Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.

Thinking about dipping your toes into crypto this year? 2025 has been a big year for digital currencies, especially with new legislation passing in the USA that gives more regulatory clarity for stablecoins. And new legislation may pass in October for other types of cryptocurrencies. Of course, what happens in the USA tends to affect crypto activity elsewhere.
After a rollercoaster few years, some coins have hit all-time high prices this year, like Bitcoin and XRP. Others, however, have not caught the interest of investors, even during the bull run, and have flailed in performance. So what should you look out for when selecting cryptocurrencies to buy?
If you want to shoot your shot (but with no guarantee you’ll hit the basket!), here are five crypto coins I’m keeping my eye on in 2025. And, here’s how to buy them using CoinJar.
Also read: How to invest in crypto with £100
Before I share the 5 coins that I’ve added to my watchlist this year, it’s important to understand how to spot coins that could be interesting to you!
Although cryptocurrency might seem like it from a completely different world to stocks and shares, the fundamentals that make prices go up and down aren’t too dissimilar. The price of crypto is determined by demand (how many people are buying or selling) and market sentiment (how positive or negative people feel towards a project).
So, to find cryptocurrencies that are worth watching, you want to look for:
The crypto space is pretty transparent, and you can find most of this information through free resources such as CoinGecko.
Top tip for long-term investors: Ignore short-term hype! If you’re planning on investing for more than 5 years, pay attention to long-term potential and fundamentals.
With that in mind, here are 5 crypto coins that I’m watching in 2025.
What it’s for: Potential value storage, decentralised money.
Why I’m watching it:
Bitcoin is the original cryptocurrency. It was launched in 2009 as a potential alternative to the traditional finance system.
Some investors see Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and fiat turbulence.
In 2025, many big institutions like banks, hedge funds, and companies started buying Bitcoin, so they could offer products like spot Bitcoin ETFs. These organisations have to actually own Bitcoin to offer these products. (These spot Bitcoin ETFs however are not allowed in the UK. The FCA has just allowed Bitcoin ETNs, but the organisation doesn’t have to hold the crypto to offer the product).
Despite not being available to UK investors on the London Stock Exchange, the demand for spot ETF products has still driven the Bitcoin price higher. Some companies are also adding Bitcoin to their treasuries, as an investment. Seeing as generally speaking, corporations have greater buying power than individual investors, this too has seen upwards pressure on prices in 2025.
The question to ask yourself here, is, will other companies buy Bitcoin for their treasuries too? If you think the answer is “yes” then there might be more upward pressure on the Bitcoin price. However if big companies stop buying Bitcoin, then the price could fall.
What it’s for: Smart contracts, decentralised apps (dApps), DeFi.
Why I’m watching it:
The Ethereum network is the backbone of a lot of the crypto world. It’s had its teething issues (high gas fees, clunky UX), but with upgrades over time, it’s getting faster and greener.
If crypto continues to go mainstream, the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network, called Ether (ETH) will likely be a core part of the ride.
At the time of writing, there are over 3000 applications built on the Ethereum network and this number is expected to increase over time. If you feel that the usefulness of the Ethereum network will continue, this could put upwards pressure on the price of ETH.
What it’s for: Fast, low-cost cross-border global payments inside the banking and finance industry.
Why I’m watching it:
XRP has had a turbulent few years thanks to a SEC lawsuit. But now that the legal fog is clearing, it’s back in the spotlight. It is being used by some banks and financial institutions, and if adoption ramps up, XRP could quietly become part of the plumbing of global payments.
XRP was created by Ripple Labs as a cheaper alternative to Bitcoin and Ethereum, designed specifically for fast, low-cost cross-border payments.
If you think that XRP’s usefulness as an aid in payment systems could push the price up, then this might be an interesting investment. However keep in mind that while XRP has recently hit an all-time-high price, it has been a volatile journey across the course of its life. And there’s no indication that it will stop being a bumpy ride.
What it’s for: Fast blockchain for dApps, DeFi, and NFTs.
Why I’m watching it: Solana is known for its lightning-fast transaction speeds and low costs, making it a popular choice for developers building decentralised applications, particularly in DeFi and NFTs. Its ability to process thousands of transactions per second has made it a go-to platform for scalable crypto projects.
Solana also just has a reputation as a fun place to be, because a lot of NFTs and gaming activity take place on the network. If you believe that vibe and sentiment might cause a price increase, then the native crypto of the Solana network, SOL, could be interesting to you. Solana has experienced network outages that have affected the SOL price in the past, so keep that in mind.
What it’s for: High-speed smart contracts, DeFi, and scalable blockchain applications.
Why I’m watching it: Avalanche is a highly scalable blockchain platform designed to process transactions quickly and at low costs, making it a competitor to Ethereum. Its ability to handle thousands of transactions per second has attracted developers building DeFi, gaming, and NFT projects. If you are convinced that this kind of tech is the future, then investing in the native crypto, AVAX, might interest you.
If you’re new to crypto or just want a simple platform to get started, CoinJar is a good place to start.
It’s one of the longest-running crypto exchanges, and it’s designed with beginners in mind.
Crypto is exciting, but it’s volatile. Prices can swing dramatically in hours, let alone days.
Only invest what you can afford to lose, and always do your research. These coins have potential, but no one has a crystal ball.
That said, if you believe in the future of decentralised tech and want to get involved (or just diversify a little), these five coins are a good place to start your research.
| Standard Risk Statement |
| The above article is not to be read as investment, legal or tax advice and it takes no account of particular personal or market circumstances; all readers should seek independent investment advice before investing in cryptocurrencies. The article is provided for general information and educational purposes only, no responsibility or liability is accepted for any errors of fact or omission expressed therein. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. |
| UK residents are required (in accordance with local legislation) to complete an appropriateness assessment to show they understand the risks associated with what crypto/investment they are about to buy and enabling CoinJar to categorize them as an investor. New customers are also required under local regulations to wait 24-hours as a “cooling off” period (from account creation), before their account is active (i.e. to deposit, trade, withdraw etc.). |
| Cryptocurrency is currently not regulated in the UK. It’s vital to understand that once your money is in the crypto ecosystem, there are no rules to protect it, unlike with regular investments. You should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. So, if you make any crypto-related investments, you’re unlikely to have recourse to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) or the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) if something goes wrong. |
| Remember: |
| Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high‑risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 minutes to learn more: www.coinjar.com/uk/risk-summary. |
| If you use a credit card to buy cryptocurrency, you would be putting borrowed money at a risk of loss. We recommend you obtain financial advice before making a decision to use your credit card to purchase cryptoassets or to invest in cryptoassets. |
| Note the standard risk warning from the CoinJar website. |
Direct to your inbox every week
New data capture form 2023
Leave a Reply