The start of the spot Bitcoin (BTC 0.28%) The launch of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in January was a milestone. For good reason, ETFs are widely seen as one of the main catalysts for Bitcoin’s triple-digit percentage gains this year. Tens of billions of dollars have flowed into these spot Bitcoin ETFs, and that has helped drive Bitcoin’s price higher throughout the year.
But Bitcoin is no longer the only cryptocurrency with a spot ETF. Ethereum (ETH 1.53%) joined the ETF party in July, and speculation is growing about which cryptocurrency could be next in 2025. The three that are currently on my radar are Solana (SOL -0.40%), XRP (XRP -1.64%)And Cardano (ADA 6.04%). If one of them gets spot ETF approval in 2025, it could be in the running.
Solana
My first choice is Solana, which is now the fifth largest cryptocurrency in the world with a market cap of around $100 billion. Solana is up about 90% this year (as of Dec. 18) after posting a blistering 900% return in 2023.
Some investors consider Solana to be the next Ethereum, which is why its price has risen sharply over the past two years. Just like Ethereum, Solana is a smart contract blockchain network. So everything Ethereum can do, Solana can do too. But Solana is significantly faster, cheaper and easier to use than Ethereum, which is why top investors like Cathie Wood of Ark Invest are so bullish on Solana.
Image source: Getty Images.
With Solana getting an ETF in 2025, it’s worth paying attention to what’s happening in the rest of the world. In Brazil, for example, regulators recently approved spot Solana ETFs. And…
