Cryptocurrency prices fell in March, prompting the usual flurry of social media posts about “buying the dip.” The total crypto market cap fell by over 30% in less than two months. Now, as prices start to rise again, some investors may worry they missed an opportunity.

That’s understandable — it’s natural to want to buy at the best price possible. But it is almost impossible to time the market. As a long-term investor, what matters is to find projects you believe will perform well over time.

Think about what fits with the rest of your portfolio and how much risk you are willing to take on. That way, you’ll have a solid idea of what to buy when prices fall. Here are three cryptos to consider.

1. Bitcoin

Bitcoin (BTC -2.23%) has gained almost 35,000% in the past 10 years, and the granddaddy of crypto ain’t done yet. Nothing is guaranteed, but so far, Bitcoin has always erased any losses from market crashes and broken new ground. Indeed, Bitcoin set a new all-time high in January 2025.

Bitcoin is by far the biggest crypto, accounting for about 60% of the total market cap right now. That makes it more stable than other coins, particularly when you factor in the high levels of institutional investment through Bitcoin EFTs.

Experts like ARK Invest’s Cathie Wood believe it could reach $1.5 million by 2030. ARK argues there are various growth areas, including its uses as a form of digital gold, a currency for developing countries, and a low-cost way to make global money transfers.

2. Ethereum

Ethereum (ETH -2.24%) was the first cryptocurrency to introduce smart contracts, giving it a first-mover advantage. Smart contracts are tiny pieces of self-executing code. They elevate blockchains from sophisticated ledgers to programmable ecosystems.

Developers can use smart contracts to build decentralized applications, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and other cryptocurrencies. They have potential real-world utility in finance, real estate, insurance, and many other industries. Ethereum’s reputation means it is well-positioned to capitalize on these use cases.

Ethereum has lost market share to faster, lower-cost smart contract cryptos, but it is still by far the most dominant. According to DefiLlama, Ethereum accounts for over 50% of the total value locked (TVL) on all blockchains. That’s helped by the development of Layer 2 solutions — blockchains that sit on top of Ethereum’s ecosystem and reduce congestion.

3. Cardano

Cardano (ADA -4.97%) has a reputation as a love-it-or-hate-it crypto. It is one of several smart contract cryptos that could take market share from Ethereum. However, it isn’t clear which (if any) will come out on top, which makes this the riskiest investment on this list.

Founder Charles Hoskinson is an active industry player who champions Cardano’s research-first credentials. On a recent stream, he told viewers that the project had delivered almost everything that’s set out in its road map. Not only that, but Hoskinson says Cardano has never had a major hack, and the system has never gone down.

Those strong foundations and slow and steady approach could stand it in good stead. But if it goes too slowly, other blockchain projects could gain a foothold. The challenge is that its competitors are racing to be the first or the fastest. If something breaks, they fix it along the way. Cardano’s critics want to see less research and more adoption.

Smaller cryptos are risky, especially in market crashes

One of the attractions of crypto investments is the idea that you might pick up a small amount of a little-known altcoin and watch it gain 10,000% or more in a year. It can happen. But with over 13 million cryptos out there, it takes an extraordinary amount of both luck and knowledge.

Cryptocurrencies already carry a lot of risk. That’s even more true for smaller cryptocurrencies, which are less liquid and more likely to fail. To give you an idea of how changeable the market is, let’s wind back the clock to January 2021 and look at the top 20 cryptos by market cap. According to CoinMarketCap data, eight are no longer on the list today.

If you want to buy crypto during a market crash, stick to the more established coins. They have a better chance of both recovering and reaching new highs. Finally, be realistic about how much risk you’re comfortable with. Prices may still go lower, even for established coins, and some projects may fall completely. That’s why experts recommend that crypto only make up a small proportion of your portfolio.