.
This is the top 8 best-performing cryptocurrency since the start of the year.
Data as of May 23, 2025.
Top Performance Cryptocurrency in 2025
| Cryptocurrency | Performance YTD |
|---|---|
| Monero | 106.04% |
| High fat | 45.95% |
| Bitcoin | 17.10% |
| XRP | 13.82% |
| Tron | 6.25% |
| Bitcoin Cash | 2.23% |
| Ethena USDE | 0.32% |
| Tether | 0.19% |
Source: coinmarketcap.com.
Note: All the top eight cryptocurrencies featured here have market capitalizations of over $4 billion.
1. Monero (XMR)
Monero is a special cipher designed to keep users anonymous. Unlike other tokens, Monero uses encryption technology to hide details of transactions occurring on the blockchain. The coin was released in 2014.
- price: $400.23
- Market Cap: $7.38 billion
2. High lipids (hype)
High lipids are Layer-1 blockchains known for their advanced transactional capabilities. The hype is the platform’s native coin, with supply closing at 1 billion coins.
- price: $34.22
- Market Cap: $11.43 billion
3. Bitcoin (BTC)
As all of them, Bitcoin is often referred to by people in tokens when talking about crypto. Bitcoin has Nakamoto at, the mysterious creator who introduced currency in 2009.
- price: $108,814.58
- Market Cap: 2.16 trillion dollars
4. XRP (XRP)
XRP was created to allow faster remittance transactions. Its main use case is to enhance Ripplenet. This is a system that enables fast and efficient international remittances. In some cases, Ripplenet outweighs the features of other similar platforms, like Swift. XRP ledgers are open source, but not directly on the blockchain. This has led many people to question whether it is technically cryptocurrency.
- price: $2.35
- Market Cap: $1379.9 billion
5. Tron (TRX)
Tron was created in 2017 and is a decentralized blockchain. The Tron Network itself uses smart contracts to create Dapps on the Tron blockchain. A Tron, or TRX, is the token behind a network.
- price: $0.2708
- Market Cap: $25.7 billion
6. Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Bitcoin Cash is a cryptocurrency created in 2017. The developers decided that some aspects of the Bitcoin blockchain were inefficient and decided to modify some of the existing Bitcoin blockchain to develop Bitcoin Cash. Today, coins offer faster trading times and lower fees than Bitcoin.
- price: $442.01
- Market Cap: $8.78 billion
7. EthenaUSDE (USDE)
USDE is a stub coin associated with the value of the US dollar. Like other Stablecoins, USDE gives investors the experience of owning crypto without the extreme price fluctuations associated with it.
- price: $1.00
- Market Cap: $5.15 billion
8. Tether (USDT)
Tether is one of the most popular stub coins in the world. Its value is fixed in US dollars at a 1:1 ratio. Tether’s most popular use case is the ability for traders to act as a medium when they exchange one coin for another or when they are not ready to cash out their revenues.
- price: $1.00
- Market Cap: $1525.2 billion
Should I invest in cryptocurrency?
Crypto prices regained a small momentum after falling in March and April as investors dealt with sticky inflation and wider market shaking driven by tariff news.
The important thing to remember is that the crypto is extremely unstable because the token is not backed up by the underlying assets. This means that the price of a crypto is dependent only on what the buyer is willing to pay for it.
To that end, the investment you make in a cryptographic space (especially in the times of market uncertainty) must be part of a broader investment strategy rather than your sole investment strategy to offset the money you may lose. Consider your individual risk tolerance and time horizons to achieve other financial goals, such as retirement.
Conclusion
When investing in all kinds of assets, it helps you look at the best performers and understand what’s going on in the market. This is especially important when it comes to Crypto, as prices fluctuate greatly and new coins are issued at a fast pace. Before investing in crypto, consider your own risk tolerance and only invest what you want to lose.
Editorial Disclaimer: All investors are advised to conduct their own independent research into investment strategies before making an investment decision. Furthermore, investors recommend that past investment products performance is not a guarantee of future price increases.