7 Crypto Assets Ready to Lead the Next Bullrun: Which Projects Offer the Best Opportunity

Crypto markets operate in cycles, and 2026 looks positioned to test that pattern once again. Each major bullrun creates distinct opportunities for both Bitcoin and alternative assets, but history consistently shows that altcoins—not Bitcoin—tend to deliver the exceptional gains that capture trader attention. While BTC often moves first and shapes overall sentiment, it’s the crypto projects underneath that can produce 5x, 10x, or even larger returns when market conditions align. As the broader ecosystem continues maturing following the 2024-2025 expansion and prepares for its next upward phase, one question comes up repeatedly: which crypto assets have the strongest potential to outperform during the next bullrun cycle?

This guide examines seven projects with genuine on-chain fundamentals, thriving ecosystems, and realistic upside scenarios if the current momentum persists. Along the way, we’ll address the questions traders actually care about: Is it too risky to enter now? Which crypto bets are relatively safer? And how should you think about choosing between established Layer 1 networks, scaling solutions, and emerging narratives like decentralized AI?

The Layer 1 Foundation: Ethereum and Solana in the Next Cycle

Ethereum remains the cornerstone of the crypto asset ecosystem. While Bitcoin functions as digital gold, Ethereum operates as the machinery behind a decentralized economy—smart contracts, DeFi protocols, NFT infrastructure, DAOs, and genuine on-chain activity still gravitate toward Ethereum more than any competing network.

Ethereum’s long-term bullrun narrative stems from continuous evolution. The shift to proof-of-stake dramatically reduced energy consumption and unlocked staking yields as a native feature. Layer 2 networks like Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, and zero-knowledge rollups have relieved congestion on the main chain and enabled Ethereum to scale. Spot ETH ETFs have become part of the market plumbing, bringing institutional capital and deeper liquidity pools. Current price sits around $2,040, and if momentum sustains, previous highs near $4,800 become realistic targets, with scenarios above $7,000 possible in a robust expansion.

Solana has re-emerged as a serious contender in the crypto landscape. After navigating the brutal FTX collapse period and its reputational damage, the network rebuilt, attracted developers back at scale, and restored credibility. Speed and minimal transaction costs remain Solana’s signature strengths, continuously pulling DeFi protocols, gaming applications, and consumer-facing projects into its ecosystem. Institutional participation has accelerated, developer momentum has returned, and infrastructure quality exceeds previous cycles by a significant margin. From its 2022 sub-$10 lows, SOL has recovered to current levels around $86.53, and further movement toward the $300-$400 range remains achievable if adoption continues expanding through the bullrun phase.

Scaling Solutions: Where Crypto’s Growth Compounds

Polygon has evolved from a simple scaling solution into core Ethereum infrastructure itself. With the MATIC-to-POL transition complete, Polygon now occupies a deeper position within Ethereum’s long-term roadmap. Its zkEVM technology and scaling toolkit target mass adoption, particularly from enterprise clients. When Meta, Disney, and Starbucks ran experiments on Polygon, it wasn’t just marketing posturing—it demonstrated that Polygon quietly powers large-scale applications without users needing to care about blockchain mechanics.

Arbitrum continues dominating the Layer 2 conversation in crypto circles. It’s the most-used Ethereum scaling network, boasting deep liquidity, consistent DeFi activity, and steady developer participation. ARB tokens remain relatively young compared to older crypto assets, but Arbitrum’s position in the Ethereum scaling hierarchy provides clear utility and defensibility. If Layer 2 adoption accelerates throughout the bullrun, ARB has substantial room to expand from its current $0.10 level—a 3x to 5x move over a complete cycle sits comfortably within realistic scenarios based on fundamental expansion.

Infrastructure: The Unsexy But Essential Layer

Chainlink stands out as one of crypto’s most critical but underappreciated infrastructure pieces. Oracles might lack glamour, but DeFi and real-world smart contracts cannot function without them. Chainlink’s role bridging blockchains to off-chain data creates natural stickiness and high switching costs. Its expansion into real-world asset tokenization, cross-chain automation, and institutional-grade integrations has sustained relevance through multiple market cycles.

Partnerships with traditional finance institutions and major cloud providers continue reinforcing its position. While LINK has underperformed certain narrative-driven assets, if on-chain finance adoption accelerates during the bullrun phase, Chainlink’s essential role becomes obvious again. From current levels around $9.12, recovery toward the $50 area becomes plausible in a strong expansion environment. Between Ethereum and Chainlink, these crypto infrastructure plays represent the “safer” side of the bullrun opportunity spectrum—they’ve survived multiple cycles, have proven resilience, and offer clarity around use cases.

Emerging Narratives: AI Infrastructure and Enterprise Crypto

AI-related crypto tokens have matured considerably since the initial hype cycle. Projects like Fetch.ai and SingularityNET, now unified under the ASI alliance umbrella, represent serious attempts to merge artificial intelligence with decentralized infrastructure. These aren’t pure hype plays—they’re building AI agents, data marketplaces, and automation layers.

As AI adoption spreads globally, infrastructure-level crypto solutions tied to AI could attract renewed attention during the bullrun. These tokens carry higher volatility than established networks, but the asymmetric upside potential remains significant. Under favorable conditions, 5x-10x moves remain possible, though risk profiles demand careful position sizing.

Avalanche has carved out a niche combining DeFi depth with enterprise infrastructure appeal. Its subnet model lets institutions and developers create custom blockchains without compromising performance. Partnerships with Deloitte, Mastercard, and AWS provided credibility beyond crypto-native communities. DeFi activity on Avalanche has been methodically recovering, and enterprise pilots continue building quietly in the background. Current AVAX pricing sits around $9.29, and a recovery toward its previous highs near $146 looks reasonable across a full cycle, with $200+ possible if institutional adoption accelerates.

Entry Strategy and Risk Calibration for the Bullrun

When evaluating crypto assets for bullrun exposure, tiering by risk becomes essential. Ethereum and Chainlink represent the lower-volatility tier—they’ve proven durability across multiple cycles, enjoy deep integration into the ecosystem, and offer defensible value propositions. Not risk-free, but considerably more resilient than alternatives.

Layer 2 tokens and AI-focused crypto projects offer higher return potential but come with correspondingly sharper drawdown risks. Instead of attempting to time a perfect market bottom, spreading entries through dollar-cost averaging still makes pragmatic sense, especially in volatile crypto markets.

Before deploying capital into any altcoin, fundamentals demand attention. Read the documentation, monitor on-chain activity metrics, and check independent user reviews. This basic research filters out significant noise and separates genuine projects from pure speculation vehicles.

Bitcoin remains the market foundation, but the crypto bullrun story unfolds primarily through altcoins—where volatility concentrates and opportunity multiplies. Ethereum, Solana, Layer 2 scaling solutions, AI infrastructure, and enterprise-focused chains each represent different paths capital might flow during the next market expansion. Success comes from understanding why you’re holding something, not from hoping direction alone.