Crypto Projects Trading Under $1 Worth Buying in 2026

Low-Cost Opportunities: Crypto Projects Trading Under $1

The crypto market always has two sides. One side talks about Bitcoin, Ethereum, and coins that already feel “expensive.” The other side quietly looks for crypto tokens under $1 — the low-cost projects that can still surprise the market. History shows that many strong crypto stories start when prices are ignored, not when they are famous.

Best Crypto Projects Trading Under $1 With Real Potential

As 2026 approaches, investors are once again searching for best crypto under $1 and low-cost crypto projects that still have room to grow. Below are five tokens that stand out today because they already have working products, real users, and active development — not just hype. These are not lottery tickets. They are early-stage opportunities with real fundamentals.

1) Curve DAO Token (CRV) — Stablecoin DEX Governance Token

Price and Market data: 

• Price $0.4036, Market Cap $587.18M, Circulating Supply 1.45B CRV, 

• Total Supply 2.34B CRV, Max Supply 3.03B CRV. 

Curve DAO token is the go-to decentralized exchange (DEX) for stablecoins. CRV is used for governance and rewards to liquidity providers. The platform makes trading between pegged assets cheap and low-slip, so big traders and DeFi users like it. Right now the market trend shows steady volume and a mid-cap valuation. 

Why it could grow in 2026: more DeFi adoption, improved cross-chain tools, and crvUSD/stablecoin use can raise fees and demand for governance tokens. For long term holders this is a good token to buy now.

Risks: token unlock schedules and concentrated holders can pressure prices.

2) Sei (SEI): Top Cheap Crypto Under $1 For Decentralized Trading

Price & Market Data :

• Price: ~$0.12 USD, Market Cap: ~$788M, 24h Volume: ~$43M

• Circulating Supply: ~6.49B SEI, Max Supply: 10B, 

Sei is a Layer-1 blockchain made for fast, low-cost trading and decentralized exchanges. Unlike general blockchain platforms, SEI focuses on speed and efficiency for trading, which is important because traders and apps need quick confirmations and low fees. Sei is best token to buy for crypto investors who wants slow and steady growth.

SEI is a token to pay transaction fees on the network, stake as a means of securing the network and participate in governance voting. In addition, SEI is used by applications that are built on the Sei Blockchain for Decentralised Finance (DeFi) trading.

Why it could Growth in 2026: Due to the Sei Network's focus on increasing decentralization and efficiency of applications, Developers and Traders are likely to be drawn to the Sei Network in increasing numbers as a result.

 This may translate into higher utilization of SEI and increased demand for faster blockchain solutions, resulting in further buying support for the SEI token price.

3) Sonic (S) — Fast Layer-1 & Ecosystem Token

Price and market data: 

• Price $0.0833, Market Cap $239.97M, 24h Volume $18.06M, 

• Circulating Supply 2.88B S   

Sonic is a Layer‑1 blockchain built for super fast transactions and cheap fees.It helps support DeFi and decentralized applications (dApps). This makes it one of the cheap crypto to buy that still offers real tech value.

Current Trend & Growth Factors:Sonic has seen big interest from traders and developers because of fast and low‑cost transactions. The team is building new partnerships and additions to the network to attract more users.

Why it could grow in 2026: if Sonic successfully signs DeFi partners, launches scalable tools, or completes planned tokenomics/ETF allocations, demand could rise. If the Sonic network becomes widely used for apps and finance tools, more people might buy the token.

4) IOTA (IOTA) — IoT & Feeless Data Economy Token

Price and Market data: 

• Price $0.09616, Market Cap $407–411M, Circulating Supply 4.24B IOTA

IOTA uses a DAG called the Tangle (not a classic blockchain) and targets Internet-of-Things (IoT) data and micropayments with feeless transfers. The project focuses on machine economy use cases and enterprise partnerships. 

Market trend: renewed attention after protocol upgrades and staking/liq. products. 

Why it could grow in 2026: more enterprise IoT adoption, decentralization upgrades, and staking products could lift demand. 

Risks include adoption speed and competing data/IoT network

5) Core (CORE) — Bitcoin-Secured Layer-1 With DeFi Focus

Price and Market data: 

• Price: $0.1223, Market Cap: $124,987,441.

• Circulating Supply: 1,022,203,202 CORE.
  

Core is a Layer-1 project that emphasizes Bitcoin security while supporting smart contracts and DeFi. It uses designs that aim to combine Bitcoin’s security model with EVM-style compatibility so developers can build familiar apps with Bitcoin-grade protection. 

The CORE token serves multiple functions in this system, including governance, staking and securing the network. The project's primary market focus is on the DeFi and NFT sectors of the blockchain industry, particularly for developers that want to harness the security capabilities of the bitcoin network and the benefits of utilizing modern dApp capabilities.

Why Core Could Grow 

• Bitcoin security angle may attract conservative DeFi builders.

• EVM compatibility lowers the barrier for developers.

• Staking and improved tooling can increase on-chain activity.

Conclusion 

Buying tokens under $1 can let small investors own larger share counts, but remember every token has risk. The five projects above — CRV, Sonic, SEI, IOTA, and CORE — each solve different problems: stablecoin swaps, high-speed chains, DEX trading, IoT data, and Bitcoin-secured DeFi. I used the live CoinMarketCap numbers above and always do your own research before investing.

Disclaimer: This is not financial advice. Please DYOR before investing. CoinGabbar is not responsible for any financial losses. Crypto assets are highly volatile, and you can lose your entire investment.