Cryptocurrencies hit the mainstream in 2021. The total cryptocurrency market cap has exceeded $3 trillion, and financial regulators from DC to Beijing are starting to take the asset class very seriously. As we enter 2022, all eyes want to see what’s next in crypto. By now, blue-chip tokens such as the leading crypto Bitcoin and the leading altcoin Ethereum are familiar to anyone with a brief fascination with hodling.
With Bitcoin currently trading around $60,000 and Ethereum north of $4,000, some investors may be scouting for cryptocurrencies that could offer even greater returns. For those on this quest, crypto expert Rey Mashayekhi shares four altcoin projects that could mark 2022. we too Cryptocoin. com, we have compiled the expert’s opinions for our readers.
The first meme coin is Shiba Inu (SHIB)
The Mem-coin project entered the public consciousness in 2021. Priced in fractions of a cent, the Shiba Inu hit an all-time high (ATH) in late October, approaching a market cap of nearly $40 billion in the process. In response, the token’s dedicated legions (SHIBArmy) demanded that Robinhood list SHIB on the crypto platform of its stock trading app.
The expert states that since those difficult days a month ago, things have gotten worse. SHIB has lost value in recent weeks, with market cap roughly halving (and declining) to nearly $20 billion. Will its landing prove the ultimate buying opportunity for SHIBArmy? Or will 2022 see the Shiba Inu slip into meme-coin obscurity more than ever before?
The second ranked altcoin project Solana (SOL)
Solana, the fifth largest cryptocurrency in the world with a market capitalization currently exceeding $62 billion, recorded a notable rise in 2021. After entering the year trading under $2, it reached its ATH of $260 at the beginning of November and is currently trading just north of $200.
SOL is the native token of the Solana Blockchain network. According to the expert, its rapidly increasing value also reflects Solana’s growing expectations. The expert states that Blockchain is gaining more and more appreciation for its robust data processing speed, and recently it has gained an advantage over Ethereum. Seeing Rey Mashayekhi, SOL holders could find themselves over the moon if Solana continues to grow its presence.
Ethereum killer Cardano (ADA) in third place
With a market capitalization of $55 billion, Cardano is right behind SOL, which experienced an extraordinary rise in 2021. The token entered the year at just under $0.20 and rallied to eclipse $3 in early September, becoming the world’s third-largest cryptocurrency. The ADA has cooled since its Labor Day highs and is currently trading at $1.66, the expert said.
Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, who left Ethereum after not supporting Vitalik Buterin’s use of blockchain for profit, founded the altcoin project Cardano. According to the expert, Cardano has made a name for itself, but 2022 could be a full release year as ADA is in the middle of a month-long bear streak.
The latest altcoin project Avalanche (AVAX)
The expert reminds that, contrary to its name, Avalanche has been very hot this year. At the beginning of 2021, AVAX, trading just north of $3, the altcoin managed to become one of the top 10 cryptocurrencies in the world in late November, surpassing Dogecoin. Avalanche slumped after hitting an all-time high of $146.22 on Nov. 21 and was trading at $112.49 at time of writing.
AVAX is the native token of Avalanche Blockchain, one of Ethereum’s rising competitors in the smart contracts space. The expert notes that AVAX’s signing of a new agreement with consulting giant Deloitte to support its work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has accelerated the fall rally. According to the expert, in 2022 with the Deloitte deal giving Avalanche an enviable dose of credibility, the altcoin could leverage this foothold to reach new highs.