We know that the cryptocurrency market can feel like a wild, unpredictable place. Fortunately, expert perspectives offer a guidepost for crypto investors looking for the next best altcoins. Musa Hakim Jr., Scott Colkitt, Alex Cahill, and Jack Marshall recently shared their top picks and strategies for identifying altcoins poised for growth during a potential bull run. Their recommendation comes down to things like the organizational support behind a protocol, available developer support, proven use cases in the real world, and ecosystem momentum.

Hakim's Top Picks

Musa Hakim Jr. followed with an extensive list of altcoins, splitting his picks into a first tier and a second tier. His initial roster consists of recognizable heavy-hitters such as Cardano, Tether, Binance Coin, Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap. These altcoins are notable for their large market capitalization and robust infrastructure in the crypto ecosystem.

Hakim’s ethereal second list includes Solana, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin and USD Coin. These choices are indicative of an overall direction toward choosing projects with the greatest potential for innovation and potential for nationwide adoption. He stressed the criticality of network infrastructure, which can sometimes trump short-term hype when it comes to assessing an altcoin’s long-term sustainability.

"These 10 all have strong organizational credibility and heavy developer support." - Hakim

Hakim noted that organizational credibility and strong developer support were key factors in his final selections. He argues that these three factors power utility, and utility is what ultimately determines an altcoin’s long-term success. He warned investors to pay special attention to leadership turnover at large projects. He advised them to watch out for cryptocurrencies that are picking up momentum in the market. Of all the indicators to monitor, layer 2 solutions (L2s) and regulatory clarity were named as the top two indicators to watch. His ultimate advice to investors is succinct.

"Follow the money." - Hakim

Colkitt's Perspective

Scott Colkitt provided an interesting counter-point, making the case for Berachain as his #2 pick, especially at today’s price. Colkitt emphasizes the need for up-to-date pricing. This signaled a pro-value, value-based investment strategy that focused on growth aspirations while taking market valuation into account.

Colkitt further highlighted the necessity of effective risk management in the highly speculative altcoin ecosystem. This underscores the need for investors to carefully assess their risk tolerance and to diversify their portfolios to mitigate potential losses.

Marshall's Data-Driven Approach

Marshall offered suggestions for alternative coin winners including Hype, Pyth, Kamino, Drift, Raydium, Jito, Pendle, Helix, Jupiter, and Pumpfun. This partially explains why our list has tended to lean toward newer projects and more experimental tech, especially in the ever-evolving world of decentralized finance (DeFi). Further, he’s a big proponent of the power of data and analytics.

Marshall added that being able to identify promising altcoins before everyone else means being first to high-quality data and analytics. This suggests a more active and research-intensive approach to altcoin investing, where investors continuously monitor market trends and project developments.

Cahill's Focus on Utility and Ecosystem

To get on his agenda, Alex Cahill likes projects that have a defined use case and proven ecosystem traction. Earlier this month at Consensus 2023, Cahill explained how real-world use cases and increasing user adoption are critical in judging an altcoin’s promise.

"The ones that stand out have true use cases, growing user adoption, sustainable tokenomics, and are powering new financial infrastructure." - Cahill

Cahill made the case for the need for developer signals. He noted that ecosystem growth is one of the best signals of a project’s health, which usually correlates to long-term success. He proposes using the top tens as a measure on exchanges, and watching for your community on social media.

Identifying Promising Altcoins

A few common themes run throughout the experts’ suggestions. Strong organizational backing and active developer support are repeatedly stressed as key ingredients. We like projects that have clear use cases, user adoption momentum and sustainable tokenomics. Industry professionals know that being informed is key. Leverage trusted data and predictive analytics to stay ahead of market trends and development patterns.

As investors consider these developments, they should be mindful of the larger market picture. This means being proactive on regulatory changes and emerging tech, such as Layer 2 solutions. A diversified approach to altcoin investing, coupled with diligent risk management, can help mitigate potential losses in this volatile market.