Best Crypto Launches of 2024

Best Crypto Launch 2024 Report – Snapshot on September 23rd, 2024

• Ondo Finance leads with over $1 billion market cap.
• Notcoin onboarded over 2.8 million holders.
• Jupiter boasts one of the best market cap-to-fundraising ratios with a $1 billion valuation from $5 million raised.
• LayerZero attracted major investments and surpassed half a million holders across multiple blockchains.
• Manta Network excelled in privacy-focused DeFi with over 200,000 holders and strong adoption of ZK technology.
• ZetaChain quadrupled early investor returns and secured key listings on Coinbase and OKX.
• Dymension introduced secure RollApps, attracting over 200,000 holders and securing major exchange listings.
• Lista DAO raised $10 million, securing a market cap of $73 million with 50,000 holders.
• Ethena Labs introduced the “Internet Bond,” driving a market cap of over $500 million.
• zkSync raised $458 million, launching a Layer-2 solution with over 250,000 holders.
• Most projects secured significant centralized exchange listings, boosting liquidity and market visibility.

Key Insights for 2024 

Cryptocurrencies are moving toward mass adoption, and with that comes more innovation. Each year, new technologies emerge that help bridge cryptocurrencies to traditional ventures, and investors must keep an eye on new launches to stay ahead of the curve. With Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF approvals, Bitcoin halving event midway through 2024, and with FED’s potential quantitative easing in the fourth quarter of the year, thousands of crypto projects launched throughout the year to take advantage of hype.

Worth noting is the fact that airdrop strategies did not yield the expected results in 2024. Many projects saw huge negative returns, with some tokens dropping as much as 96% from the Initial Exchange Offering (IEO). The oversupply of airdropped tokens led to immediate sell-offs, causing sharp price declines. Speculative selling pressure overwhelmed market demand, negatively impacting token value. Projects with limited utility or weak roadmaps also failed to retain long-term user interest. This highlights the risks involved in relying solely on airdrops to build sustainable market value.

The Best Crypto Launch 2024 Report showcases the most innovative and impactful cryptocurrency projects introduced this year. This report ranks the top 10 launches based on key performance metrics, including market cap, adoption rate, ROI, and community support. To provide accurate insights, we collected data from reputable sources like CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko, DexScreener, and on-chain scanners as of September 23, 2024.

The criteria for inclusion required projects to launch between January 1 and September 23, 2024, have a minimum market cap of $50 million, and be listed on at least two major centralized exchanges. Each project was graded on a scale of 1 to 5 across several metrics, such as market cap, community engagement, tokenomics, and listings. We also factored in qualitative assessments like team expertise and technological innovation to break ties.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the top crypto projects, helping readers identify the most promising launches of 2024. These projects exemplify strong fundamentals, broad adoption, and innovative approaches that could shape the future of decentralized finance and blockchain technology. Whether you’re an investor or enthusiast, this guide offers valuable insights into the year’s standout crypto projects.

Methodology

This report aims to rank the top crypto launches of 2024 in a data-driven approach, using key performance metrics and qualitative assessments of the projects.

The data for this report was gathered from several reliable sources, including CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko, DexScreener, Nansen, and on-chain scanners. Market metrics were collected as of September 23, 2024, to ensure a consistent snapshot across all projects.

To qualify for this report, cryptocurrency projects needed to meet the following criteria:

• Launched between January 1, 2024, and September 23, 2024.
• Had a market cap of at least $50 million by the snapshot date.
• Listed on at least two major centralized exchanges (CEX) and actively traded with significant daily volume.

While these criteria might not be sufficient to filter what crypto launches are worthy of consideration and what not, it was an objective approach to get a comprehensive amount of data.

Each project was evaluated across the following key metrics, which were weighted equally: 

• Market Cap;
• Market Cap / Fundraising ratio (Value per dollar raised);
• Adoption Rate (No. holders)
• Community Support (Social Engagements);
• Community sentiment;
• Return on investment from initial price (IEO);
• CEX Listings;
• Tokenomics.

For each metric, projects were assigned scores ranging from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. 

Each project’s total score was calculated by summing the individual scores for all metrics. Projects were then ranked from highest to lowest based on their total score. Ties were broken by considering secondary factors like market sentiment and technological innovation.

Beyond numerical metrics, each project was evaluated for its overall impact on the blockchain ecosystem. Factors such as technological innovation, team expertise, community involvement, and strategic partnerships were considered to provide additional context to the rankings. 

Memecoins were not considered for this category given that such categories are reserved for the general impact that these launches had (both for blockchain technology and crypto community) and not primarily community-based responses. 

Detailed Project Rankings

1. Ondo Finance

Ondo Finance (ONDO) is a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform that enables tokenization of real-world assets (RWA), allowing users to access institutional-grade financial products via blockchain. The company was founded in 2021 by Nathan Allman, and it aims to provide solutions for both traditional finance products and DeFi. Its ecosystem functions as a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), and its mainnet launched in 2024. Ondo has partnerships with major financial institutions such as BlackRock and Coinbase. 

Ondo managed to raise $46.04 Million for its launch, which explains how the company managed to onboard more than 60,000 holders since its launch. Those who invested in its launch look at a 12.27x return, but the sustainability of its price could be questioned with only 14.4% of the supply being in circulation. Nonetheless, given its fundamentals and its $1 Billion market capitalization, Ondo has achieved the highest score and could explain why for many, Ondo is the best crypto launch of 2024 so far.

2. Notcoin

Making the difference from other community-tokens, Notcoin is one of the few play-to-earn ecosystems that can be considered a key success story in the GameFi sector. Initially, users earned $NOT by participating in a “social clicker” game available through the Telegram app, where players tapped a virtual coin and completed tasks to accumulate tokens. In May, the team introduced the “explore-to-earn” model, where users can explore the TON ecosystem and earn tokens by engaging with DeFi projects or indie games. 

Considering that it is not primarily in the category of “memecoins” but in the gaming sector, Notcoin ranks second in this year’s rankings given its immense success in onboarding more than 40 Million users and almost 3 million holders. The token managed to get listings in many major exchanges such as Binance, OKX, ByBit, etc. Since a lot of users earned “free” tokens through its clicker game, $NOT is still to break its initial exchange offering (IEO) price but maintains a market cap of more than $700 million. 

3. Jupiter

For many, Jupiter being on this list would not be a surprise. The decentralized exchange (DEX) on the Solana blockchain managed to gain traction due to its swap aggregation engine, as well as its efficient infrastructure for liquidity provision, DeFi, and trading. While it raised only $5 Million, it has one of the highest marketcap-fundraising ratios (value per dollar raised) with a market capitalization of over $1 Billion.

With close to 800,000 $JUP holders, Jupiter got listed on Binance, OKX, Kraken, and many other major centralized exchanges. Though numbers alone cannot tell the impact that Jupiter has had in the Solana ecosystem, more than 90% of its community are bullish on the future of $JUP. 

4. LayerZero

LayerZero is an omnichain interoperability protocol that provides communication across different blockchains. It uses Ultra Light Nodes (ULNs) to enable lightweight message passing between various blockchains such as Ethereum, BNB Chain, Avalanche, Polygon, etc. Its technology attracted investment firms such as Paypal Ventures, Sequoia, and a16z, which helped the company raise more than $250 million in its funding rounds. 

While still on a market cap below $500 Million, $ZRO is one of the few launches that got listed in both Binance and Coinbase, along other CEXs, making it accessible globally. $ZRO has more than half a million holders, and it has one of the best scores in terms of its community support on social media, helping it rank as the fourth best launch of 2024.

5. Manta Network

Manta Network emerged with the idea of making a privacy-focused DeFi ecosystem while using zero-knowledge (ZL) applications. It runs as both a Layer 2 Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-equivalent blockchain for ZK apps and as a ZK Layer 1 on the Polkadot ecosystem. Hence, with both networks experiencing huge growth, Manga surpassed the likes of Base in terms of Total Value Locked (TVL).

Its market cap of more than $300 Million provides a lot of room for growth, explaining as to why it has more than 200,000 holders that believe in the innovative use of ZK technology to make Manta the best privacy-focused DeFi ecosystem. With a score of 2.75 out of 5, Manta is the fifth-best crypto launch of the year. 

6. ZetaChain

ZetaChain is a Layer 1 blockchain focused on interoperability, allowing data transfers across different blockchain networks, such as Ethereum, Cosmos, Bitcoin, Tron, and many more, without the need for “wrapped” assets. It uses omnichain smart contracts to allow developers to build cross-chain decentralized applications (dApps).

ZetaChain was founded by a former Coinbase employee, which helped the project to attract early investors. The company raised $27 Million, and investors have almost quadrupled their initial investments. With $ZETA listing in major CEXs such as Coinbase and OKX, it ranks as the sixth-best crypto launch of the year. 

7. Dymension

Dymension introduced RollApps, modular blockchain networks that rely on the Dymension Hub for security and Data Availability (DA) networks to handle transaction data. With this, Dymension eliminated the need for costly validators, which makes it one of the best blockchain projects in terms of security, scalability, and user experience through Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocols. Developers can deploy RollApps that use external blockchains such as Celertia or NEAR for publishing transaction data.

The team managed to raise $6.7 Million prior to launch, giving Dymension a solid score in terms of its value per each dollar raised. $DYM received listings from Binance, Bybit, and other centralized exchanges, helping it become one of the best crypto launches of the year.

8. Lista DAO

Lista DAO, built on LSDfi (Liquid Staking Derivatives finance), allows users to stake and narrow their native stablecoin, lisUSD, using other crypto assets as collateral. $LISTA, serving as the utility token for governance, incentivization, and revenue sharing, is currently held by more than 50,000 wallets. 

Despite less than 20% of the total supply in circulation (with distribution including allocations for private investors, development, and rewards), Lista DAO has a market cap of $73 Million; The company raised $10 Million during funding rounds, and its open-source protocol launch earned its spot as one of the best crypto launches of the year. 

9. Ethena

Ethena Labs raised $20.5 Million during funding rounds. It introduced its synthetic dollar protocol USDe on Ethereum which is independent of traditional banking systems. It uses the “Internet Bond,” a dollar-denominated savings instrument that combines staking Ethereum with derivatives market dynamics to offer a globally accessible, yield-bearing asset.

Ethena introduced its utility token in 2024, which further facilitates the DeFi ecosystem that Ethena Labs is trying to build. The market performance of $ENA, with a current market cap of more than $500 Million, helped Ethena become one of the best launches of the year. $ENA is listed on Binance and Bybit, along with other CEXs. 

10. zkSync

zkSync became one of the most talked about Layer-2s months prior to its launch due to it being one of the first to utilize zero-knowledge (ZK) cryptographic proofs (ZK-rollups) to enhance the core values of Ethereum, namely its decentralization, security, self-sovereignty, and efficiency. It uses the ZK Stack framework to create multiple ZK-powered blockchains.

The native token $ZK serves as a utility token within the zkSync ecosystem. With Matter Labs being the parent company, zkSync managed to raise $458 Million during funding rounds. However, its current market cap is less than $500 Million, making it not one of the best in terms of its current marketcap-fundraising ratio. One of the reasons as to why zkSync did not manage to have the initial success it desired (i.e. maintaining a market cap of above $1 Billion) was its airdrop campaign. The majority of zkSync users were not eligible for the airdrop, making the community question whether believing in the project early was worth it. Nonetheless, the sentiment has improved months after due to the continuous work from the zkSync team, putting zkSync in the top 10 best crypto launches of the year with more than 250,000 holders. 

Main Categories of Crypto Launches in 2024

Throughout 2024, we witnessed several categories standing out in the crypto industry based on adoption and market impact. Real-World Assets (RWA) emerged as one of the strongest categories, reflecting growing institutional interest. DePin (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) also became a focal point, creating real-world utility through decentralized networks. 

Play-to-earn / Tap-to-earn / Explore-to-earn gaming, highlighted by Notcoin, also experienced massive success with millions of active users and holders. Cross-chain solutions like ZetaChain and LayerZero, gained traction by addressing blockchain interoperability, while Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZK Proofs), such as Manta Network and zkSync, showed significant adoption for privacy and scalability. 

A hugely debated category was Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI-driven projects like Sleepless AI gained attention with their innovative use of artificial intelligence. 

Looking Forward to 2025 – Where is the Industry Going

It is possible to see an increase in the integration of RWAs into the blockchain space throughout 2025. The likes of Ondo Finance have performed remarkably, so we might expect more tokenized RWA offerings that bridge traditional finance and DeFi. The potential of tokenized bonds, real estate, and other assets could be a boost for crypto adoption.

With AI being one of the most talked about subjects in the tech industry for the past few years, we anticipate more AI-driven solutions for managing portfolios, making data-driven investment decisions, and executing trades autonomously. We might see more projects with primary focus on AI, such as Sleepless AI.

The GameFi sector, blending gaming with DeFi and NFTs, could see more traction. Nonetheless, we might see these models experience a shift as more people integrate such activities into their daily lives.

The hype around memecoins might cool in the next cycle as investors shift focus toward utility-driven projects once “altcoin season” unfolds. Still, community tokens and other hype-driven assets will likely persist, especially with platforms offering “gamified” experiences.

Lastly, while the likes of Merlin Chain aim to provide Layer-2 solutions for Bitcoin, there is a lot to prove to become a strong business case. While such projects help in terms of Bitcoin scaling, there is not as much demand as in other chains (primarily because Bitcoin is for many a store of value rather than a high-utility network). Hence, there is some uncertainty regarding the success of Bitcoin Layer-2s in 2025. 

Conclusion

This report highlights the growing importance of decentralized finance and interoperability in the crypto market. Projects with strong institutional backing, like Ondo Finance and LayerZero, demonstrate increased interest from traditional financial players. The shift toward privacy-focused and cross-chain solutions, such as Manta Network and ZetaChain, indicates a demand for more secure, scalable platforms. The rise of Jupiter and Notcoin emphasizes the continued expansion of decentralized exchanges and gaming ecosystems, reflecting the market appetite for DeFi and GameFi innovations.

Lower circulating supply percentages, seen in projects like Ondo and Ethena, suggest potential price volatility. However, they also highlight growth opportunities as more tokens enter circulation. Despite early market success, projects such as zkSync and Dymension show the challenges of scaling, especially with large initial funding rounds not always translating into sustained high market caps.

FAQ

What are the top crypto launches of 2024?

The top crypto launches of 2024 include Ondo Finance, Notcoin, Jupiter, LayerZero, and Manta Network.

What are the best DeFi projects of 2024?

The best DeFi projects in 2024 are Ondo Finance, Jupiter, and Manta Network, driven by strong adoption and innovation.

How to choose the next big crypto?

Focus on projects with strong fundamentals, growing adoption, solid partnerships, and innovative technology.

What crypto has the most potential?

Cryptocurrencies with the most potential typically have strong fundamentals, innovative technology, growing adoption, and solid partnerships within the industry.

Disclaimer

This report is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Always do your own research (DYOR) before making any investment decisions. The rankings and evaluations presented are based on data as of September 23, 2024, and reflect objective assessments of the projects. Market conditions and project performance may change, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes.