As the cryptocurrency market prepares for what many believe could be the next major bull cycle, investors are once again looking toward undervalued assets with the potential for exponential growth. The hunt for the “next big token” has intensified, especially among retail investors who missed out on early plays like Solana, Dogecoin, or MATIC in previous cycles.
The key question in 2025 is no longer whether crypto is here to stay—it’s which coins will deliver the most aggressive returns with the least upfront cost. With a $10,000 budget, spread wisely across select tokens under $10, it’s possible to ride the next wave of capital rotation. Based on current market trends, developer traction, and real-world utility, we’ve identified seven standout tokens that could potentially turn a $10K investment into $1 million—or come close to it—by the end of 2026.
Why Undervalued Altcoins Are Drawing Attention
Tokens priced under $10 often fall into two categories: hidden gems yet to be discovered or former high-flyers temporarily trading at a discount. The appeal lies not just in the price point but in their asymmetric upside. A token priced at $1 has a much easier path to 10x or 100x returns than one already trading at $200.
Retail-friendly prices also attract broader participation, and this psychological pricing advantage plays a significant role in how quickly such coins gain traction when market sentiment turns bullish.
The Selection Criteria: What Makes a Token a 100x Candidate?
Before jumping into the token list, it’s important to understand what drives long-term performance in crypto:
- A strong and growing community
- Solid tokenomics and controlled inflation
- Real-world use/my use cases, especially in DeFi, AI, gaming, and infrastructure
- Strategic partnerships or ecosystem support
- Active developer contributions and roadmap execution
With those factors in mind, here are seven tokens currently trading under $10 that are worth watching closely.
1. Arbitrum (ARB)
Current Price: ~$0.93
Arbitrum is one of Ethereum’s most adopted Layer 2 scaling solutions, with billions in total value locked and numerous DeFi protocols operating on its chain. As Ethereum gas fees continue to present challenges, platforms like Arbitrum are becoming essential for scalability.
With a large community and robust developer support, ARB is expected to play a foundational role in the next wave of DeFi growth.
Potential by 2026: If ARB captures more market share as a Layer 2 leader, a 10x–20x move is highly plausible.
2. Render (RNDR)
Current Price: ~$8.80
Render is revolutionising the rendering space by allowing users to contribute unused GPU power for decentralized rendering tasks. It is already being adopted in gaming, the metaverse, and AI projects. As demand for GPU compute grows—especially with AI models scaling rapidly—Render sits at the intersection of two massive trends: decentralization and AI acceleration.
Potential by 2026: A surge to $80–100 would not be unrealistic if adoption increases.
3. Celestia (TIA)
Current Price: ~$6.70
Celestia introduces a modular blockchain architecture, separating data availability from execution. This is critical for the next generation of scalable Web3 applications, and many new chains are already planning to integrate Celestia’s framework.
Its technical complexity might have limited retail adoption early on, but as modular blockchains become mainstream, TIA could see explosive growth.
Potential by 2026: A 15x–25x return if it becomes a backbone for emerging networks.
4. Sui (SUI)
Current Price: ~$0.88
Backed by Mysten Labs and with a focus on high-performance decentralized applications, SUI is often compared to Solana in terms of speed and architecture. It boasts near-instant finality and has seen growing interest from developers building next-gen DeFi and NFT tools.
The price point makes it especially attractive to retail investors entering the space in 2025.
Potential by 2026: With favourable momentum and major partnerships, a 20x–30x trajectory could be within reach.
5. AI-Centric Token: Cortex (CTXC)
Current Price: ~$0.38
Cortex is building infrastructure for AI model deployment on blockchain. As demand for decentralized AI increases—with concerns around data ownership and model transparency—Cortex offers one of the few tangible solutions on-chain.
The recent interest in AI-based crypto has revived interest in low-cap tokens that merge both fields. CTXC is positioning itself smartly in this overlap.
Potential by 2026: If AI and crypto merge deeper, CTXC could do 30x+ in an optimistic scenario.
6. Akash Network (AKT)
Current Price: ~$4.10
Dubbed the “Airbnb for cloud computing”, Akash enables decentralized cloud services by offering compute resources from global nodes. Its use case has grown in parallel with demand for AI model training infrastructure, giving it renewed relevance in 2025.
As Web3 moves away from dependence on centralized infrastructure, AKT is one of the strongest plays in the decentralized compute arena.
Potential by 2026: With strategic growth, AKT could easily reach $60–80, offering strong returns.
7. Kaspa (KAS)
Current Price: ~$0.19
Kaspa runs on a unique GHOSTDAG protocol, which allows for extremely fast and scalable transactions without compromising on security or decentralization. Its community has grown rapidly, and its mining algorithm has made it a favourite among GPU miners post-Ethereum merge.
As alternative L1s gain traction for speed and energy efficiency, Kaspa could see a parabolic move.
Potential by 2026: A 50x to even 100x return isn’t out of the question if adoption ramps up.
Putting the Portfolio Together
If one were to allocate $10,000 evenly across these seven tokens today, the average token price is low enough to accumulate meaningful quantities. Given the expected returns outlined above, a carefully timed bull market could potentially turn that investment into high six figures—or even approach the million-dollar mark in a highly bullish outcome.
However, it’s important to note that such returns are never guaranteed. Volatility, project execution risk, regulatory changes, and black swan events are always part of the equation.
Risk Mitigation Is Crucial
This strategy isn’t for conservative investors. High upside potential comes with high volatility. The best way to protect capital is to stay updated on project developments, use stop losses if trading actively, and take profits periodically during price surges.
Staking where possible, participating in governance, and understanding token lockups or vesting schedules can also offer more control over investment risk.
Final Thoughts
The current crypto environment is rich with opportunity, but it rewards research, patience, and clear strategy. While Bitcoin and Ethereum will likely remain the bedrock of most portfolios, altcoins under $10 provide an unmatched upside-to-entry ratio. For those willing to take calculated risks and hold long-term, these seven tokens offer a real shot at life-changing gains by 2026.
Timing is key. Momentum is building. And in crypto, fortune continues to favour the well-informed and early-positioned.
