Best Cryptocurrencies to Buy Before the Next Bitcoin Halving

Key Points
The Bitcoin halving, which occurs every four years, typically kicks off the launch of the next crypto bull market cycle.
Ethereum, the top Layer 1 blockchain network, tends to track the price of Bitcoin.
Both Solana and XRP are large-market-cap altcoins with the support of institutional investors.
- 10 stocks we like better than Ethereum ›
It's not too early to start talking about the next Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) halving, which is currently scheduled to take place in April 2028. If history is any guide, Bitcoin is nearing the end of its current four-year cycle, and it's time for investors to start positioning themselves for the start of the next crypto bull market.
That means 2027 is shaping up to be a prime buying opportunity for investors looking to scoop up cryptocurrencies at bargain-basement prices. It almost goes without saying that Bitcoin is a must-buy ahead of the halving. Here are three other cryptocurrencies on my shopping list ahead of the next Bitcoin halving, when the reward for mining new coins gets cut in half.
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Ethereum
At the top of my shopping list is Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), which remains the premier Layer 1 blockchain network on the planet. It currently trades at 57% lower than (as of March 24) to its all-time high of $4,954 from August 2025.
If there's one cryptocurrency that's going to benefit from the growing adoption of blockchain technology on a global basis, it's Ethereum. That's because it has its hands in every major niche of the blockchain world, from decentralized finance (DeFi) to artificial intelligence (AI).
What's particularly noteworthy about Ethereum, from a mathematical perspective, is how correlated it has been with Bitcoin throughout its history. From 2015 to 2023, the correlation ran as high as 0.95, which is a near-perfect alignment. Of late, that correlation has dropped a bit, but it is still running at a very healthy 0.85 during the past 12 months.
Long story short, Ethereum tends to move in lockstep with Bitcoin. If Bitcoin is headed higher, then so is Ethereum. That's why it's so important to buy Ethereum before Bitcoin goes on another of its amazing runs. Buying a cryptocurrency that's highly correlated with Bitcoin is one of the single best ways to participate in the next Bitcoin rally.
Solana and XRP
Next on my shopping list are large-market-cap altcoins with spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The ETFs help to ensure that institutional investors, and not just retail investors, can go along for the ride. Some institutional investors are barred from directly owning crypto, but they are allowed to invest in spot crypto ETFs.
That's why I'm completely avoiding any large-market altcoins that don't currently have spot ETFs. I take this as a clear signal that there just isn't any institutional appetite for the specific cryptocurrency, so any future upside potential is capped at best.
Only a handful of top cryptos have spot ETFs. There's Bitcoin, of course. There's also Ethereum. After that, it's slim pickings. The next best options are XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) and Solana (CRYPTO: SOL), both of which rank among the top 10 cryptocurrencies in terms of market cap and have the clear support of large institutional investors.
There's a lot to like about both XRP and Solana. Ripple, the company behind the XRP crypto token, is attempting to build an end-to-end cross-border payment network that runs entirely on blockchain rails and is powered by the XRP token. For its part, Solana has emerged as the biggest and most noteworthy rival to Ethereum, and is rapidly growing in the area of decentralized finance (DeFi).
What's not on my shopping list?
There are a few notable types of cryptocurrencies that are not on my pre-halving shopping list. I'm not including any highly speculative meme coins such as Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE). These tend to perform best in the late stages of a crypto rally, and not before the halving.
I'm also not including any DeFi coins. These, too, tend to perform best in the later stages of the four-year Bitcoin cycle, when institutional adoption is reaching a fever pitch.
From my perspective, it's far better to get exposure to DeFi via a large Layer 1 blockchain network such as Ethereum or Solana. After all, Ethereum still accounts for a whopping 59% of all total value locked (TVL) in the blockchain and crypto world -- a measure of how much capital is committed to DeFi projects. Solana ranks a distant second, with a 7% market share.
Impact of the Bitcoin halving
Ever since the last Bitcoin halving in April 2024, there has been much debate over its impact. Was the halving responsible for Bitcoin's epic rally in 2024 and 2025, when it eventually hit a new all-time high of $126,000?
Or was Bitcoin's rally due to other factors, such as the election of a pro-crypto and pro-Bitcoin administration? Or perhaps to the launch of the spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024?
If you're a skeptic, then the next Bitcoin halving will be of little significance. It won't lead to a new rally in the price of Bitcoin, or to an accompanying rally in the price of large altcoins.
But I don't think so. There have now been four Bitcoin halvings (in 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024), and each one has led to a new all-time high in the price of Bitcoin and the start of a new crypto bull market cycle. The next halving in 2028 should be no different.
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Dominic Basulto has positions in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.