The crypto market today is under pressure, but for smart investors, this phase often creates rare chances. The total crypto market is down nearly 7% this week, with Bitcoin slipping below $88,000 and Ethereum also not showing strength. Major altcoins like Solana, Dogecoin, and Cardano have fallen further, showing clear caution among traders. Big price drops in the market often point out the best crypto to buy now, especially when strong projects move against the trend.
This market drop is happening ahead of a key Bank of Japan interest rate decision on December 19. If Japan raises rates to 0.75%, the highest level in 30 years, global liquidity could tighten. On top of that, U.S. crypto regulation delays and over $1 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF outflows have shaken confidence. Above $400 million of leveraged positions were liquidated, indicating panic selling.
Not all tokens, however, are performing dismally. Some projects have been benefiting from especially strong technical signals, recent exchange listings, and actual news. These tokens are likely to be among the leading crypto gainers once the markets settle. Following are five top best crypto to buy now that investors are closely watching.
It has been one of the strongest performers despite the weak market. The token jumped close to 34% in just a 24-hour jump, way outperforming Bitcoin and Ethereum. During an extended price action where most assets were red, HMSTR showed independent strength, a good sign for short-term momentum traders.
This rally was heavily dominated by massive futures activity on Binance, where sharp intraday price movements attracted bots and high-frequency traders. The spot trading volume surged upward by more than 1,300% to over $120 million in a single day. Such liquidity helps dampen the impact of sell pressure and makes prices swing in more manageable values.
The investment in HMSTR is highly risky due to the high futures involvement in it. However, if it keeps the spot volume strong, it will surely attract fresh buyers. To investors searching for the next crypto to 100x, a sudden rise of HMSTR in this market slump may be something worth looking at.
Alchemist AI is a beneficiary of renewed interest in crypto projects based on AI. The token rose over 16% in 24 hours and is already up more than 33% this month. This steady growth is a sign of strength beyond short-term hype.
The move was catalyzed by a strong breakout on Binance Futures, which was succeeded by a leap in spot trading volumes to $56 million. More importantly, ALCH broke above key resistance near the $0.184 level, confirming bullish momentum on the charts.
They are also optimistic about future upgrades on the platform and potential GPT-5 and Grok 4 integrations. While leverage trading adds volatility, ALCH is one of the best cryptos to invest in the AI sector, if the momentum sustains.
In surprising style, Humanity Protocol jumped an impressive 36% in a single day. Rallying after selling pressure apparently had slightly eased following the unlock of its earlier airdrop, against a backdrop of now-stronger technical indicators.
The token managed to reclaim an important support level around $0.077, while the trading volume surging almost 500%, showing strong buyer interest. The RSI cooled down into neutral levels, reducing further downside risk, whereas the MACD flipped into positive territory for the first time in weeks.
A second big driver was news related to the Mastercard partnership, serving to boost confidence in the decentralized identity use case. Against the backdrop of an improving technical setup and with increasing real-world relevance, Humanity Protocol may be a good pick for market recovery.
RaveDAO crypto has quietly established its position as one of the strongest small-cap movers. While the wider cryptocurrency market has stayed weak, RAVE is up more than 8% in 24 hours and over 150% in just seven days.
The key driver was its OKX futures listing, which provided higher visibility and fresh liquidity. As large-cap coins met with selling pressure, traders rotated into smaller tokens, such as RaveDAO, in search of quicker gains.
Strong fundamentals, such as locked tokenomics and pre-launch revenue, limit selling pressure. While leverage does add risk, RaveDAO is a rare topliner worth considering by the more aggressive investor today.
Magma Finance is building up steady momentum. The token was up 17% in the last day and more than 30% on the week, while the greater market remained flat.
But the largest catalyst was a set of exchange listings. MAGMA launched on Binance Alpha, Gate.io, Bitget, MEXC, and BitMart within a week. This fast scaling-up drove accessibility and saw daily trading volume print north of $10 million.
While ongoing token claims are keeping the user activity high, it is supposedly creating some kind of selling pressure. However, strong liquidity and its growing visibility rank MAGMA one of the crypto to buy now in this market dip.
Today, macro uncertainty-a function of the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision, ETF outflows, delays in regulation, and liquidation pressure-sets the tone for the crypto market. While sentiment remains fragile, oversold conditions often set the stage for sharp rebounds
Tokens like HMSTR, ALCH, Humanity Protocol, RaveDAO, and Magma Finance demonstrate strength in these bearish conditions. Each of these projects has combined some technical breakouts with exchange listings and a very strong narrative-the key ingredients for recovery rallies. This phase may be a high-risk, high-reward opportunity for investors looking for the best crypto to buy now. As has always been the case, timing and risk management are everything, particularly for those setting their sights on a 100x return in the next market cycle. When the market eventually turns, today's survivors can very well become tomorrow's leaders.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only, kindly do your own research before investing.
Muskan Sharma is a crypto journalist with 2 years of experience in industry research, finance analysis, and content creation. Skilled in crafting insightful blogs, news articles, and SEO-optimized content. Passionate about delivering accurate, engaging, and timely insights into the evolving crypto landscape. As a crypto journalist at Coin Gabbar, I research and analyze market trends, write news articles, create SEO-optimized content, and deliver accurate, engaging insights on cryptocurrency developments, regulations, and emerging technologies.