Investors often think they need thousands of dollars to enter the crypto market, but some of the most exciting projects right now are trading under $1. These tokens not only make entry more affordable but also provide room for significant growth if the projects meet their potential. In 2025, the conversation is shifting toward a handful of coins that combine strong fundamentals, active communities, and large upside opportunities.
With a mix of new presales and established tokens, these projects have drawn attention for both their affordability and growth prospects. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the best crypto under $1, covering BlockDAG, PEPE, SEI, and KAS. Each one offers something unique, from advanced technical design to strong meme energy and high-speed networks. Let’s break them down and see why they’re being talked about so much.
1. BlockDAG – The Presale Generating FOMO Everywhere
BlockDAG is currently one of the hottest presale tokens and is already setting records. What makes it stand out is the way it blends Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) architecture with the security of Proof-of-Work (PoW). This means it has the scalability to process transactions quickly while still staying decentralized and secure. On top of that, it’s EVM-compatible, so developers can deploy Ethereum-based apps and smart contracts without hassle. This flexibility gives it a real-world use case from the start, something many presales can’t claim.
The hype around adoption has been massive. The X1 mobile miner app already has over 2.5 million users, and more than 19,000 ASIC miners have been shipped out. By including both mobile miners and dedicated hardware, BlockDAG is setting up one of the most inclusive mining systems in the industry. That’s a huge plus for community growth and network stability.
The presale has crossed $376 million, with BDAG priced at $0.0276 in Batch 29. Early buyers are sitting on paper gains above 2,600%. Analysts are eyeing a possible $1 listing target, which would mean a 36× upside from today’s price. Add in the 200 ETH competition valued at $1 million, and the excitement just keeps growing. With so much early traction, BlockDAG is easily one of the best crypto under $1 right now, and the sense of FOMO surrounding it is only increasing.
2. PEPE – Meme Energy Still Running Strong
PEPE has carved out its spot as the top meme coin of this cycle. Trading at around $0.00000000118, it’s still priced far below one cent, making it accessible to anyone who wants exposure to the meme coin market. Over the past week, the coin is down about 12%, underperforming the wider crypto market. However, daily trading volumes are still enormous, hovering around $1.28 billion, even though that’s a 42% dip compared to the previous day. This shows that while volatility is high, interest remains strong.
Sentiment around PEPE has not cooled. Binance’s social feeds are buzzing with mentions of a possible rally, and retail traders continue to pile in hoping for big moves. Analysts often compare its momentum to earlier meme surges like Shiba Inu, suggesting that meme-driven tokens still have space to expand. With such a low price per coin, PEPE holds appeal for traders who want to gamble on high-volume, high-volatility assets. While it may not have the technical depth of a project like BlockDAG, the hype and energy of its community keep it on the radar of anyone scanning for the best crypto under $1.
3. SEI – High-Speed Network With Strong Growth Signs
Sei Network has been gaining momentum thanks to its speed and technical strength. At around $0.3227, it remains a sub-$1 token with strong growth prospects. Daily volume sits near $227 million, and its market cap is approximately $1.94 billion. While its price slipped about 4.8% intraday, analysts point out that this doesn’t erase its bullish signals. In fact, chart patterns such as inverse head-and-shoulders and cup-and-handle suggest that SEI could break higher, with price targets around $0.40 being discussed.
What makes SEI attractive is its actual network performance. It delivers sub-400ms finality and supports 30,000 transactions per second, making it one of the fastest chains in production. In July alone, Sei recorded $1.53 billion in DEX volume and nearly 937,000 active addresses, with integrations from Circle (USDC), Ondo Finance, and Etherscan. The upcoming Giga upgrade is expected to push speed and throughput even further. Combined with its growing use in real-world assets (RWA) and ETF projects, SEI looks positioned to strengthen its footprint. For investors scanning for the best crypto under $1, Sei is hard to ignore because it mixes affordability with genuine technical progress.
4. KAS – Scalable Proof-of-Work With Big Upside
Kaspa (KAS) has become one of the better-known proof-of-work projects in recent years. Trading around $0.090, it has a market cap of nearly $2.4 billion and sees daily trading volumes between $51–55 million. While it’s down about 2–3% in the last 24 hours, the weekly trend shows a slight increase. The token’s all-time high was $0.21 in August 2024, meaning it’s currently about 57% below its peak. For long-term investors, that creates a potential opportunity if Kaspa manages to regain momentum.
The big story behind Kaspa is its blockDAG architecture and GHOSTDAG consensus, which improve scalability while keeping the security benefits of proof-of-work. This has earned it a loyal community of miners and developers. Over the past three years, KAS has delivered gains of nearly 18,000%, and analysts have compared its growth potential to Polygon’s early breakout. Some forecasts suggest that KAS could trade between $3–$6 in the future, which would be massive growth from its current level. For anyone looking into the best crypto under $1, Kaspa’s combination of proven returns and innovative design makes it an attractive option.
Summing Up
The hunt for affordable tokens often leads to projects with little staying power, but the four cryptos highlighted here, BlockDAG, PEPE, SEI, and KAS, show that strong narratives and solid fundamentals can still be found below the $1 mark. BlockDAG’s presale success, huge adoption numbers, and EVM-compatible design make it the standout in this group, with potential for major gains once it lists.
PEPE continues to ride the meme energy, attracting traders who thrive on volatility and social buzz. SEI offers technical excellence and real usage metrics that give it an edge as a fast, scalable blockchain. KAS brings a robust proof-of-work system with innovative blockDAG design and has already delivered major returns in the past. Together, they illustrate why investors are paying close attention to the best crypto under $1 in 2025.
