What Is the Best Cheap Crypto to Buy Right Now? Under $1
24-Oct-2025
StealthEX Blog
While big names like Bitcoin and Ethereum capture the headlines, savvy crypto investors know that incredible opportunities can often be found in more affordable assets. We’re not talking about purely speculative, high-risk cheap crypto, but established projects with proven technology and significant market caps that just happen to trade for under $1.
The “Under $1” category is compelling because it offers an accessible entry point into projects with strong fundamentals and a clear vision for the future. As institutional adoption grows and blockchains process more transactions than ever, many of these platforms are positioned for significant growth.
This article will analyze 10 notable cryptocurrencies trading under $1 that have compelling catalysts making them worth watching in 2025. We’ll explore their technology, use cases, and the risks you need to consider.
The Top 10 Cheap Crypto Under $1
From the original meme coin to powerhouse enterprise solutions, this list showcases the diversity and potential of the sub-one-dollar crypto market.
Dogecoin (DOGE)
The original meme coin, Dogecoin, is a decentralized, peer-to-peer digital currency that enables online transactions. What started as a joke has evolved into a crypto mainstay with one of the most powerful and recognizable communities.
The price of 1 DOGE is currently around $0.2.
Why DOGE? Dogecoin’s strength lies in its simplicity and massive brand recognition. With ongoing discussions about its potential integration into X (formerly Twitter) for payments and a passionate community that consistently drives its relevance, DOGE remains a cultural and financial force.
Key Differentiators: Unparalleled brand awareness and a massive, highly active community. Its proof-of-work consensus is simple and proven.
Potential Risks: Its development is slower than many other projects, and its value is heavily influenced by social media trends and celebrity endorsements, leading to extreme volatility.
Cardano (ADA)
Cardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain platform with a mission to provide a more secure and sustainable ecosystem for decentralized applications (dApps). It is known for its research-driven, peer-reviewed development methodology.
The price of 1 ADA is currently around $0.65.
Why ADA? The 2025 crypto market is prioritizing energy-efficient and scalable solutions, placing Cardano in a strong position. Its ecosystem of dApps is steadily growing, and its focus on scalability and governance continues to attract developers. Despite being ranked lower than some competitors in specific metrics, it maintains a top-tier overall market ranking, underscoring its large valuation and investor confidence.
Key Differentiators: An academic, research-first approach to development. A strong focus on sustainability and a clear roadmap for on-chain governance.
Potential Risks: Its methodical, peer-reviewed approach means development can be slower than competitors. It faces intense competition from other Layer-1 blockchains.
Algorand (ALGO)
Algorand is a high-performance blockchain platform founded by Turing Award-winning cryptographer Silvio Micali. It utilizes a unique “Pure Proof-of-Stake” (PPoS) consensus mechanism to deliver fast, low-cost, and scalable transactions.
The price of 1 ALGO is currently around $0.19.
Why ALGO? Algorand is built for the world of institutional finance. Its carbon-neutral status, high throughput, and immediate transaction finality make it an attractive platform for DeFi, digital securities, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). As traditional finance continues to merge with crypto, Algorand’s enterprise-grade infrastructure is poised for adoption.
Key Differentiators: Its PPoS mechanism solves the “blockchain trilemma” (security, scalability, decentralization) in a unique way. It boasts institutional-grade performance and a carbon-neutral footprint.
Potential Risks: While technologically advanced, it has struggled to gain the same level of developer and user adoption as chains like Ethereum or Solana.
Stellar (XLM)
Stellar is an open network designed to connect financial institutions and provide cheap, fast, cross-border transactions for both fiat currencies and digital assets. Its primary goal is to bank the unbanked and streamline global payments.
The price of 1 XLM is currently around $0.33.
Why XLM? Stellar is optimized for its core purpose: payments. Its growing utility is highlighted by the surging supply of stablecoins on its network. Furthermore, its ability to facilitate real-world asset (RWA) tokenization bridges the gap between traditional finance and blockchain, making it a key player for the future of finance.
Key Differentiators: Focus on fast, low-cost cross-border payments and remittances. Long-standing partnerships with financial institutions and tech companies.
Potential Risks: It faces stiff competition from other payment-focused projects like Ripple (XRP) and the rise of stablecoins on more generalized blockchains.
Arbitrum (ARB)
Arbitrum is a leading Layer-2 (L2) scaling solution for Ethereum. It bundles transactions off-chain, processes them, and then posts the results back to the Ethereum mainnet, allowing users to benefit from Ethereum’s security with much lower fees and higher speeds.
The price of 1 ARB is currently around $0.33.
Why ARB? As Ethereum continues to be the dominant smart contract platform, the need for effective scaling solutions like Arbitrum is critical. It hosts a vibrant and growing ecosystem of DeFi and gaming applications. Analysts identify it as a leading project in L2 scaling, with a strong outlook for future growth and adoption in the push for a more scalable crypto infrastructure.
Key Differentiators: Full compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), a massive and active ecosystem, and a clear lead in Layer-2 adoption metrics.
Potential Risks: It faces intense competition from a growing number of other Layer-2 solutions. Its current ranking is below some Layer-1s like Cardano, indicating it still has ground to gain in overall market valuation.
Hedera (HBAR)
Hedera is not a traditional blockchain but a public network that uses a “hashgraph” consensus mechanism. It aims to provide a faster, fairer, and more secure platform for decentralized applications.
The price of 1 HBAR is currently around $0.17.
Why HBAR? Hedera is built for enterprise adoption. Its unique governance model, a council that includes giants like Google and IBM, positions it as a reliable and scalable network for serious business applications. The growing demand for stablecoins and enterprise-grade hashgraph adoption are key growth drivers for 2025, making HBAR a standout project.
Key Differentiators: The hashgraph consensus mechanism offers incredibly high speeds and low-cost transactions. Its governance by a council of world-leading organizations provides unparalleled credibility.
Potential Risks: The hashgraph technology is more complex and less understood than blockchain. The governing council model raises concerns about potential centralization compared to fully open-source projects.
Tron (TRX)
Tron is a high-throughput blockchain designed to host large-scale decentralized applications. It has become one of the most popular networks for stablecoin transfers, particularly for USDT.
The price of 1 TRX is currently around $0.33.
Why TRX? As stablecoins power trillions of dollars in annual transaction volume, rivaling payment giants like Visa, the platforms that facilitate these transfers are critical. Tron’s low transaction fees and high speed have made it a go-to choice for moving stablecoins, giving it a powerful and persistent use case.
Key Differentiators: Extremely high transaction throughput and very low fees. Dominant market share in USDT stablecoin transfers.
Potential Risks: The project faces persistent concerns about the degree of its decentralization and has been the subject of regulatory scrutiny in the past.
Sei (SEI)
Sei is a Layer-1 blockchain specifically optimized for trading. It features a built-in order-matching engine at its core, designed to give decentralized crypto exchanges (DEXs) a speed and efficiency advantage that mimics centralized exchanges.
The price of 1 SEI is currently around $0.2.
Why SEI? While other blockchains are general-purpose, Sei is purpose-built for one thing: trading. This specialization could give it a significant edge in attracting DEXs and high-frequency trading applications looking for the best possible performance. Its claim to be the fastest chain to finality is a major draw for the DeFi sector.
Key Differentiators: Industry-specific focus on trading. A built-in native order book for superior DEX performance.
Potential Risks: Its narrow focus means it may not attract the wide variety of dApps that general-purpose chains do. It must prove its performance is a significant enough advantage to pull liquidity from established ecosystems.
Cronos (CRO)
Cronos is the EVM-compatible blockchain of the massive Crypto.com ecosystem. It runs parallel to the Crypto.org Chain and is designed to scale the DeFi and dApp ecosystem by allowing developers to port apps from Ethereum easily.
The price of 1 CRO is currently around $0.15.
Why CRO? The success of CRO is tied to the growth of its parent company, Crypto.com. Recent developments show a strong push into institutional adoption, with a Cronos partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate real-world asset (RWA) tokenization and derivatives licensing from the CFTC in the US.
Key Differentiators: Backed by a major global crypto exchange. Full EVM compatibility makes it easy for developers to build and migrate applications.
Potential Risks: The value and adoption of CRO are heavily dependent on the business performance, strategy, and reputation of Crypto.com.
World Liberty Financial (WLFI)
World Liberty Financial is a less-established project aiming to create a suite of decentralized financial services. Its goals include offering solutions for digital banking, payments, and financial freedom through its blockchain-based platform.
The price of 1 WLFI is currently around $0.15.
Why WLFI? As a smaller-cap project, WLFI represents a higher-risk, higher-potential-reward investment. Its broad ambition to tackle decentralized finance puts it in a competitive space, but success in even one area could lead to significant growth. It’s a project for investors looking for ground-floor opportunities.
Key Differentiators: An ambitious all-in-one vision for decentralized financial services, from banking to lending.
Potential Risks: As a smaller project, it faces significant risks related to liquidity, adoption, and execution. Its goals are very ambitious, and it competes with hundreds of more established DeFi projects. Thorough personal research is absolutely critical.
How to Buy Cheap Crypto on StealthEX?
Ready to add one of these promising sub-$1 assets to your portfolio? StealthEX provides a straightforward and secure way to acquire them without lengthy sign-ups or entrusting your funds to a third party. Here’s the simple, non-custodial process:
Go to StealthEX.io.
Select the pair you want to exchange from the dropdown lists (e.g., BTC for HBAR).
Enter the amount you want to swap.
Provide your recipient wallet address (the one where you want your new coins to go).
Check the details, send your initial crypto to the address provided, and StealthEX will automatically handle the swap. Your new coins will be sent directly to your wallet.
Low-Cost Cryptocurrency: A Market of Fundamentals and Opportunity
The “Under $1” crypto category is far more than just a collection of cheap tokens. It represents a diverse landscape of innovation, from established Layer-1s like Cardano and Algorand to critical infrastructure like Arbitrum and enterprise-focused networks like Hedera.
While the low price point is attractive, it does not mean low risk. The fundamentals, technology, community, and the specific problems a project solves are what truly matter. Always do your own research to understand the assets you are investing in. By staying informed, you can confidently explore the rich opportunities in this exciting segment of the crypto market.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. The cryptocurrency market is extremely volatile and carries a high degree of risk. Always conduct your own thorough research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
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