My Top 3 Altcoins for May 2026

Key Points

Solana stands out for its big developer community and planned Alpenglow upgrade.

Chainlink has the data that mainstream finance needs for blockchain adoption.

Cardano's research-first approach may be about to have its day.

• 10 stocks we like better than Solana ›

There's a spring in the step of many popular cryptocurrencies this May. Bitcoin reached $80,000 for the first time since January and has mostly held above that level since. My picks for May are Solana (CRYPTO: SOL), Chainlink (CRYPTO: LINK), and Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA), all of which have posted gains of between 6% and 13% during the past month.

Inflationary and geopolitical pressures mean the recent rebound for some cryptos may not hold. But zooming out, the crypto industry's fundamentals are stronger than ever because major financial institutions and banks are integrating blockchain technology into their operations. As a result, we could see trillions of dollars worth of transactions and managed assets move onto the blockchain.

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Here's how Solana, Chainlink, and Cardano could all benefit from changing blockchain tides.

1. Solana

A lot of crypto investors know Solana as one of the speediest cryptocurrencies around. It processes transactions significantly faster and cheaper than its big rival, Ethereum. That matters for various blockchain applications, including the growing industry of stablecoins -- blockchain versions of traditional currencies. Solana is already partnering with existing banks and payment networks like Western Union as they explore ways to integrate stablecoins.

Speed may be what made Solana famous, but its thriving developer community shows the ecosystem is active and evolving. Moreover, Solana is close to rolling out its Alpenglow upgrade, which will make the blockchain even faster and better able to compete with traditional payment providers.

Like many altcoins, Solana has struggled in terms of price recently. As of May 13, it is trading at about $90 -- roughly 70% below its all-time high of $293. However, if on-chain activity rises and Solana continues to partner with traditional financial names, I think it can set a new price record in the coming five to 10 years.

2. Chainlink

Chainlink is also working with traditional financial firms as they consider blockchain solutions. Indeed, its partners include a significant portion of on-chain and real-world organizations that use, or want to use, the blockchain. That includes 70% of decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, which enable people to manage their money without relying on intermediaries such as banks.

Without getting too technical, Chainlink collates and provides data and services that enable blockchain automation. That might involve determining whether a stablecoin provider maintains reserves to back each token it issues or carrying out on-chain identity checks to ensure that buyers of tokenized securities meet any compliance requirements. Tokenization is a way to represent asset ownership on the blockchain.

Chainlink trades at about $10 today, down more than 80% from its 2021 high of roughly $53. I don't think we will see another crypto frenzy like the one five years ago, but Chainlink almost reached $30 in December 2024 and August 2025. If mainstream adoption continues and Chainlink keeps playing the crucial behind-the-scenes role it does now, its price could triple or more.

3. Cardano

Few cryptocurrencies divide the digital asset community as much as Cardano. It is a research-driven project with big ambitions -- including a vision to use the blockchain to build a fairer and more accountable world. It was one of the first cryptocurrencies to actually demonstrate real-world use cases with projects in developing countries, though, for various reasons, they haven't really borne fruit.

However, for all its promise, Cardano has never quite gained momentum, partly because it doesn't have a stand-out feature. Ethereum pioneered programmable cryptos. Solana is the fastest. Chainlink is the glue that holds it all together. But Cardano? Cardano is a safe pair of hands in an industry that likes to take risks.

Cardano hasn't performed as well as Solana or Chainlink. It has gained about 6% during the past month -- compared with 9% and 13% for Solana and Chainlink, respectively -- and it's down more than 90% from its all-time high. If you're wondering why it is still one of my top coins, it's because mainstream crypto adoption might actually lessen the appeal of risk-taking -- and if it does, Cardano's careful approach may come into its own.

Make sure altcoins are part of a balanced portfolio

Broader crypto adoption is not a linear process. We're talking about rewiring financial circuits that have taken decades to build, and major technical glitches, security breaches, or regulatory changes could get in the way. Before you buy any altcoins, think about how they fit in a diversified crypto portfolio and how crypto fits with the rest of your investments.

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Emma Newbery has positions in Cardano, Ethereum, and Solana. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Chainlink, Ethereum, and Solana. 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.