Bitcoin could go on a parabolic spree to $250K this year as long-term investors follow Wall Street’s lead.
Analyst and host of Wolf of All Streets podcast Scott Melker envisions a near-future in which institutional demand inspires long-term investors, whose buying pressure will help catapult the Bitcoin price to $250K this year.
“It (Bitcoin) used to be about three times as volatile as the S&P. Now it’s less than two times.” He pointed to increased activity among pension funds and ETF issuers as proof that the crypto market is maturing.
He continued, “The more institutional money, the more Wall Street money, the more long-term holders get involved, the less volatility there’s going to be.” With that, the analyst expects Bitcoin to enjoy a strong move to the upside soon.
But as seasoned investors know, a bullish Bitcoin outlook is even better for altcoins, So, what is the best crypto to buy now? Here are our top five picks.
BTC Bull Token
As Bitcoin rises, investors seek altcoins with the highest potential. History tells us that the meme coin sector often sees strong gains in bullish periods.
And when it comes to meme coins, BTC Bull Token might just be the best opportunity on the market right now. As its name suggests, the project is themed around Bitcoin.
Yet, it’s not just paying homage to Bitcoin; it’s actively distributing it to its holders.
For the first time in history, crypto users can earn Bitcoin for free by simply holding a token. BTC Bull Token will track Bitcoin’s price and run $BTC airdrops when the price hits $150K and $200K. There will also be a $BTCBULL airdrop at $250K.
Token burns will also be conducted when Bitcoin hits $125k, $175k, and $225k, boosting $BTCBULL’s value. The project is also undergoing a presale and has raised $5.9 million so far.
Its early stage and novel Bitcoin rewards system could see $BTCBULL achieve huge growth this year.
MIND of Pepe
Developers have launched blockchain-based AI agents with some success since 2024. Some agents can control their own wallets, some can identify patterns and trends, and some can launch their own tokens. But MIND of Pepe is a single agent that does all of that.
It’s branded like the viral Pepe meme coin to draw to a big audience. But it’s more than a joke coin; it’s a groundbreaking example of agentic innovation.
$MIND holders get access to the agent’s exclusive features, such as trend analysis, early details on token launches, and staking rewards.
The agent also has its own X account where it builds an audience and collects data. It launched on 10 May and already has over 5,000 followers.
The project is undergoing a presale and has raised $9.4 million so far.
But with a use case that pushes the boundaries of agentic technology, it’s easy to see why $MIND has real potential to explode this year.
Ethereum
The Bitcoin-Ethereum relationship is likely the most important synergy in the crypto space. When Ethereum outperforms Bitcoin, it creates immense excitement in the market and allows altcoin prices to soar.
Ethereum has largely underperformed Bitcoin since 2022, but this month it has gained real strength: Bitcoin is up 22%, while Ethereum is up 56%.
Ethereum began outperforming following the successful implementation of its Pectra upgrade, which improved the network’s user experience and resulted in $ETH going deflationary.
The timing of its recent pump is no coincidence – Pectra is a crucial step forward for Ethereum. As such, it might just mark the beginning of a longer-term uptrend in which Ethereum outperforms Bitcoin.
Given Bitcoin is expected to grow too, this could indicate huge gains are on the table for $ETH.
Bitcoin Cash
If Bitcoin’s value explodes like Scott Melker predicts, then it will create an immensely bullish environment for related cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin Cash.
The project is a Bitcoin fork that focuses on facilitating real-world transactions.
Bitcoin’s use case is a decentralised peer-to-peer cash system, but its fees and slow transaction speeds mean that it’s largely incapable of facilitating everyday transactions at scale. That’s why it’s often compared to digital gold instead.
Bitcoin Cash uses the same code as Bitcoin, has the same 21 million total supply, and uses the same consensus mechanism. The difference? Bitcoin Cash increases the block size, resulting in more transactions per second (TPS).
While Bitcoin can process 7 TPS, Bitcoin Cash can compute 65,000 TPS.
This separates it from Bitcoin and provides a unique reason why people might buy into it as the Bitcoin price rises.
Moo Deng
As mentioned, meme coins tend to perform well in bullish periods, but one project which has outperformed recently is Moo Deng.
It’s a meme coin inspired by a viral pygmy hippopotamus born in a Thailand zoo in 2024.
Unlike MIND of Pepe or BTC Bull Token, Moo Deng doesn’t have any utility or unique features. However, the hippo continues to make media headlines, with The New York Times covering it in February.
There are millions of people around the world who are aware of Moo Deng, so the $MOODENG meme coin could prove a popular choice for industry newcomers who join the industry as Bitcoin rallies.
It has soared by a staggering 813% this month and shows no signs of slowing down with a 28% gain today.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not provide financial advice. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile, and the market can be unpredictable. Always perform thorough research before making any cryptocurrency-related decisions.
